The National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. (NBRC) is a voluntary health certifying board which was created in 1960 to evaluate the professional competence of respiratory therapists. A group of Chicago physicians and therapists recognized the need to formalize the training and registration of practitioners involved in the care and support of patients with respiratory disorders.

Through the guidance of these individuals, the American Registry of Inhalation Therapists (ARIT) was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in the state of Illinois. This organization has responded to the growth of the profession through the years and has evolved as the current NBRC.

The NBRC Executive Office has been located in the metropolitan Kansas City area since 1974 when the American Registry of Inhalation Therapists (ARIT) and Technician Certification Board of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) merged to form a single, independent credentialing organization.

The NBRC strives for excellence in providing credentialing examinations and associated services to the respiratory community, and intends to remain at the forefront of the testing field by offering valid, reliable credentialing examinations, consistent with leading measurement standards and techniques. The NBRC remains vibrant by taking a creative, open-minded attitude toward change and new opportunities for growth.