Guardianship Certification

Applicants are solely responsible for ensuring they know all information required to become certified, by ensuring to utilize all resources available to them (i.e., our website, rules, slideshows, any communications submitted to them by staff, etc.).

Full Guardian Certification Eligibility Requirements

1. Satisfy the requirements of Sections 3.0 and 7.2 of the JBCC Rules;
2. Be at least 21 years of age;
3. Be a high school graduate or possess the GED equivalent;
4. Complete the online Texas Guardianship training module located on the Register A Guardianship page of our website per section 7.2(b)(8) of the JBCC Rules.
   • a copy of your training completed certificate must be uploaded to your application. You must maintain a copy of your certificate of completion for a minimum of 3 years.
5. Meet 1 of the requirements below established in section 7.2(b)(4) of the JBCC Rules:
   • 2 years of relevant experience related to guardianship,
   • Accredited bachelor’s degree in a field related to guardianship (i.e., Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, etc.),
   • Completion of a commission-approved course curriculum or training related guardianship (the commission has approved the curriculum and training provided by HHSC for guardians who render services on behalf of HHSC),
   • Completion of a commission-approved course curriculum or training related to guardianship (currently the curriculum and training provided by Baylor University) plus one year of relevant work experience related to guardianship.
     
6. Successfully pass a Commission approved exam, obtaining a minimum score of 75, after no more than 4 attempts; and
7. Meet all attestation requirements established in section 7.2 (b) (6-7) of the JBCC Rules.

JBCC Approved Course Curriculums:

• HHSC Course Curriculum (available only to HHSC employees).
• Baylor University's "A Complete Guide to Guardianship" online curriculum.

Items you must submit prior to registering for the exam:

1. Your application for certification.
2. Payment of the $100 application fee.
3. A copy of your fingerprinting receipt for the required criminal history background check.
4. A copy of your Guardianship Training Module course completion certificate.

See the Exam page of our website for more information.

To apply for full guardianship certification, you must:

1. Submit the Application for Certification and pay the application fee. 
   • You must apply for certification via our online licensing and certification system.
   • Follow the prompts to create your JBCC profile. 
     • You must use your full legal name (i.e., the name indicated on your government issued identification or driver's license). Preferred names are not permitted.
     • Immediately after creating your profile, you will automatically be taken to the first page of the application for certification.
     • 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.
   • Upload a copy of your job resume to your application.
   • Upload a copy of your Guardianship Training Module course completion certificate. 
2. Pass a state and national criminal history background check.
   • You must get fingerprinted using the JBCC service code for the Guardian Certification's department so that we can obtain your background reports directly from DPS and the FBI.
     • Anything that doesn't have "TX-JBCC Guardianship Certification Program" on it will not be accepted.
     • You will receive the service code form via the automated email confirmation that is sent immediately after submitting your application for certification.
       • You must check your inbox (and spam folder) for this correspondence. 
     • You must upload a copy of your fingerprinting receipt to your online application for certification after you've completed the fingerprinting process and before registering for the exam. 
3. Pass the guardian certification written examination.
   • Note: A passing score on the written examination is valid for 2 years. An applicant who does not become certified during that 2-year period must pass the written examination again.
   • You may take the exam four up to times.
     • If you are not successful after four attempts, you must petition to the JBCC for permission to take the exam a fifth, and final, time. Your petition must be submitted to guardians@txcourts.gov.
   • After you have submitted your application for certification and uploaded your fingerprint receipt, you can register for the exam by logging into your online profile and clicking Apply for Exam on your profile's menu options.
   • Refer to the Exam page of our website for additional information on exam registration procedures, exam fees, exam dates and deadlines, etc.

Applicants going from Provisional to Full Certification must meet the CE requirements established in section 7.7 of the JBCC Rules and must upload copies of their completed CE course completion certificates to their online application. Additional information on CE can be found on the Continuing Education page of our website.

• • Under section 4.3(k)(9), courses completed prior to the first renewal period of the applicant cannot be used for renewal purposes.
    • For example: the provisional applicant completed the course on 07/01/24. They become fully certified on 07/01/25. Courses completed prior to 07/01/25 cannot be used for renewal purposes.

Fees