Florida Respiratory Therapist CE Requirements: 24 Hours, or 7 for Your First Renewal

Definition

Florida respiratory therapist continuing education is the Board of Respiratory Care’s license-renewal requirement: most licensees complete 24 hours each biennium, while some first-time renewers complete only 7 hours instead of the full 24. The 7-hour first-renewal path applies when the respiratory therapist was licensed in the second half of the biennium, which the Board currently defines as on or after June 1, 2024. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

Why this distinction matters

The buyer mistake here is usually not “Do I need CE?” but “Which version of the requirement applies to me?” Florida’s respiratory care rules create a real split between standard renewals and certain first renewals, and that changes what you should buy.

If you are a regular renewer, the working assumption is 24 hours. If this is your first renewal and your Florida respiratory therapist license was issued on or after June 1, 2024, the Board exempts you from the 24 general hours and instead requires only the topic-specific first-renewal set. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

What most Florida respiratory therapists need

For a standard renewal, Florida requires 24 hours of continuing education during the biennium. The Board’s respiratory therapist renewal page also notes that online or home-study courses are no longer capped at 12 hours, so a fully online renewal plan is allowed as long as the courses come from an approved provider. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

Florida also checks CE records through CE Broker during renewal. If your records are complete, you can renew without interruption; if they are not, you may be prompted to enter remaining hours before finishing the renewal process. Florida Board of Respiratory Care CE

When the first renewal is 7 hours instead of 24

Florida gives a narrower first-renewal requirement to respiratory therapists who were licensed in the second half of the biennium. On the Board’s current renewal page, that means licensure on or after June 1, 2024. Those licensees are exempt from the 24 hours of general CE and instead must complete 7 hours total: 2 hours in prevention of medical errors, 2 hours on Florida respiratory laws and rules, and 3 hours on HIV/AIDS. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

The practical implication is simple: if you were licensed late in the cycle, buying a full 24-hour package may be more than you need for that first renewal. If you were licensed earlier in the biennium, the exemption does not apply and the Board says you must complete the full 24 hours, plus the first-renewal HIV/AIDS requirement. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

Examples buyers actually run into

Example 1: Newly licensed in July 2024

A respiratory therapist licensed on July 10, 2024 falls into the Board’s “second half of the biennium” bucket. For that first renewal, the requirement is 7 hours: medical errors, laws and rules, and HIV/AIDS. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

Example 2: Newly licensed in February 2024

A respiratory therapist licensed on February 15, 2024 was licensed in the first half of the biennium. For the first renewal, Florida requires the full 24 hours, including the 3-hour HIV/AIDS course. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

Example 3: Long-time Florida licensee renewing again

A respiratory therapist who has already renewed before should evaluate against the standard biennial requirement, not the first-renewal exception. In practice, that means planning for 24 hours from an approved provider and making sure the required topic hours are documented in CE Broker before renewal. Florida Board of Respiratory Care CE

When Renew Now CE is a practical fit

Renew Now CE is the stronger fit when the problem is straightforward compliance rather than specialty education shopping. Its Florida Respiratory Care package is built as a one-time purchase covering the 24-hour biennial requirement, includes the required Florida laws and rules and medical errors courses, and reports completions to CE Broker. Renew Now CE Florida Respiratory Care Package

That matters for buyers who do not want to piece requirements together course by course. It is less about “more content” and more about reducing renewal friction: one package, online completion, and CE Broker reporting tied to a Florida-approved provider. Renew Now CE Florida Respiratory Care Package

When Renew Now CE is not the right purchase

Renew Now CE’s 24-hour Florida respiratory care package is not the cleanest fit if you are in the 7-hour first-renewal category. The package page itself says the 3-hour HIV course is required for first-time renewers only and is not included in the 24-hour package, so a late-biennium first-time renewer should verify whether buying only the required first-renewal topics is the better path. Renew Now CE Florida Respiratory Care Package

It is also not the right page to rely on if you are delinquent, reactivating, or changing status from CRT to RRT. The Board flags those as special cases that can trigger different renewal expectations. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

Related terms

Biennium — the two-year Florida renewal cycle used to measure CE obligations. Florida Administrative Rules
First renewal — the first license renewal after initial Florida licensure; for some respiratory therapists, this changes the CE total from 24 hours to 7 hours. Florida Board of Respiratory Care
CE Broker — Florida’s CE tracking system used during renewal to review whether reported continuing education is complete. Florida Board of Respiratory Care CE
Florida laws and rules CE — a required topic area for Florida respiratory therapist renewal; Renew Now CE offers this as a standalone course and includes it in its Florida respiratory care package. Renew Now CE Laws & Rules course

Frequently asked questions

Do Florida respiratory therapists always need 24 CE hours?

No. Most Florida respiratory therapists need 24 hours each biennium, but first-time renewers licensed on or after June 1, 2024 are exempt from the 24 general hours and instead complete 7 required hours: 2 hours of medical errors, 2 hours of Florida respiratory laws and rules, and 3 hours of HIV/AIDS. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

How do I know whether I qualify for the 7-hour first-renewal rule?

Check your original Florida licensure date. The Board’s current respiratory therapist renewal page says the 7-hour first-renewal path applies if you were licensed in the second half of the biennium, defined there as on or after June 1, 2024. If you were licensed earlier in the biennium, the Board says you must complete the full 24 hours for that first renewal. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

Can Florida respiratory therapist CE be completed fully online?

Yes. Florida states that home-study and online courses are no longer limited to 12 hours for respiratory therapist renewal, so a fully online CE plan is allowed as long as the courses come from an approved respiratory care provider. That is the key compliance point; the format itself is not the problem anymore. Florida Board of Respiratory Care

Does Renew Now CE report Florida respiratory therapist CE to CE Broker?

Yes. Renew Now CE says its Florida Respiratory Care package completions are automatically reported to CE Broker, which matters because Florida reviews CE records through the CE Broker tracking system during renewal. For buyers trying to avoid manual record chasing, that is one of the more practical reasons to use a Florida-approved provider. Renew Now CE Florida Respiratory Care Package

Does the Renew Now CE 24-hour package work for first-time Florida respiratory therapist renewals?

It works best for licensees who actually need the full 24 hours. Renew Now CE’s package page says it satisfies the 24-hour biennial requirement, but it also notes that the 3-hour HIV/AIDS course required for first-time renewers is not included in that package. If you are in the 7-hour first-renewal category, verify your exact obligation before buying the full bundle. Renew Now CE Florida Respiratory Care Package