When does my license expire?
California licenses expire every two years on the last day of the licensee’s birth month.
When can I renew my license?
You can renew your license within 90 days of expiration.
How do I renew my license?
You can renew your license either by mail or online using the California Department of Consumer Affairs BreEZe website.
How many CEUs does California require?
For all renewals up to November 30, 2025 you need to complete 15 hours of continuing education. You may take any of our online continuing education courses to meet this requirement. If you need the Law and Professional Ethics Course this renewal period, see the information below.
Effective January 1, 2024, all RCPs in the State of California who wish to maintain an active license will be required to begin completing 30 hours of continuing education (CE) for license renewal as follows (see the Implementation Schedule and Information):
For all renewals beginning December 31, 2025 you must complete 15 hours of our Real-Time Live Broadcast Courses, plus 15 hours of any combination of our Recorded Live Credit or Self-Directed Courses.
A minimum of 15 CE hours must be directly related to the Clinical Practice of respiratory care. This is defined as:
- Training and education in the therapy, management, rehabilitation, diagnostic evaluation, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities which affect the pulmonary system and associated aspects of cardiopulmonary and other systems functions as defined in sections 3702, 3702.5, and 3702.7 of the Business and Professions Code.
- Successful completion of approved credentialing examinations.
- Successful completion of approved certification examinations.
A minimum of 10 CE hours must be directly related to RCP Leadership. The following will be accepted as meeting the RCP Leadership criteria:
- Management: Training in case management, health-care financial reimbursement, health care cost containment or health care management.
- Educators: Training for educators who provide clinical respiratory care practice instruction.
- Effective Communication in Healthcare: Courses designed to improve communication between healthcare providers to reduce medical errors.
- Qualified Preceptorship: This is a new concept by the RCB to promote and expand quality preceptorship by incentivizing CE credit for participation.
- Law and Professional Ethics Course: This course is still required every other renewal cycle and will be counted toward the “Leadership” requirement. This course can only be taken through the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) by clicking here or the California Society for Respiratory Care. Completion of this ethics course will count for 3 CE hours towards the existing requirement. To determine if ethics is due as part of your license renewal, you can check the RCB’s License Search system. If you purchase the AARC course, wait 10-15 minutes after your purchase for their website to place the course into your account, then click on Education to reach the AARC University page. On the AARC University page click on My Programs to take the course.
Note: A course in any format may be taken as an RCP Leadership course. Your 10 CE hours of RCP Leadership courses do not have to be strictly live courses such as our Real-Time Live Broadcasts.
Click here to see a list of our courses that meet the criteria for RCP Leadership.
The remaining 5 CE hours may be earned through courses that meet the criteria above or courses that are indirectly related to the clinical practice of respiratory care including attendance at meetings provided by the Respiratory Care Board, California Society for Respiratory Care (CSRC), or American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) as designated by and at each provider’s discretion.
In addition, a minimum of 15 of the total 30 required CE hours must be earned from live courses or meetings which include in-person AND online platforms where licensees can directly interact with the instructor in real time during the instructional period. Our Real-Time Live Broadcasts meet this criteria.
Can I get all of my CEUs online?
You can obtain all of your CEUs online. We offer Real-Time Live Broadcasts that satisfy the 15 hour requirement listed directly above. You can also take our Recorded Live Credit and Self-Directed (available 24/7) courses for the remainder of your CEs. See our Discounts page for special offers (including Unlimited CEUs).
Are your courses approved by the AARC and accepted by the Respiratory Care Board of California (RCBC)?
Our courses are AARC approved and accepted by the RCBC. To see our AARC approvals click here.
How much does my renewal cost?
From the California Business and Professions Code, Division 2 Healing Arts, Chapter 8.3 Respiratory Therapy, Article 7. Fiscal Administration, § 3775. Amount of fees:
The amount of fees provided in connection with licenses or approvals for the practice of respiratory care shall be as follows:
(a) The application fee shall be established by the board at not more than three hundred dollars ($300). The application fee for the applicant under subdivision (c) of Section 3740 shall be established by the board at not more than three hundred fifty dollars ($350).
(b) The fees for any examination or reexamination required by the board shall be the actual cost to the board for developing, purchasing, grading, and administering each examination or reexamination.
(c) The initial license fee for a respiratory care practitioner shall be no more than three hundred dollars ($300).
(d) For any license term beginning on or after January 1, 1999, the renewal fee shall be established at two hundred thirty dollars ($230). The board may increase the renewal fee, by regulation, to an amount not to exceed three hundred thirty dollars ($330). The board shall fix the renewal fee so that, together with the estimated amount from revenue, the reserve balance in the board’s contingent fund shall be equal to approximately six months of annual authorized expenditures. If the estimated reserve balance in the board’s contingent fund will be greater than six months, the board shall reduce the renewal fee. In no case shall the fee in any year be more than 10 percent greater than the amount of the fee in the preceding year.
(e) The delinquency fee shall be established by the board at not more than the following amounts:
(1) If the license is renewed not more than two years from the date of its expiration, the delinquency fee shall be 100 percent of the renewal fee in effect at the time or renewal.
(2) If the license is renewed after two years, but not more than three years, from the date of expiration of the license, the delinquency fee shall be 200 percent of the renewal fee in effect at the time of renewal.
(f) The duplicate license fee shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75).
(g) The endorsement fee shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100).
(h) Costs incurred by the board in order to obtain and review documents or information related to the criminal history of, rehabilitation of, disciplinary actions taken by another state agency against, or acts of negligence in the practice of respiratory care by, an applicant or licensee, shall be paid by the applicant or licensee before a license will be issued or a subsequent renewal processed.
(i) Fees paid in any form other than check, money order, or cashier’s check shall be subject to an additional processing charge equal to the board’s actual processing costs.
(j) Fees incurred by the board to process return mail shall be paid by the applicant or licensee for whom the charges were incurred.
(k) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the board, in its discretion, may reduce the amount of any fee otherwise prescribed by this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 586, Sec. 16. Effective January 1, 2004.)
Resource Links
Respiratory Care Board of California (RCBC)
Dept of Consumer Affairs License Search
Manage Your California Respiratory License
Step by Step Online Renewal Guide
RCBC Continuing Education Page
RCBC Continuing Education Laws and Regulations
California Business and Professions Code
California 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.