How to Get Your Respiratory Therapist License in Kentucky (2026)

How to Become a Licensed Respiratory Therapist in Kentucky

Kentucky requires all respiratory therapists to hold a state license issued by the Kentucky Board of Respiratory Care (KBRC). Kentucky has a notably shorter CE requirement (20 hours per 2-year cycle vs. the 30-hour standard in many states), but maintains strong licensing requirements and active enforcement. The state's geography, ranging from urban Louisville and Lexington to rural Appalachian eastern Kentucky, creates diverse practice environments and a persistent workforce shortage in rural areas.

Step 1: Complete a CoARC-Accredited Respiratory Therapy Program

KBRC requires graduation from a Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)-accredited program. Kentucky-based programs include:

• Jefferson Community and Technical College (Louisville), large AAS program; primary feeder for Louisville-area hospitals
• Spencerian College (Louisville), private college with AAS in Respiratory Therapy
• Bluegrass Community and Technical College (Lexington), serves the Lexington and central Kentucky market
• Hazard Community and Technical College (Hazard), eastern Kentucky campus; addresses Appalachian workforce needs
• University of Kentucky, BSRT completion and graduate-level pathways

Step 2: Pass the NBRC Examinations

KBRC requires NBRC credentials as part of the licensing process:

1. Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Exam, Passing at the CRT cut score earns the CRT credential (~$190 fee)
2. Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE), Passing the TMC at the RRT cut score plus the CSE earns the RRT credential (~$200 fee)

Kentucky's major acute-care employers, including UK HealthCare, Norton Healthcare, and Baptist Health, require RRT for ICU and ED positions.

Step 3: Apply for Your Kentucky License

After obtaining NBRC credentials, apply to KBRC:

Application steps:

1. Access the KBRC application on the Kentucky state professional licensing portal
2. Complete the Respiratory Care Practitioner application
3. Have NBRC submit credential verification directly to KBRC
4. Submit official transcripts from your CoARC program
5. Pay the initial fee: approximately $50-$75

License term: Kentucky RT licenses renew every 2 years.

Endorsement: Kentucky accepts licensure by endorsement for out-of-state practitioners. You must hold a current, unencumbered license and submit NBRC credentials. Kentucky is not part of a formal RT interstate compact.

Appalachian practice note: Eastern Kentucky faces significant respiratory therapist shortages due to high rates of COPD, black lung (coal workers' pneumoconiosis), and other pulmonary conditions in the region. Practitioners willing to work in Hazard, Pikeville, or Harlan often find strong demand and occasionally loan repayment incentives through rural health programs.

CRT vs. RRT: Which Do You Need in Kentucky?

Kentucky permits CRT-level state licensure, but employer requirements favor RRT:

Norton Healthcare and Baptist Health system postings consistently require RRT for acute care roles. Some rural critical access hospitals (CAHs) in eastern Kentucky will consider CRT holders given workforce constraints.

Continuing Education Requirements

Kentucky requires 20 CE hours every 2-year renewal cycle, one of the lower CE burdens nationally:

• CE must come from AARC-approved or NBRC-approved providers
• No specific subject mandates within the 20 hours
• Kentucky Society for Respiratory Care (KSRC) annual conference credits qualify
• Retain CE documentation for KBRC audit purposes

Kentucky Respiratory Therapist Salary Ranges

Kentucky salaries are somewhat below the national median, consistent with the state's overall healthcare wage structure:

Louisville and Lexington are the highest-paying markets. Eastern Kentucky critical access hospitals, while lower in base pay, increasingly offer rural incentive pay, loan repayment ($5,000-$25,000 through NHSC or state programs), and housing allowances to attract RTs to underserved areas.

Top Employers

Kentucky's respiratory therapy market is served by a mix of academic, urban, and rural systems:

• UK HealthCare, University of Kentucky's academic medical center; Level I trauma, transplant, and NICU programs; largest single RT employer in Lexington
• Norton Healthcare, Louisville's largest locally-owned health system; 5 Louisville hospitals plus southern Indiana facilities
• Baptist Health, 10-hospital Kentucky system; Lexington, Louisville, Paducah, Corbin, and other markets
• Jewish Hospital (CommonSpirit), Louisville; cardiac specialty hospital with strong pulmonary programs
• Pikeville Medical Center, largest hospital in eastern Kentucky; critical access to rural Appalachian population
• Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), 10 hospitals in eastern KY and southern WV; persistent RT demand due to respiratory disease burden
• VA Medical Centers (Lexington, Louisville), federal employment with GS-scale compensation