Most professional certifications renew every 2 or 3 years. The exact cycle depends on the issuer — CompTIA runs 3 years, BLS runs 2, Microsoft runs 1, some certs never expire at all. Here's the breakdown by industry.
Done in seconds. No sign-up required.
Most professional certifications follow a 2-, 3-, or 5-year renewal cycle. IT certifications cluster at 3 years. Healthcare clinical credentials run on 2 years. State licensure (RN, teaching, CPA) varies by state but typically runs 2 to 5 years. A few — Microsoft role-based, AHA Heartsaver — now use 1-year cycles.
The most renewal-heavy field. Vendor and standards-body certifications dominate, and the cycle is typically 3 years with continuing education or retest options.
| CompTIA (A+, Network+, Security+, CySA+) | 3 years. 50 CEUs or retest. $50 CE program fee. |
| CompTIA ITF+, IT Fundamentals | No expiration. |
| AWS (Associate, Specialty) | 3 years. Recertify by passing the current exam or a higher-level exam in the same path. |
| Microsoft Role-Based (Azure, M365, Dynamics) | 1 year. Free renewal assessment in a 6-month window. |
| Microsoft Fundamentals (AZ-900, AI-900) | No expiration. |
| Cisco CCNA, CCNP | 3 years. Continuing education credits or higher exam. |
| Cisco CCIE | 3 years. Continuing education credits required. |
| CISSP, CISA, CISM (ISACA, (ISC)²) | 3 years. CPE credits and annual maintenance fee. |
| ITIL 4 | 3 years. Renewal via My PeopleCert. |
Healthcare runs the tightest renewal cycles. Clinical certifications fall to 2 years almost universally, and lapsing puts you in legal jeopardy if you're practicing.
| BLS, ACLS, PALS (American Heart Association) | 2 years from completion date. |
| Heartsaver CPR, AED, First Aid | 2 years. |
| RN license (state-issued) | 2 years typically. Some states 3 years. CEUs vary. |
| CNA certification | 2 years in most states. 12+ hours of in-service training. |
| ANCC specialty certifications | 5 years. CE hours plus practice hours. |
| DEA registration (prescribing) | 3 years. |
| Pharmacy technician (PTCB) | 2 years. 20 hours of CE. |
Cycles in this group run longer — 3 to 5 years — but require ongoing professional development to maintain.
| PMP (Project Management Professional) | 3 years. 60 PDUs across the cycle. |
| PMI-ACP, CAPM | 3 years. PDU requirements vary. |
| SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP | 3 years. 60 PDCs. |
| PHR, SPHR (HRCI) | 3 years. 60 recertification credits. |
| CPA license (state-issued) | 1 to 3 years depending on state. CPE hours vary. |
| State teaching certificate | 5 years typically. State-specific CEU requirements. |
| Bar admission (state) | Annual fee. CLE hours required (varies by state). |
| Lean Six Sigma (most providers) | No expiration for most belts. Some require renewal. |
Three reasons cycle through every issuer's policy. First, knowledge ages. Cybersecurity threats from 2022 aren't the threats of 2026. A renewal forces the holder to update what they know. Second, the credential's market value depends on currency. If a Security+ holder from 2018 and one from 2025 are treated identically, employers stop trusting the credential. Third, fees and education sustain the issuer. Renewal revenue funds the body that maintains the standard.
That's why credentials with no renewal — Microsoft Fundamentals, CompTIA ITF+ — tend to be entry-level. They prove a baseline once. Higher-stakes credentials are deliberately renewable, because the cost of a stale expert is higher than the cost of a stale beginner.
Once you know your renewal interval, the next step is making sure you don't miss the deadline. The right time to set a reminder is 6 months before expiration — long enough to accumulate CEUs or schedule a renewal exam.
For 2-year cycles (BLS, RN), set the reminder for 18 months after certification. For 3-year cycles (CompTIA, PMP, ITIL), set it for 30 months. For 1-year cycles (Microsoft role-based), set it for 6 months. See the main renewal reminder guide for setup, or when to start renewing for full timeline planning.
Most professional certifications renew every 2 or 3 years. IT certifications (CompTIA, AWS, Cisco associate-level, ITIL) typically run on 3-year cycles. Healthcare certifications (BLS, ACLS, CPR) and most state RN licenses renew every 2 years. Microsoft role-based certifications now renew annually.
A handful of foundational certifications don't expire — Microsoft Fundamentals (AZ-900, AI-900), CompTIA ITF+, some Six Sigma belts, and most academic credentials. Cisco CCIE used to be lifetime but now requires recertification. Always check your specific cert before assuming it's permanent.
Technology, regulations, and best practices change. A certification verifies current knowledge — not knowledge held five years ago. Issuers also use renewal cycles to maintain the credential's market value. Without renewals, the credential signals nothing about whether you're current.
Yes. CEUs (continuing education units) and PDUs (professional development units) let you accumulate credit through training, conferences, and self-study over the cycle. Re-examination means retaking the certification exam itself. Most cycles let you choose, with CEUs being cheaper and time-spread, exams being faster but more intense.
No. Vendor certifications (CompTIA, AWS, Microsoft) use the same cycle worldwide. Licensure (RN, teaching, accounting) is country- and state-specific. Always check the regulator in your jurisdiction, not just the certification body.
For some vendors, yes. Earning a higher-level CompTIA cert (CySA+, PenTest+) renews your Security+. Earning an AWS Professional resets the 3-year clock for associate certs in the same path. PMP and ITIL don't work this way — they require their own renewal credits regardless.
Free email reminder, no account. Set it once for your specific renewal date — yearly, biennial, triennial, whatever your cert requires.
Set My Renewal ReminderLast modified: