(a) A person who is otherwise eligible to renew a certificate of registration under this subtitle may renew an unexpired certificate by paying the required renewal fee to the board before the expiration date of the certificate. A person whose certificate of registration has expired may not engage in activities that require registration until the certificate of registration has been renewed.
(b) The board by rule may adopt a system under which certificates of registration expire on various dates during the year.

(c) For the year in which the certificate of registration expiration date is changed, the board shall prorate renewal fees on a monthly basis so that each certificate holder pays only that portion of the registration fee that is allocable to the number of months during which the certificate is valid. On renewal of the certificate of registration on the new expiration date, the total registration renewal fee is payable.
(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a person who holds a certificate of registration issued under Chapter 1053 without examination may not renew the certificate on or after September 1, 2027, unless, before September 1, 2027, the person has passed the registration examination adopted by the board under Section 1053.154 and in effect on January 1, 2014. This subsection expires January 1, 2029.