Board Rules and Administrative Regulations
Statutes versus rules
Statutes come from the Legislature; rules come from the Board and are codified in the Arizona Administrative Code, Title 4, Chapter 24. Rules carry the force of law and are where you find the practical requirements: licensure application procedures, fees, renewal and continuing education, standards of practice, documentation expectations, supervision definitions, advertising, infection control, and telehealth. Rules change more often than statutes, so the Board's current rule text controls over older study material.
Concepts to master
- Licensure mechanics: application, qualifications, examination, issuance, renewal, lapsed and inactive status, and reinstatement after lapse.
- Continuing education: the rule, not the statute, sets the hour requirement, acceptable categories, and record retention. Keep certificates - the Board audits rather than pre-approves.
- Standards of practice: accurate and timely records, legible entries, authentication of notes, and retention of records.
- Defined supervision terms: "direct supervision" (supervisor on the premises and immediately available) and "general supervision" (supervisor authorized but not necessarily on site) are rule-defined; a question that hinges on which level applies is really a vocabulary question.
- Practice settings and modalities: rules address infection control, equipment safety, and patient abandonment (terminating care without notice or referral).
Traps
- Answering with a number you half-remember. If a question pits an exact figure against a principle, the principle is usually being tested - but verify figures in the current rule.
- Assuming an inactive or lapsed license still permits practice.
- Confusing "supervision available by phone" with the higher standard required for certain delegated tasks.
Rule of thumb
Statute sets the floor; rule sets the procedure. When two answer choices conflict, the one describing a procedural step (application, record, notification) usually comes from rule and is correct as written.
Worked example: A PT is audited for CE. The relevant question is whether the certificates exist and match the categories the rule permits - not whether the courses felt clinically valuable.