TDLR Update: First-Time Renewals Now Need 20 CE Hours
Posted by Kory Rogers on Nov. 2, 2026 / Legislative Updates / Subscribe 0
Licensed hearing instrument fitters and dispensers renewing for the first time now need the same 20 hours of continuing education as every other licensee.
What changed
- Before: State law let TDLR renew a license without the CE requirement if the license holder was first licensed during the 24 months before renewal.
- Now: Senate Bill 904 (89th Legislature) removed that exception from state law, effective Sept. 1, 2025. TDLR updated its rules to match, effective Sept. 1, 2026.
What to do
If you were licensed in the last two years, plan your 20 hours before your first renewal. A few reminders from TDLR’s rules:
- No more than 10 hours from online courses. Live virtual courses don’t count as online.
- No more than 10 hours from manufacturer CE providers.
- Courses must come from a TDLR-registered CE provider.
- You won’t get credit for the same course twice in one license term.
The illness exemption is still in the law: TDLR may renew a license holder who shows proof from an attending physician that a serious illness or disability prevented them from completing CE.
Need hours? THAA members get a recorded CE library included with membership, and the Annual Conference offers up to 12 CE hours in person. See THAA continuing education or review all TDLR CE requirements.
Sources
- SB 904, enrolled bill text (Section 3 removes the exception)
- Texas Occupations Code §402.305, as amended
- TDLR: Commission Adopts Rules, Aug. 31, 2026
- TDLR: Continuing Education Requirements for Licensees
- 16 TAC Chapter 112 (CE is Subchapter H, §112.70)
0 Comments