{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-887.17","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 59-887.17","heading":"Referrals by physicians, surgeons, or assistants","body":"thereof - Exceptions.\n\nA. 1. Except for workers’ compensation claims, any person\n\nlicensed under the Physical Therapy Practice Act as a physical\n\ntherapist including, but not limited to, a licensed physical\n\ntherapist operating under a direct-to-employer contract, may\n\nevaluate and treat human ailments by physical therapy on a patient\n\nwithout a referral from a licensed health care practitioner for a\n\nperiod not to exceed thirty (30) days. Treatment may be provided by\n\na physical therapist assistant under the supervision of a physical\n\ntherapist. Any treatment provided beyond the thirty-day period\n\nshall be only under the referral of a person licensed as a physician\n\nor surgeon with unlimited license, or the physician assistant of the\n\nperson so licensed, and doctors of dentistry, chiropractic, and\n\npodiatry and an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, with those\n\nreferrals being limited to their respective areas of training and\n\npractice.\n\n2. A physical therapist may provide services within the scope\n\nof physical therapy practice without a physician referral to\n\nchildren who receive physical therapy services pursuant to the\n\nIndividuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, as\n\nmay be amended, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,\n\nas may be amended. Provided further, a plan of care developed by a\n\nperson authorized to provide services within the scope of the\n\nPhysical Therapy Practice Act shall be deemed to be a prescription\n\nfor purposes of providing services pursuant to the provisions of the\n\nIndividuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, as\n\nmay be amended, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,\n\nas may be amended.\n\n3. Nothing in the Physical Therapy Practice Act shall prevent a\n\nphysical therapist from performing screening and educational\n\nprocedures within the scope of physical therapy practice without a\n\nphysician referral.\n\n4. Nothing in the Physical Therapy Practice Act shall prevent a\n\nphysical therapist from performing services that are provided for\n\nthe purpose of fitness, wellness, or prevention that is not related\n\nto the treatment of an injury or ailment.\n\n5. Nothing in the Physical Therapy Practice Act shall be\n\nconstrued as authorization for a physical therapist or physical\n\ntherapist assistant to practice any branch of the healing art.\n\n6. Any person violating the provisions of the Physical Therapy\n\nPractice Act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor as per Section 887.16\n\nof this title.\n\nB. 1. The provisions of the Physical Therapy Practice Act are\n\nnot intended to limit the activities of persons legitimately engaged\n\nin the nontherapeutic administration of baths, massage, and normal\n\nexercise.\n\n2. The Physical Therapy Practice Act shall not prohibit\n\nstudents who are enrolled in schools of physical therapy approved by\n\nthe State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision from performing\n\nsuch work as is incidental to their course of study; nor shall it\n\nprevent any student in any recognized school of the healing art in\n\ncarrying out prescribed courses of study, provided such school is a\n\nrecognized institution by the Oklahoma Statutes, and its\n\npractitioners are duly licensed as prescribed by law.\n\n3. Nothing in the Physical Therapy Practice Act shall apply to\n\nany person employed by an agency, bureau, or division of the federal\n\ngovernment while in the discharge of official duties; however, if\n\nsuch individual engages in the practice of physical therapy outside\n\nthe line of official duty, the individual must be licensed as herein\n\nprovided.","path":["OK Code","Title 59"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os59.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"ed9ff940b67fdc71f2e149fc03e6cbd2e90dd3bb1d27d8c80aaa71b81eaf463e","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-887.16","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-887.18"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}