When does my license expire?
The due date for license renewal is the last day of the month in which a birth date falls pursuant to the biennial birth date renewal system administered by the Tennessee Department of Health Board of Respiratory Care (TDHBRC). The due date is contained on the renewal document designated as the expiration date.
How do I renew my license?
- Internet Renewals: Individuals may apply for renewal and pay the necessary fees via the Internet. The application to renew can be accessed below.
- Paper Renewals: For individuals who have not renewed their license online via the Internet, a renewal application form will be mailed to each individual licensed by the Board to the last address provided to the Board. Failure to receive such notification does not relieve the licensee from the responsibility of meeting all requirements for renewal.
How many CEUs does Tennessee require?
Each therapist and assistant licensed by the Board must complete 12 hours of approved continuing education every calendar year (for a total of 24 hours every renewal cycle).
- At least 5 of those 12 hours must pertain to the clinical practice of respiratory care or to research relating to the cardio-pulmonary system
- At least 1 of those 12 hours must pertain to patient safety as defined by the Joint Commission.
- At least 1 of those 12 hours must be a course focused on the professional or ethical standards required of respiratory therapists by their governing rules and statutes
- The remaining 5 hours may pertain to, among other topics, education or management
Can I get all of my CEUs online?
No, you cannot obtain all of your CEUs online.
(Rule 1330-01-.12)
(c) A minimum of 5 hours must be obtained live, real time, with interactive opportunity.
The Tennessee Board has decided that for these 5 live credit hours you must be "in the room" during the lecture. This means interactive Internet courses, such as our Real-Time Live Broadcasts via Zoom, will only be accepted as self-directed.
The question of in-person "hotel style" seminars with remote speakers has not been addressed. As an example, if you attended an in-person lecture and 4 speakers were in person and 2 were Zooming in, would that be 4 live and 2 self-directed credits? Could you count them all as live? We could not get an answer regarding how those would be accepted.
The only advice we can give now is you should be in the physical space with the speaker. Any use of technology to deliver content or communicate with the speaker could mean the CEU would only be accepted as non-traditional.
To summarize, each calendar year you must obtain 5 live CEUs and 7 non-traditional CEUs. You can obtain all of your non-traditional CEUs online - our Real-Time Live Broadcast, Recorded Live Credit Courses, and Self-Directed (available 24/7) courses.
See our Discounts page for special offers (including Unlimited CEUs).
Are your courses approved by both the AARC and the Tennessee Department of Health Board of Respiratory Care (TDHBRC)?
Our courses are AARC approved and accepted by the TDHBRC.
How much does my renewal cost?
License renewal is $75. An initial license is $150.
Resource Links
Tennessee Department of Health Board of Respiratory Care (TDHBRC)
TDHBRC Licensure and Regulatory System Renewal Portal
Tennessee Society for Respiratory Care
The information contained on this page was as accurate as possible at the time it was researched. It is possible that errors exist or that current license requirements have changed. We encourage corrections and comments and will make modifications accordingly. Neither Respiratory Associates nor any other individual or institution, except the person renewing their license, is responsible or liable for any consequences of its use. You are encouraged to read your state licensure requirements from the primary source, e.g. state website. If any of our CEU courses are rejected by your state licensing authority our sole remedy will be a refund.