(A) The physical therapy section of the Ohio occupational therapy, physical therapy, and athletic trainers board shall issue to an applicant a license to practice as a physical therapist without requiring the applicant to have passed the national examination for physical therapists described in division (A) of section 4755.43 of the Revised Code within one year of filing an application described in section 4755.42 of the Revised Code if all of the following are true:

(1) The applicant presents evidence satisfactory to the physical therapy section that the applicant received a score on the national physical therapy examination described in division (A) of section 4755.43 of the Revised Code that would have been a passing score according to the board in the year the applicant sat for the examination;

(2) The applicant presents evidence satisfactory to the physical therapy section that the applicant passed the jurisprudence examination described in division (B) of section 4755.43 of the Revised Code;

(3) The applicant holds a current and valid license or registration to practice physical therapy in another state or country;

(4) Subject to division (B) of this section, the applicant can demonstrate that the applicant's education is reasonably equivalent to the educational requirements that were in force for licensure in this state on the date of the applicant's initial licensure or registration in the other state or country;

(5) The applicant pays the fee described in division (B) of section 4755.42 of the Revised Code;

(6) The applicant is not in violation of any section of this chapter or rule adopted under it.

(B) For purposes of division (A)(4) of this section, if, after receiving the results of an equivalency evaluation from a credentialing organization identified by the section pursuant to rules adopted under section 4755.411 of the Revised Code, the section determines that regardless of the results of the evaluation the applicant's education is not reasonably equivalent to the educational requirements that were in force for licensure in this state on the date of the applicant's initial licensure or registration in another state or foreign country, the section shall send a written notice to the applicant stating that the section is denying the applicant's application and stating the specific reason why the section is denying the applicant's application. The section shall send the notice to the applicant through certified mail within thirty days after the section makes that determination.

Effective Date: 04-16-1993; 04-06-2007 .