RAS 100%

Registered Accessibility Specialist

Lesson 9: Renewal and continuing education

TDLR RAS renewal requirements · 14 practice questions

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Passing the exam is not the end of a RAS's obligations. This lesson covers what keeping the credential active actually requires, since a lapsed RAS license stops GCHS from performing the regulated function this whole course exists to unlock.

The renewal cycle

A RAS license is valid for one year from the date of issue and must be renewed annually. This is a shorter cycle than some other professional credentials GCHS staff may be more familiar with, so an annual RAS renewal has to be tracked on its own calendar rather than assumed to line up with a multi-year credential's renewal rhythm.

The continuing education requirement

Renewal requires 4 hours of continuing education, completed within the term of the registration being renewed. For a standard on-time renewal, that means the 4 hours have to fall within the one-year period before the license expires. For a late renewal, the 4 hours instead have to fall within the one-year period immediately before the actual renewal date, not the original expiration date. Either way, the requirement is the same 4 hours; what changes is which one-year window the hours have to sit inside. TDLR does not give credit for taking the same course more than once in the one-year period for which it is approved.

What counts as qualifying continuing education

The 4 hours must include one or more of a specific list of topics: Texas Government Code Chapter 469, 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 68, the Texas Accessibility Standards themselves, TDLR's own technical memoranda, ADA Accessibility Guidelines or other guidelines proposed or adopted by the Access Board or DOJ, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ANSI A117.1 standard on accessible and usable buildings and facilities, or building and life safety codes related to egress. There is no requirement to touch every topic on that list; a RAS can satisfy the full 4 hours from a single topic on it. TDLR says the courses must be dedicated to instruction in one or more of the listed topics, so a general construction management course that mentions accessibility in passing does not count.

Why the topic list is broader than TAS alone

Notice that the qualifying topic list includes ADA guidance, the ADA itself, and ANSI A117.1, not just TAS and its own state rules. That reflects lesson 6's point directly: a working RAS operates across TAS, federal ADA guidance, and the private model-code standard referenced by building codes, not TAS in isolation. Continuing education that keeps a RAS current on any of those adjacent frameworks counts toward the same 4 hours, because staying current on the federal and model-code side keeps the RAS's TAS judgment sharper too.

Tracking renewal at GCHS

Because the cycle is annual rather than the multi-year cycle of many other credentials, a GCHS staff member holding RAS needs a standing reminder well before the one-year mark, not a periodic check tied to some other credential's renewal calendar. Missing the window does not immediately and permanently end the credential, but it does convert an on-time renewal's easier 4-hour-within-the-expiring-term rule into the late-renewal version measured from the actual renewal date instead, and it adds a late fee. TDLR also warns that operating with an expired license can bring administrative penalties and sanctions, so a lapsed RAS should not sign reports until the license is renewed.

Late renewal fees

Missing the annual renewal deadline does not immediately forfeit the credential, but it does get more expensive the longer it goes unrenewed. Renewing within 90 days after expiration costs $375, which is one and one-half times the $250 renewal fee. Renewing from 90 days up to 18 months after expiration costs $500, twice the renewal fee. Past 18 months and before 3 years, TDLR requires the specialist to submit a Request to Executive Director for Expired License Renewal along with the required renewal fee. TDLR's public fee list does not give a separate amount for that range, so confirm the amount when you file.

What happens to a registration expired more than three years

Past the three-year mark, TDLR no longer offers a renewal path at all. The individual has to apply as a brand-new RAS applicant, which means meeting the eligibility pathway requirements again and, where applicable, retaking the exam, rather than simply reinstating the old registration number. That gap between an expensive fix and losing the credential entirely is the practical reason GCHS tracks RAS renewal on its own calendar well before the one-year mark, rather than treating a lapse as a minor paperwork delay.

Completing continuing education before you renew

TDLR expects you to certify your continuing education when you renew, either by signing the renewal form or by completing the continuing education box online. If you have not certified the hours, the renewal is delayed and additional fees may be incurred. TDLR has final authority to deny hours that do not qualify, and you must keep each certificate of completion for three years in case TDLR examines your records. You can renew online, and TDLR will send a paper renewal form by mail if you ask. The practical rule is the same either way: line up the 4 hours first, so the certification on the renewal is accurate and the renewal is not held up.

RAS annual renewal cycle A one-year cycle from license issue through 4 hours of continuing education on an approved topic list, to on-time renewal, with a late-renewal branch measuring the 4 hours from the actual renewal date instead. License issued1-year term begins 4 hrs CEWithin the current term On-time renewalNew 1-year term Late renewal4 hrs measured from renewal date instead
The RAS license renews annually; the 4-hour continuing education window shifts depending on whether renewal happens on time or late.

