Professional ethics codes for OT, PT, and SLP: AOTA, APTA, ASHA, and NBCOT
Each national body publishes its own code and says who it covers. AOTA’s ethics page says occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students have an obligation to demonstrate ethical conduct, and it links the AOTA 2025 Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics. APTA’s Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession took effect January 1, 2026, covers physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, and replaced APTA’s separate PT code and PTA standards. APTA enforces it with regard to APTA members. ASHA’s Code of Ethics, effective March 1, 2023, applies to ASHA members, ASHA certificate holders, and applicants. NBCOT’s Candidate/Certificant Code of Conduct applies to OTR and COTA certificants and exam applicants. State licensing boards enforce their own practice acts, which are separate from all four.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
This page quotes short framing sentences only. Read each full code on the official site.
Physical therapy: APTA
APTA’s Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist page, checked November 10, 2026, states: “At its 2025 meeting, the APTA House of Delegates adopted a new Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession that combines the Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant into one comprehensive document.” It says the new code “went into effect Jan 1, 2026.” APTA’s Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant page carries the same notice. Both older pages also state: “Please only use the document below when submitting complaints to the APTA's Ethics and Judicial Committee.”
The Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession (PDF) states: “APTA is a voluntary professional society that strives both to serve APTA members and to support the profession as a whole.” It also states: “The Code of Ethics establishes the ethical framework guiding the conduct of all members of the physical therapy profession (physical therapists and physical therapist assistants) throughout their careers, in all practice settings, and in all roles relating to patient and client management, consultation, education, research, and administration.”
On who enforces what, the code states: “The Standards of Conduct set forth in the Code of Ethics are used by the APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee to assess whether APTA members have engaged in unethical conduct.” It adds: “Regulators and others may rely on the Code of Ethics in assessing the conduct of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.” On state law: “In some circumstances, APTA may set higher expectations than legal requirements applicable to physical therapist and physical therapist assistant members that are enforced by state licensing authorities.”
On students: “Student physical therapists and student physical therapist assistants have the responsibility to adhere to the Code of Ethics during their entire academic program under the guidance of faculty and supervising clinical instructors.” The code is organized as nine Ethical Commitments with Standards of Conduct. It states: “This Code of Ethics is not exhaustive; that is, the Ethical Commitments and Standards of Conduct cannot address every possible situation.”
Speech-language pathology: ASHA
ASHA’s Code of Ethics page, checked November 10, 2026, is marked “Effective March 1, 2023.” Its preamble states: “The ASHA Code of Ethics reflects professional values and expectations for scientific and clinical practice.” It lists who the code applies to: ASHA members who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC), ASHA members who do not, nonmembers who hold the CCC, and applicants for ASHA certification or for membership and certification.
It states: “ASHA members who provide clinical services must hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence and must abide by the Code of Ethics.” And: “By holding ASHA certification and/or membership, or through application for such, all individuals are subject to the jurisdiction of the ASHA Board of Ethics for ethics complaint adjudication.” On structure: “The fundamentals of ethical conduct are described by Principles of Ethics and by Rules of Ethics.” And: “Rules of Ethics are specific statements of minimally acceptable as well as unacceptable professional conduct.” The code has four Principles of Ethics, each with its own Rules.
One rule addresses law directly: “Individuals shall comply with local, state, and federal laws and regulations applicable to professional practice and to the responsible conduct of research.” For certification maintenance, ASHA’s professional development requirements page requires “1 PDH in ethics” in each interval; see how certification CE works.
Occupational therapy: NBCOT
NBCOT’s Code of Conduct page, checked November 10, 2026, states: “This Candidate/Certificant Code of Conduct enables NBCOT to define and clarify the standards of personal and professional conduct required for eligibility for both initial and continued certification”. It covers OTR and COTA certification, and NBCOT says the term certificant includes applicants and candidates. It also states: “It is vital that NBCOT certificants conduct their work in a professional manner to earn and maintain the confidence and respect of recipients of occupational therapy, colleagues, employers, students, and the public.” The page lists revisions through May 2024.
An NBCOT news item states: “When applying for the exam or renewing your certification, you attest to reading and agreeing to abide by the NBCOT Candidate/Certificant Code of Conduct.” Two examples from the code: “Certificants shall comply with state and/or federal laws, regulations, and statutes governing the practice of occupational therapy.” And certificants must disclose “any criminal, legal, or other disciplinary matters within 60 days of any such matter”.
NBCOT’s Procedures for Enforcement page states: “The purpose of NBCOT's Qualifications and Compliance Review program is to protect the public from certified OTR and COTA professionals and exam applicants whose behavior violates the NBCOT Code of Conduct.” It states: “Violations of the Candidate/Certificant Code of Conduct may result in one or more of the following sanctions:” The list begins with ineligibility for certification, reprimand, and censure.
Occupational therapy: AOTA
AOTA’s ethics page, read in a JavaScript-capable browser on November 10, 2026, states: “Occupational therapy personnel, including occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students, have an obligation to demonstrate ethical conduct that reflects professional values when working with clients, families, caregivers, administrators, colleagues, policymakers, payers, and other health care professionals.” It says the official document helps “occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and students face complex ethical problems at various levels.”
The code’s official title is “AOTA 2025 Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics”. It is published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, volume 79, supplement 3 (doi:10.5014/ajot.2025.79S302), and it states that it was “Adopted by the Representative Assembly, April 2025.” Its preamble states: “The Code applies to all individuals within the profession, in every area of practice, and should be shared broadly to support and uphold ethical behavior across diverse settings.” On enforcement, the preamble says the code’s enforceable Standards of Conduct “apply to AOTA members.” AOTA’s ethics page links enforcement procedures. The linked document is titled “Enforcement Procedures for the AOTA 2020 Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics”.
This page does not list the code’s principles, core values, or standards. Read the full code at the link above. A plain (non-browser) fetch of AOTA’s site still returned no readable article on November 10, 2026. The lines above come from the browser read.
State boards are separate
A national code applies as its own body states: to members, certificants, or applicants. A state license is governed by that state’s practice act and board rules, and a board can discipline a licensee under them. Whether a state’s rules adopt or refer to any national code is a matter of that state’s law, and this page does not survey it. Check the board in the state and territory directory. For the difference between a national credential and a license, see certification vs licensure.