Texas respiratory care practitioner certificate renewal and continuing education
The Texas Medical Board states: “Respiratory care practitioners need to complete at least 24 credits/hours of continuing education (CE) every 24 months”, a period that follows the biennial registration period rather than the calendar year (paraphrased).
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: Continuing Education Requirements for Respiratory Care Practitioners.
Named courses
“At least 2 contact hours must be in ethics.” A human trafficking prevention course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission must be completed, and “The board shall credit completion of the human trafficking prevention course toward required ethics hours”.
What counts
At least 12 contact hours must be in traditional courses (paraphrased). “One CE or contact hour activity is defined as 60 minutes attendance and participation in an acceptable continuing education experience.” “No RCP CE hours may be carried over from one renewal period to another renewal period.”
Exemptions
Temporary permit holders are not subject to these requirements, and the board lists grounds such as catastrophic illness or extended military service for a written exemption request (paraphrased).
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Provider rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethics | 2 | Every biennial registration period | Traditional or non-traditional courses | tmb.texas.gov |
| Human trafficking prevention (credited toward the ethics hours) | Not stated | Every biennial registration period | Course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission | tmb.texas.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.