Practice questions

1. How long is a RAS license valid before it must be renewed?

  1. One year
  2. Two years
  3. Three years
  4. Five years

2. How many hours of continuing education does renewal require?

  1. 16 hours
  2. 2 hours
  3. 4 hours
  4. 8 hours

3. For a standard on-time renewal, within what window must the 4 CE hours fall?

  1. The one-year period before the license expires
  2. The calendar year in which the specialist was first licensed
  3. Any time during the specialist's career
  4. The 30 days immediately before expiration only

4. For a late renewal, what changes about the CE window?

  1. The hour requirement doubles to 8 hours for any renewal filed after expiration
  2. Late renewal is not permitted under any circumstances once the license expires
  3. The 4 hours must fall within the year before the actual renewal date
  4. No CE is required for a late renewal, but the late fee is doubled

5. Which of these is on the approved continuing education topic list?

  1. OSHA fall protection
  2. Texas Government Code Chapter 469
  3. General project scheduling techniques
  4. Nonprofit grant writing

6. Must a RAS spread the 4 hours across every topic on the approved list?

  1. Yes, at least 30 minutes on each listed topic
  2. No, the full 4 hours may come from a single topic on the list
  3. Yes, but only for a first renewal
  4. No, any topic at all satisfies the requirement, listed or not

7. Is ADA-focused continuing education acceptable toward RAS renewal, even though TAS is a separate Texas standard?

  1. No, only TAS-specific content ever qualifies toward the four required hours
  2. No, ADA content only counts toward a national credential, not toward a RAS renewal
  3. Only if the course is taught by TDLR staff directly, not by an outside provider
  4. Yes, ADA guidelines and the ADA itself are both on the approved topic list

8. Why does the approved topic list include the ANSI A117.1 standard?

  1. Because ANSI A117.1 replaced TAS as the state standard in 2012
  2. Because it is unrelated to accessibility work
  3. Because it is a model-code accessibility standard that sits alongside TAS and the ADA in daily RAS work
  4. Because it only applies to residential buildings

9. What is the practical risk of tracking RAS renewal on the same schedule as a multi-year credential?

  1. The two credentials share a single combined renewal, so one filing covers both
  2. RAS does not require renewal tracking at all once the exam has been passed and the license issued
  3. There is no risk; all credentials renew on the same schedule and fee
  4. The RAS license, on its one-year cycle, could lapse while GCHS follows a longer-cycle calendar

10. Does missing the renewal window permanently and immediately end the RAS credential?

  1. No, but it shifts the CE window to the late-renewal rule and raises the fee
  2. Yes, but only after five years without renewal, at which point a new application is required
  3. No, there is no consequence at all if the hours are completed
  4. Yes, immediately and permanently, and the specialist must apply again as a new applicant

11. Would a general construction management course that only mentions accessibility in passing satisfy the 4-hour requirement?

  1. Yes, if it is 4 hours long
  2. No CE requirement exists for RAS
  3. Yes, any construction course counts
  4. No, the course must be dedicated to instruction in a listed topic, not just mention accessibility

12. What is the initial application fee versus the renewal fee for RAS, from lesson 1?

  1. $250 initial, $300 renewal
  2. $300 initial, $250 renewal
  3. Both fees are $300
  4. $500 initial, $175 renewal

13. How much does renewing a RAS registration within 90 days after expiration cost, compared to the standard $250 renewal fee?

  1. One and one-half times the fee, $375
  2. Triple the standard fee, $750, plus a written request to the Executive Director
  3. The same $250, because renewal within 90 days carries no late charge
  4. Half the standard fee, $125, because the license only recently lapsed

14. What happens to a RAS registration that has been expired for more than three years?

  1. It converts to inactive status indefinitely and can be reactivated later by paying the back renewal fees
  2. It cannot be renewed; the individual must apply as a new applicant, including any required exam
  3. It renews automatically at the standard fee once the CE hours are certified
  4. It can still be renewed with the Executive Director's approval and the doubled fee

Glossary

Annual renewal
The RAS license's one-year validity term, shorter than some other professional credentials.
4-hour CE requirement
Continuing education required each renewal, on one or more topics from an approved list.
Late renewal CE window
For a late renewal, the 4 hours are measured from the one-year period before the actual renewal date rather than the original expiration.
Late renewal fee
The multiplier added to the $250 renewal fee for renewing after expiration: one and one-half times within 90 days, twice from 90 days up to 18 months. After 18 months a written request is also required.
Expired license renewal request
The written Request to the Executive Director required to renew a registration expired between 18 months and 3 years.
Three-year renewal cutoff
The point past which an expired RAS registration can no longer be renewed at all; the individual must apply as a new applicant instead.
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