Physical therapist; licensing requirements; exemption.

(1) To be eligible for licensing as a physical therapist, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

(a) Be at least 18 years old.

(b) Be of good moral character.

(c)1. Have graduated from a school of physical therapy which has been approved for the educational preparation of physical therapists by the appropriate accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor or the United States Department of Education at the time of her or his graduation and have passed, to the satisfaction of the board, the American Registry Examination before 1971 or a national examination approved by the board to determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical therapist under this chapter;

2. Have received a diploma from a program in physical therapy in a foreign country and have educational credentials deemed equivalent to those required for the educational preparation of physical therapists in this country, as recognized by the appropriate agency as identified by the board, and have passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination to determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical therapist under this chapter; or

3. Be entitled to licensure by endorsement or without examination as provided in s. 486.081.

(d) Have submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135.

(2) A person licensed as a physical therapist in another state who is practicing under the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact pursuant to s. 486.112, and only within the scope provided therein, is exempt from the licensure requirements of this section.