Pennsylvania respiratory therapist license renewal and continuing education
49 Pa. Code § 18.309a states that an applicant for biennial renewal or reactivation “is required to complete, during the 2 years preceding the application for renewal or reactivation, a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education”.
Quoted from official pages checked November 12, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
Source read on November 12, 2026: 49 Pa. Code § 18.309a (State Board of Medicine).
Named courses
“One continuing education hour shall be completed in medical ethics, 1 continuing education hour shall be completed in patient safety and at least 2 hours shall be completed in child abuse recognition and reporting”.
What counts
“At least 10 continuing education hours shall be obtained through classroom lecture, clinical presentation, real-time web-cast or other live sessions where a presenter is involved.” Basic life support and CPR earn no credit, and advanced life support counts for no more than 8 hours each biennial period (paraphrased).
First renewal and records
First-time Pennsylvania licensees are exempt during the initial biennial period, and licensees keep documentation for at least 2 years after the period (paraphrased).
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Provider rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical ethics | 1 | Every biennial period | Not stated | pacodeandbulletin.gov |
| Patient safety | 1 | Every biennial period | Not stated | pacodeandbulletin.gov |
| Child abuse recognition and reporting | At least 2 | Every biennial period | Approved training under § 16.108(b) | pacodeandbulletin.gov |
From the official source linked in each row, read November 12, 2026. ‘Not stated’ means the source we read does not say. Confirm on the board site before you renew.
Compare states: required CE topics by state.
What this page does not do
It covers the state respiratory care license only, and only what the official page named above says. It does not list fees and does not replace the board’s own instructions. NBRC credential maintenance is separate; see the RT overview. Rules change; check the board before you renew.