How long must each licensee retain records of continuing education?

The requirement for licensees to retain records of continuing education for 5 years is established to ensure that practitioners can demonstrate compliance with the California Physical Therapy Board's regulations. This retention period allows for adequate time for audits or reviews by the board to verify that all continuing education requirements have been met. Maintaining these records for 5 years strikes a balance between having sufficient documentation readily available for regulatory review while not placing an excessive burden on the licensee to keep records indefinitely. After this time, it is generally considered that the records are less critical, as the regulations are designed to ensure ongoing professional development and competency in the field.