Florida issues the Registered or Certified Respiratory Therapist license through the Florida Board of Respiratory Care (Department of Health). As of 2026 the application fee should be confirmed with the board and processing time varies once the board has a complete file. Renewal is every 2 years, $95. There is no interstate compact for respiratory therapy, so a license from another state does not transfer — you apply fresh.
Processing time varies from the point the board has everything. That last part is where almost all delay lives. Transcripts sent late by a school and NBRC verification that was requested but never completed are the two most common causes, and neither is visible to you unless you check.
Request transcripts and NBRC verification on the same day you submit the application, not after. Then follow up weekly.
Yes. a temporary permit is available for up to 12 months to therapists licensed in another state or graduates of an approved program
Additional costs usually include transcript fees, NBRC verification, fingerprinting and background check. Budget somewhat above the headline application fee.
If you take an assignment through us, we cover qualifying application fees and file the application with you rather than sending you a link. The license is yours and stays with you after the contract ends.
Florida's temporary permit is the useful detail here. If you already hold a license in another state you may be able to start work while the full application is processed — one of the few routes that shortcuts the wait.
No. Respiratory therapy has no interstate compact and none is in progress, which is different from nursing, physical therapy or speech-language pathology. Holding an active license elsewhere helps your application move — it demonstrates good standing and the board will verify it — but it does not let you practice here until Florida issues its own.
This is exactly why respiratory assignments in states you are not yet licensed in tend to pay more. The pool of people who can legally take them is smaller.
Verify before you apply. Fees, processing times and requirements are set by the Florida Board of Respiratory Care (Department of Health) and change without much notice. Everything here reflects what the board published as of 2026 and is a starting point, not a substitute for checking the board directly.
Tell us where you are licensed and where you want to work. We will tell you the realistic timeline — and if we have an assignment that fits, we will cover the application fee and file it with you.