May 1, 2020/Open Access

Criteria for establishment of a new specialty area are established by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and guide the development of all new specialty areas. The APTA House of Delegates approves all new specialty areas.

Certified specialists can use the following materials in their marketing efforts. ABPTS Logo Access Click Here and log in using your APTA ID and password. Click on Learning Plans and scroll to Logo Authorization. Click Begin. How to Promote Your Board-Certification Specialization. Tips for Promoting

ABPTS Specialty Panels develop minimum eligibility requirements for certification and recertification in a specialty area based on ABPTS guidelines, and when required screen applicants for eligibility to sit for exams and for recertification.

There are some additional / different maintenance guidelines for initial certification in the Sports specialty area, as well as Sports specialists seeking to maintain their certification, specifically regarding direct patient care and venue hours.

The ABPTS Maintenance of Specialist Certification (MOSC) is a model for certification that focuses on continuing competence of the physical therapist specialist. This page covers MOSC Requirement 3: Practice Performance Through Examples of Clinical Care and Reasoning.

Since the inception of physical therapy clinical specialization in 1978, board certification was not life long but was valid for a period of ten years.  In order to be recredentialed as a specialist, the specialist had to demonstrate ongoing practice in the specialty area by meeting a minimum number

In 1989 the APTA House of Delegates approved board certification in the area of geriatric physical therapy. The first Geriatrics Specialist Certification Examination was given in February 1992. As of July 2025, ABPTS has certified 4,500 geriatric specialists.

This page is for individuals who need to verify ABPTS board-certification or are a board-certified specialisting needing formal or written documentation of your certification status, contact.

Jun 9, 2021/Article

There are opportunities at varying levels to become involved with the ABPTS certification process. From being an item writer, to participating in a specialty panel, all the way to become an ABPTS Board member.