Respiratory Care (RC)

Application Types

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Respiratory Care Professional (RCP)

"Respiratory care professional" means a person who is licensed to practice the full range of services described in "Respiratory care", which means rendering or offering to render to individuals, groups, organizations, or the public any service involving the evaluation of cardiopulmonary function, the treatment of cardiopulmonary impairment, the assessment of treatment effectiveness, and the care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities associated with the cardiopulmonary system.

Limited Permit Holders (L1 or L2)

L1 – A person issued a limited permit shall practice respiratory care only under the supervision of a respiratory care professional and may practice for not more than three years. An applicant for a Limited Permit (L1) must provide proof of meeting one of the following requirements:

• Is enrolled in and is in good standing in a respiratory care educational program that meets the requirements of rule 4761-4-01 of the Administrative Code; or

• Is a graduate of a respiratory care educational program that meets the requirements of rule 4761-4-01 of the Administrative Code and is making application within one year of such graduation date.

L2 – Is employed as a provider of respiratory care in this state and was employed as a provider of respiratory care in this state prior to March 14, 1989, as provided by division (B)(1)(b) of section 4761.05 of the Revised Code.  To renew, they must be in compliance with continuing education and supply proof of current employment. 

 

Initial Application Fees

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Application Process and Requirements

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Respiratory Care Professional Licenses are issued after being approved at the monthly board meeting. The requirements for licensure as a Limited Permit Holder and a Respiratory Care Professional in Ohio are described in Section 4761-5-01, 4761-5-04 and 4761-6-01 of the Ohio Administrative Code.

 

Process and Requirements:

• Submit an eLicense application by creating an account at eLicense.ohio.gov

• Applicants will be required to complete the application in its entirety and pay a non-refundable fee using a valid credit card (Visa, MasterCard or Discover).

• Applicants will be required to upload any required documents as a result of an affirmative answer provided in the Questions portion of the application, license specific certifications 

• Must submit applicable credential exam results (see Examination Information section)

• Applicants will be required to submit a background check

eLicense allows you to update your address and supervision of exempt practitioners. Name changes can be requested through eLicense via a service request. Click "options" after logging into eLicense to submit your changes. 

 

Examination Information

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There is an examination required for all initial Respiratory Care Professional Applicants and could be a condition imposed by the board for those who have let their license lapse or been inactive for more than two years from the last expiration date.  An initial Respiratory Care Professional applicant must meet one of the following examination requirements:

• Within three years prior to the date of application, the applicant has successfully completed both portions of the R.R.T. examination.  The board will waive the three-year examination recognition period if the applicant (1) Holds an active and valid license issued by another state or states and the license was issued in part or in whole based upon successful completion of the R.R.T. or (2) demonstrates employment in the practice of respiratory care by an entity meeting the requirements of division (A)(2) of section 4761.11 of the Revised Code.

• The applicant, on the date of application, holds an active and valid license issued by another state or states and the license was issued in part or in whole based upon successful completion of the C.R.T. examination, taken prior to January 1, 2015.  

The competency examination approved by the Board for Ohio licensure is the exam offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care.  Registration examination information and schedule of tests may be obtained from:

 

National Board for Respiratory Care

10801 Mastin Street, Suite 300

Overland Park, KS 66210

Telephone:  913-895-4900

Fax: 913-712-9283

Website: NBRC.org

 

Request FBI and Ohio BCI Background Record Checks

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The board strongly encourages prospective applicants to complete their background checks as soon as they know that they will be applying for Ohio licensure. There is no need to wait until an application is submitted to start the background check process. The board will retain the background check results for up to one year upon receiving them. Once an application has been submitted to the board, its status will be updated to reflect receipt of the results.

• All initial and reinstatement applications for licensure are required to complete an FBI and Ohio BCI criminal records check. The Ohio background check packet and instructions can be obtained here.

• Results MUST be sent directly from the vendor to the State Medical Board of Ohio; the Board will not accept results from the applicant or a third party.

​Please note: the Medical Board is unable to confirm receipt of background checks or other supporting documents prior to an application being submitted. 

Once an application has been submitted, any documents that have been previously received will be attached to the application. In order to efficiently process your application, please do not submit or email documents to the board that are not specifically required as part of the application. Board staff will contact you directly in the event that further information or additional documentation is necessary to process your application. Please allow the board 10 business days to perform an initial review of your application. After that time, you may check the status of your application by logging into eLicense and navigating to your license application. Select the Options tab and the Review Status option. Any outstanding items will be listed in the ‘Comments’ section at the bottom of the page.

 

Continuing Education Requirements and Resources

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First time license holders who have held a license for less than six months from the biennial license expiration date will not be required to complete the RCCE requirements for the current term of collection, but will have to complete the RCCE requirements for the following biennial renewal period.

On or before the biennial renewal date, a license holder shall complete twenty hours of continuing education, or pass a reexamination in accordance with the board's renewal requirements.

On or before the annual renewal date, the holder of a limited permit (L2) shall complete ten hours of continuing education or pass a reexamination in accordance with the board's renewal requirements.

Further information regarding continuing education requirements can be found in Chapter 4761-9 of the Ohio Administrative Code.

Please use the course below to satisfy the required one-hour CE on ethics for license renewal and restoration. This one-hour requirement should be included in the total hours per renewal cycle.

 

Click here for the Ohio Respiratory Care Law and Professional Ethics Course and Quiz

 

Board Meetings

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A list of board meetings can be found here. Meetings are open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

 

Respiratory Care Advisory Council

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For more information on the Advisory Council, please click here.

 

Forms and Helpful Links

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FAQs

L1 Limited Permit Supervisor Registration Form

L1 Limited Permit Verification of Education Form

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4761

Ohio Administrative Code 4761