– Your expiration date determines whether you use standard renewal, late renewal, reinstatement, or a new certification application. –
By Brandon Oxendine, President, National Performance Specialists
Certification renewal is easier to manage when you know which deadline applies to you.
NPS certifications are issued for a two-year period. Before that period ends, certificants can begin the renewal process up to six months before the expiration date. If the certification expires before renewal is completed, the available path changes based on how much time has passed.
That distinction matters because an expired certification is not considered current or active while a certificant is completing late renewal or reinstatement. Payment, registration, or submitted documentation does not by itself extend the prior certification period.
The simplest place to start is with your expiration date.
How Often Do NPS Certifications Need to Be Renewed?
NPS certifications are valid for two years from the date the certification is issued. To remain active and in good standing, certificants must complete the applicable renewal requirements within the required timeframe.
NPS certification holders may begin the renewal process up to six months before the expiration date.
Each certification is maintained separately. If you hold more than one NPS certification, each credential requires its own renewal or reinstatement submission, documentation, payment, and applicable fees.
What Are the Three NPS Certification Renewal Pathways?
NPS certificants can demonstrate continued competence through one of three approved pathways. Only one pathway is required for each certification being renewed or reinstated.
1. Continuing Education
A certificant may complete at least 20 contact hours of qualifying continuing education related to the certification being renewed or reinstated.
Qualifying continuing education may come from appropriate third-party educational institutions, employers, professional associations, healthcare organizations, continuing education providers, or other educational sources. NPS does not currently provide its own continuing education program or continuing education courses.
2. Professional Practice
A certificant may document at least 12 total months of qualifying employment during the applicable two-year certification period.
The employment must average at least 30 hours per week and be directly related to the certification being renewed. Qualifying employment may be combined across more than one employer when sufficient documentation is available.
Employment completed after a certification has expired cannot be used retroactively to satisfy the Professional Practice Pathway for the expired certification period.
3. Certification Examination
A certificant may demonstrate continued competence by successfully passing the current NPS certification examination corresponding to the credential being renewed or reinstated.
Registration for the examination does not extend the certification expiration date, late-renewal period, or reinstatement deadline. The examination must be successfully completed within the timeframe that applies to the certificant’s current status.
What Happens If You Renew Before Your Certification Expires?
If you complete all applicable renewal requirements on or before your expiration date, you use the standard certification renewal process.
The new two-year certification period begins on the date NPS issues the renewed certification.
Starting early can reduce the risk of a lapse in certification status. It also gives you more time to gather documentation for your selected continued-competence pathway.
What Happens 1–30 Days After Expiration?
A certification that reaches its expiration date without successful renewal is expired.
During the first 30 calendar days after expiration, a certificant may still complete the late certification renewal process. The certificant must satisfy one approved continued-competence pathway, complete the applicable renewal requirements, submit required documentation, and pay the applicable recertification and late-renewal fees.
The credential remains expired until NPS completes the renewal process and issues the renewed certification. The certificant may not represent the credential as current or active during that lapse.
If late renewal is approved, the new two-year certification period begins on the date NPS issues the renewed certification. It does not retroactively restore active status to the prior expiration date.
What Happens 31–365 Days After Expiration?
Once a certification has been expired for more than 30 days, it is no longer eligible for late renewal. It may instead be eligible for certification reinstatement through 365 calendar days after the expiration date.
Reinstatement requires the certificant to satisfy one approved continued-competence pathway, complete all applicable reinstatement requirements and attestations, provide required documentation, and pay the applicable recertification and reinstatement fees.
The certification remains expired while the reinstatement process is incomplete.
Payment, document submission, examination registration, or an unused examination attempt does not by itself reinstate the credential. If reinstatement is approved, the new certification period begins on the date NPS issues the reinstated certification.
What If Your Certification Has Been Expired for More Than One Year?
A certification that has been expired for more than 365 calendar days is not eligible for renewal or reinstatement.
At that point, an individual seeking NPS certification must meet the current eligibility requirements for the applicable certification, register for the applicable certification program, pay the applicable fees, and successfully pass the current NPS certification examination.
The individual is treated as a certification examination candidate rather than a renewal or reinstatement applicant.
Can You Use Your NPS Credential While It Is Expired?
No. Once an NPS certification reaches its expiration date without successful renewal, it is expired and may not be represented as current or active.
Eligibility for late renewal or reinstatement does not extend the prior certification period. If NPS later approves the renewal or reinstatement, the period between the prior expiration date and the new date of issuance remains a lapse in certification status.
This is one reason it is useful to start the renewal process before the expiration date whenever possible.
Does NPS Renew Certifications Issued by Other Organizations?
No. NPS renewal and reinstatement pathways apply to individuals who hold or previously held the applicable NPS certification.
NPS does not renew or reinstate certifications issued by another organization. Individuals with an accepted external credential may have a separate path to NPS certification under the current Certification by Equivalency requirements when applicable.
How Do You Start Your NPS Certification Renewal?
Before starting, check the expiration date of the NPS credential you want to renew and identify which status applies to you:
- Active certification: standard renewal.
- Expired 1–30 days: late renewal.
- Expired 31–365 days: reinstatement.
- Expired more than 365 days: current initial-certification requirements apply.
Then select the continued-competence pathway you can document and review the current Candidate Handbook requirements before submitting your renewal or reinstatement.
NPS is a national certification and examination provider. Renewal is part of maintaining an NPS-issued credential; it does not replace employer requirements, state requirements, workplace competency validation, or legal authorization where those requirements apply.
Renew Your NPS Certification
If your NPS certification is approaching expiration or you are still within an eligible late-renewal or reinstatement period, review the current requirements and select the certification you need to renew.
For the controlling renewal, reinstatement, documentation, and certification-status requirements, review the current NPS Candidate Handbook.
Candidate notice: NPS certification does not guarantee employment, interviews, job placement, wages, employer acceptance, hiring timelines, state licensure, scope-of-practice authorization, or hands-on completion. Candidates are responsible for confirming applicable state, employer, and facility requirements.
Sources
- NPS-CGC Certification Programs Candidate Handbook, Section 11: Recertification
- NPS-CGC Certification Programs Candidate Handbook, Section 10: Use of Credential
- NPS-CGC Certification Programs Candidate Handbook, Section 3: Exam Fee Information
