{"application_form_url":"https://www.pals.pa.gov/","application_portal_url":"https://www.pals.pa.gov/","board_contact_url":null,"board_email":"See board website","board_fax":"N/A (contact by phone)","board_mailing_address":"See board website","board_name":"Pennsylvania Board of Medicine \u2014 RT","board_parent_org":"Pennsylvania Department of State","board_phone":"(717) 787-1400","board_physical_address":"See board website","board_source_url":null,"board_url":null,"canonical_url":"https://statelicensingreference.com/pennsylvania-rrt","ce_requirements_url":null,"common_delays":[{"description":"Applicants often take child abuse courses not approved by the PA Department of Human Services. Ensure the provider is specifically approved for PA Act 31.","title":"Non-Approved Child Abuse Training"},{"description":"The Board will not accept score reports or certificates provided by the applicant; they must come directly from the NBRC.","title":"Scores Not Sent Directly"},{"description":"Failure to account for all time periods (including unemployment or leave) on the CV will result in the application being returned for clarification.","title":"Employment Gaps in CV"},{"description":"Using the wrong service code for IdentoGO can lead to results being sent to the wrong agency. Always use the code provided in the PALS portal.","title":"Background Check Service Code Errors"}],"compact_member":false,"compact_name":"N/A","compact_privilege_fee":"N/A","created_at":"2026-04-09T17:05:34.583742+00:00","credential_type":"Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)","description":"Apply for a Pennsylvania Respiratory Therapist credential. Learn about the requirements, NBRC (National Board for Respiratory Care) TMC Exam, and state fees.","endorsement_application_url":"https://www.pals.pa.gov/","endorsement_fees":{"app_fee":"$100","background_check_fee":"$0 (included in application)","jurisprudence_exam_fee":"$0","total_estimated_cost":"$100"},"endorsement_steps":[{"description":"Request verification of your current, active license from every state where you hold or have held a license.","title":"Verify Out-of-State License","url":null,"url_label":null},{"description":"Submit an application for licensure by endorsement through PALS under the Act 41 provisions.","title":"Apply via Act 41","url":"https://www.pals.pa.gov/","url_label":"PALS Portal"},{"description":"Ensure NBRC sends verification of your CRT or RRT credential directly to the Board.","title":"Submit NBRC Credentials","url":"https://www.nbrc.org","url_label":"NBRC Verification"},{"description":"Complete the 3-hour PA-approved Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting course.","title":"Complete Mandatory PA Training","url":"https://www.reportabusepa.pitt.edu","url_label":"Child Abuse Training"}],"exam_registration_url":"https://www.nbrc.org","faqs":[{"answer":"30 hours of approved CE are required every biennial period, including 1 hour in medical ethics, 1 hour in patient safety, and 2 hours in child abuse recognition.","question":"How many continuing education hours are required for renewal?"},{"answer":"Licenses expire on December 31st of every even-numbered year.","question":"When do Pennsylvania respiratory therapist licenses expire?"},{"answer":"No, the minimum requirement for licensure is the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential from the NBRC.","question":"Is the RRT credential required for licensure in Pennsylvania?"},{"answer":"You may apply for a Temporary Permit if you have graduated but not yet passed the exam; otherwise, you cannot practice until the full license is issued.","question":"Can I practice while my application is pending?"}],"fee_payment_url":"https://www.pals.pa.gov/","fingerprint_delay_weeks":"2-4","fingerprint_fee":"$22.60","fingerprint_method_in_state":"LiveScan (IdentoGO)","fingerprint_method_out_of_state":"IdentoGO Out-of-State Live Scan (adds ~$39.95 fee) OR FD-258 hard card via mail (tip: moisturize hands for days prior to reduce smudge rejects)","fingerprint_required":true,"fingerprint_url":"https://uenroll.identogo.com","fingerprint_vendor":"IdentoGO / PA State Police","fingerprint_vendor_url":"https://www.identogo.com/locations/pennsylvania","initial_fee_amount":100.0,"initial_fee_breakdown":"$100 application/license fee","last_updated":"2026-02-25","last_verified":"2026-02-25","license_duration":"2 Years","licensing_pathway":"endorsement","payload_url":"https://statelicensingreference.com/api/pennsylvania-rrt.json","processing_time":"4 to 6 Weeks","profession":"Respiratory Therapist","provisional_info":"Many states offer a limited permit or provisional license for new graduates waiting to take the NBRC. Check specific board rules for supervisory requirements.","reciprocity_info":"Respiratory Therapists licensed in another state can often apply via endorsement by providing license verification and current certification.","renewal_cycle":"Every 2 years","renewal_fee_amount":50.0,"renewal_portal_url":"https://www.pals.pa.gov/","required_documents":[{"description":"Must be sent directly from the educational institution to the Board showing degree conferral.","name":"Official Transcripts","url":null,"url_label":null},{"description":"Official verification of CRT or RRT status sent directly from the NBRC.","name":"NBRC Credential Verification","url":"https://www.nbrc.org","url_label":"NBRC Verification"},{"description":"A report from the National Practitioner Data Bank regarding any disciplinary history.","name":"NPDB Self-Query Report","url":"https://www.npdb.hrsa.gov/","url_label":"NPDB Portal"},{"description":"Verification of the 3-hour mandatory training, usually reported electronically by the provider.","name":"Child Abuse CE Certificate","url":"https://www.reportabusepa.pitt.edu","url_label":"Pitt Training Portal"},{"description":"A detailed CV listing all periods of employment and unemployment since graduation.","name":"Curriculum Vitae (CV)","url":null,"url_label":null}],"slug":"pennsylvania-rrt","state_name":"Pennsylvania","state_slug":"pennsylvania","statutes_url":"https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/Data/pa/code/title49/chapter18/subchapFtoc.html","steps":[{"description":"Graduate from a respiratory care program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).","title":"Complete Education","url":"https://www.coarc.com/","url_label":"Find Accredited Programs"},{"description":"Successfully pass the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination at the CRT or RRT level administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).","title":"Pass NBRC Examination","url":"https://www.nbrc.org","url_label":"Register for Exam"},{"description":"Complete 3 hours of Board-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting.","title":"Complete Child Abuse Training","url":"https://www.reportabusepa.pitt.edu","url_label":"Take Free Training"},{"description":"Create an account on the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) and submit the initial application for Respiratory Therapist licensure.","title":"Submit PALS Application","url":"https://www.pals.pa.gov/","url_label":"Start Application"},{"description":"Register with IdentoGO for an FBI fingerprint-based background check using the service code provided in your PALS application dashboard.","title":"Request Background Checks","url":"https://uenroll.identogo.com","url_label":"Schedule Fingerprinting"},{"description":"Request a Self-Query report from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and have it sent to the Board.","title":"Submit NPDB Self-Query","url":"https://www.npdb.hrsa.gov/pract/selfQueryBasics.jsp","url_label":"Request Self-Query"},{"description":"Request that the NBRC send your official examination scores and credential verification directly to the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine.","title":"Verify Credentials","url":"https://www.nbrc.org","url_label":"Request Score Transfer"}],"temp_license_available":false,"temp_license_duration":"See board","temp_license_fee":"See board","temp_license_processing_time":"See board","updated_at":"2026-05-17T09:11:19.943460+00:00","verify_license_url":"https://www.pals.pa.gov/#/page/search"}