<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2020-02-28</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2020-03-03</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000884269</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ALPHA PRO TECH LTD</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>APT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001258162</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>RITOTA JOHN</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>60 CENTURIAN DRIVE SUITE # 112</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MARKHAM</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>A6</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>L3R 9R2</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>ONTARIO, CANADA</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2020-02-28</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>4400</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>23.80</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>15000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>by spouse, Dr Ritota disclaims beneficial ownership</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">On March 30, 2020, the reporting person filed an amendment to the Form 4 filed on March 3, 2020 (the &quot;Original Report&quot;), which inadvertently omitted the details of a sale transaction by the reporting person's spouse on February 28, 2020.  This amendment is being filed to further amend the Original Report to correctly report the total holdings of the reporting person's spouse after the sale transaction (15,000 shares), which was incorrectly reported in the first amendment as 10,600 shares</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Dr. John Ritota</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2020-05-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
