1. (1) Applicants for licensure as a Registered Respiratory Therapist or Certified Respiratory Therapist in the state of Florida shall apply on Form DH-MQA 1145, Application for Registered Respiratory Therapist or Certified Respiratory Therapist, Revised 04/2025, incorporated herein as this Board’s application form and available on the web at HYPERLINK "http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-18099"http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-18099, or at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/respiratory/index.html.
2. (2) Each applicant applying for licensure shall pay an application fee in the form of a check or money order payable to the Department of Health. The initial application must be accompanied by the application fee. The application fee is nonrefundable and may not be used for more than one year from the original submission of the application. After one year from the date of the original submission of an application and application fee, a new application and new fee shall be required from any applicant who desires to be considered for licensure.

3. (3) Every applicant for licensure as a registered respiratory therapist or certified respiratory therapist shall demonstrate the following:

   1. (a) 1. That the applicant holds the “Registered Respiratory Therapist” or “Certified Respiratory Therapist” credential issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care, or an equivalent credential acceptable to the Board, or

      2. That the applicant holds licensure, or the equivalent, to deliver respiratory care in another state and such licensure was granted pursuant to requirements determined to be equivalent to, or more stringent than, the requirements in Florida.

   2. (b) That the applicant is not otherwise disqualified by reason of a violation of Chapter 456 or 468, Part V, F.S., or the rules promulgated thereunder.

   3. (c) An applicant who has not practiced respiratory care for 2 years or more must complete a Board-approved comprehensive review course within two (2) years immediately prior to the filing of the licensure application or be recredentialed in the level in which he or she is applying to practice in order to ensure that he or she has the sufficient skills to re-enter the profession.

      1. The practice of respiratory care includes direct care, education, and research in the profession.

      2. Board-approved comprehensive course means any course or courses which includes, at a minimum, fourteen (14) hours in the topics and numbers of hours as follows:

Rulemaking Authority 456.013, 468.353(1), 468.364 FS. Law Implemented 456.013, 456.0135, 456.072(1), (2), 456.0635, 468.353, 468.358, 468.364, 468.365(1), (2) FS. History–New 4-29-85, Formerly 21M-34.02, 21M-34.002, 61F6-34.002, 59R-71.002, 64B8-71.002, Amended 7-22-02, 8-28-05, 6-12-07, 5-15-08, 5-25-09, 5-10-10, 10-6-10, 3-28-12, 1-16-13, 12-4-14, 4-7-16, 10-17-16, 4-3-18, 1-23-19, 10-10-19, 10-29-20, 7-16-25, 2-9-26.