Guardianship Certification
Important Information
- Renewals must be submitted online. We will email a reminder notice to the primary email address on file approximately 90 days before your expiration date. After you receive your renewal notice, you will be able to apply online for renewal of your certification.
- Ensure to check your inbox (and spam folder) for your notice.
- Applications cannot be submitted prior to receiving your renewal notice.
- Before starting your online renewal application, you must review the "Watch How to Apply for Renewal-Slideshow" on the home page of our website, for step-by-step/page-by-page instructions on the online renewal process, including the following:
- How to properly search for & select CE courses, and
- How to upload CE certificates
- Per sections 152.2015 of the Government Code, 3.2 (a) and 3.14 of the JBCC Rules be advised that you cannot perform work requiring a certification, registration, or a license if it has expired. You are considered renewed when your application is processed (i.e., approved), not when it is received. We strongly recommend that you submit your renewal application, all required documentation, and all applicable fees at least 30 days prior to your expiration date, especially during the holidays.
- If you have previously started a renewal application but did not finish it, you must withdraw it if:
- you started your online application before your certification expired, but didn't submit it before you expired. In this instance, you must withdraw the unsubmitted application, then start a new one if your certification has not been expired for a year or more.
- you started your online application before your certification expired, but didn't submit it before you expired. In this instance, you must withdraw the unsubmitted application and cannot submit new one if your certification has been expired for a year or more.
- When reporting your CE, do not report each session for the seminar you attended, we will obtain that from your certificate of attendance. You must only report (i.e., select) the name of the seminar you attended. You will find the title of the seminar on your certificate of attendance.
- Up to 4 hours of eligible CE reported from your most recent CE compliance period can be carried over to your current renewal period as long as the CE was not in ethics or legislative update.
- To clarify, this means, if you reported 16 hours of approved CE for your 2020 renewal, a maximum of 4 hours of non-ethics\legislative update CE can be used towards your 2022 renewal. You must select the course and upload the certificate again so that it is attached to your 2022 online renewal application though.
- To clarify, this means, if you reported 16 hours of approved CE for your 2020 renewal, a maximum of 4 hours of non-ethics\legislative update CE can be used towards your 2022 renewal. You must select the course and upload the certificate again so that it is attached to your 2022 online renewal application though.
- You are not considered renewed until your application has been processed. Once your paperwork is processed, an automated email will be sent to the primary address on file. You can track your status via our online system. We strongly recommend that you check your email (including your spam folder) and/or the online system, prior to reporting to work to ensure you are renewed. Providing services without a valid certification is a violation of the rules and may result in disciplinary actions. Staff will notify you via email if there are insufficiencies with your renewal that requires action on your end.
- Not receiving a renewal notice is not grounds for an extension of time or exemption from additional fees. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you have all items and information necessary to timely renew your certification. To confirm your expiration date please refer to your certification card, registration certificate, or search for your information in our online system located on the home page of our website.
- Under the Commission's rules, you must maintain your CE documentation for 3 years. There are no provisions in the rules for a waiver from obtaining continuing education credit to renew your certification.
- Please submit all inquiries regarding your renewal via email to: guardians@txcourts.gov.
- To confirm receipt and track your application status, please refer to the online certification and licensing system. Log in to your profile, go to the link for viewing pending applications, and you can see your status there.
Inquiries Regarding Paperwork
Applicants must confirm receipt of their applications, and the status of their applications, by referring to the View Pending Applications page of their online profiles. All applicants are sent automated email confirmations of successful application submission, and when applications are approved. Inquiries for application status checks or receipt confirmation will not be replied to unless determined by staff that there’s been a delay in processing your application, and you have not received prior notification. We receive many of these inquiries and each email takes time to research and respond to which delays the processing of applications. Thank you for your understanding.
Renewal Requirements
Certification Renewal Requirements
Before starting your online renewal application, you must review the "Watch How to Apply for Renewal-Slideshow" on the home page of our website, for step-by-step instructions on the online renewal process (including how to upload CE).
To renew your certification, you must:
- Continuing Education Requirement. Obtain twelve (12) hours of JBCC approved CE, including 2 hours in ethics and 1 hour in legislative update. You can carry forward 4 hours of CE to your next certification period. Ethics and Legislative update hours cannot be carried forward.
- Submit copies of CE documentation for completed CE programs. The following information must be included on your certificates of completion:
- The JBCC assigned program number.
- The name of the course provider.
- The title of the course.
- The date you completed the course.
- The number of hours you completed.
- The list of sessions you completed.
- The signature of the course provider.
- Submit the Application for Renewal of Certification. You must apply for renewal via our online certification and licensing system. To apply online, please go to the online certification and licensing system on our home page.
- Pay the application fee. Please see the Fees section of this page for information on amounts due, acceptable forms of payment, etc.
- When paying the application fee on the Credit Card page of the application, the payment portal vendor requires you to enter the billing address on file with the credit card company of the cardholder.
- Pass a criminal history background check with DPS and the FBI. An updated criminal history report is required. Staff will email the required form needed to schedule their fingerprinting appointment to applicants who have not yet been fingerprinted for the JBCC, after we’ve received their applications. (See Criminal History section of this page for more details).
Late Renewals
An individual or entity whose certification or registration has been expired for 90 or less may renew for 1½ times the normally required renewal fee.
An individual or entity whose certification or registration has been expired more than 90 days but less than one year may renew for twice the normally required renewal fee.
If your certification or registration is not renewed within a year of expiration, you will be required to meet the requirements for a new certification or registration, this includes taking the examination again.
Exceptions will not be granted and fees will not be waived, refunded, or transferred. Please refer to section 3.2 of the JBCC Rules for more information.
Definition per section 55.001 of Chapter 55 Government Code:
- Military service member: a person who is on active duty.
- Active Duty: current full-time military service in the armed forces of the United States or active-duty military service as a member of the Texas military forces.
Military Service Members whose certifications have expired can request additional time to meet renewal requirements only if:
- We recommend emailing the request for additional time to guardians@txcourts.gov at least 90 days after expiration (however, there’s no deadline to do so in statute),
- The request must include how much additional time is being requested.
If they establish, to the satisfaction of the JBCC, that they failed to renew the certification or license in a timely manner because they were serving as a military service member (i.e., active-duty service) the request may be granted. Staff will email the determination to the application as soon as possible.
Criminal History
New criminal history reports are required when you apply for renewal or your guardianship certification. You do not need to have your fingerprints taken again once you have been fingerprinted for purposes of guardianship certification. Upon receipt of your application and payment, staff will request a new criminal history report and the results will be sent directly to the Commission.
Please refer to the Certification & Licensure Criminal History FAQ's page for additional information.
Refer to section 3.5 of the JBCC Rules for additional details on this requirement.
Fees
All fees are non-refundable. However, if you have a fee dispute you must submit it to guardians@txcourts.gov for resolution.
| Timely Renewals | $100.00 |
|---|---|
| Expired 90 days or less | $150.00 |
| Expired 91 days to 1 year | $200.00 |
Acceptable forms of payment: Credit Card or Debit Card