Licensing Requirements

Applicants must list all states where they do or did hold credentials, including where the applicant applied but didn't receive a credential. The jurisdiction where the applicant is or was credentialed must complete and submit a verification form. The jurisdiction must send the completed form directly to the department.

Each applicant must answer all personal data questions. If there is a positive answer to any of the questions, the applicant must send an explanation and official documentation (if applicable). With regard to the professional liability claims history question, the applicant must send an explanation of the nature of the case, data and summary of care given, copies of the original complaint, and the settlement or final disposition. If a case is pending, applicant must indicate status.

Applicants may qualify to become a licensed respiratory care practitioner by meeting the requirements of one of the following licensure options:

Approved Education and Examination

Educational Requirements

To meet the educational requirements an applicant must be a graduate of at least a two-year respiratory therapy educational program accredited by:

• the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC);
• the American Medical Association's (AMA) Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA); or
• the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program (CAAHEP).

Examination requirements 

An applicant who has taken and passed both the therapist multiple choice examination and the clinical simulation examination for the registered respiratory therapist credential provided by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), has met the minimum examination requirements. 

Licensed in Substantially Equivalent State

To qualify, the applicant:

• must come from a state that has been deemed substantially equivalent (see list),
• has been credentialed for at least two years in that state, and;
• has not been subject to disciplinary action

Hold National Certification from the National Board of Respiratory Care

An applicant who holds national certification as a registered respiratory therapist from the National Board of Respiratory Care, or its predecessor organization, may be granted Washington licensure upon proof of current national certification in good standing. 

Hold a Registration from Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists

An applicant who has completed at least a two-year program recognized by the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists in their current list, or any previous lists, and has passed the CSRT registry examination; or has been issued a registration by the CSRT are considered to have met the educational and examination requirements.