(a) An applicant for licensure as a physical therapist or as a physical therapist assistant shall file a written application on forms provided by the board together with a fee as set by the board, no part of which shall be refundable. The applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the board that he or she is of good moral character and has completed a program of physical therapy education appropriate for training a physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant approved by the board or a nationally recognized accrediting agency. Each applicant shall also be a citizen of the United States or, if not a citizen of the United States, an individual who is legally present in the United States with appropriate documentation from the federal government.
(b) On and after June 1, 2021, an applicant for licensure as a physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant shall submit to the board, on a form sworn to by the applicant, his or her name, date of birth, Social Security number, and two complete sets of fingerprints for completion of a criminal history background check. The board shall submit the fingerprints to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency for a state criminal history background check. The fingerprints shall be forwarded by the agency to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history background check. Costs associated with conducting a criminal history background check shall be paid by the applicant.