Certification Maintenance
Check your status and submit your credits
Your recertification cycle dates, credit totals, and petition all live in the Recertification Portal. Sign in with your ACA login.
Open the Recertification Portal Hosted by Prolydian. Opens in the same window.Revised August 2025. The default for every CA, and required for CAs recertifying in 2028 and later.
Revised January 2022. Available to CAs recertifying in 2027 who choose them by February 1, 2027.
How recertification works
The Certified Archivist credential is maintained on a five-year recertification cycle. Every cycle runs July 1 through June 30 five years later, no matter when your certification was originally granted. You complete recertification through one of two pathways.
Recertify by petition
Most CAs use this pathway · $30 petition feeEarn a minimum of 60 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) during your cycle and submit the Petition for Recertification. Both steps are required.
Recertify by examination
Notify ACA in advance · $75 exam feeRetake and pass the Certified Archivist Examination, held each June, during the final year of your cycle.
Recertification and membership are two separate requirements. Recertification keeps your credential current for the five-year cycle. Annual membership dues keep it in good standing each year. Earning credits does not cover your dues, and paying dues does not recertify you. See Understanding Your CA Credential for how the two work together.
Recertifying in 2027
If your current cycle began July 1, 2022, 2027 is your recertification year. Because your cycle began under the prior guidelines, your class has one choice to make that later classes will not.
Petition under the current (2025) guidelines
You are already set up for this path. There is nothing to submit right now. Keep entering your activities in the portal, then file your Petition between March 1 and April 30, 2027.
Prefer a different path?
You may choose one of these instead:
- Petition under the prior (2022) guidelines
- Recertify by taking the CA Examination, June 10-12, 2027
Two things to know before you choose. The Certification Maintenance Committee reviews each petition under the one set of guidelines you select, not both, so compare them against your own activities first. And if you choose the prior guidelines, the portal will still show your credits at current values. That is expected. The Committee applies the 2022 values when it reviews your petition.
Class of 2027 dates
- Now
Enter the activities you have completed since July 1, 2022, and keep adding them as you go. This applies even if you plan to take the exam, since logged credits keep your options open.
- February 1, 2027
Deadline to submit the Choose Your Path form if you want the prior guidelines or the exam.
- March 1, 2027
The Petition for Recertification opens. The exam application also opens in March.
- April 30, 2027
Deadline to enter all activities and submit your Petition ($30 fee).
- June 10-12, 2027
Certified Archivist Examination ($75 for recertifying candidates).
Dates to know in your recertification year
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| March 1 | The Petition for Recertification opens in the portal. |
| April 30 | Deadline to enter all credit requests and submit your Petition. The Certification Maintenance Committee reviews submissions on a rolling basis, and this gives volunteers time to finish before your cycle closes. |
| June 30 | Your recertification cycle ends. If recertification is not complete, the credential becomes Expired. |
| July 1 | A new five-year cycle begins for CAs who recertified, and membership renewal opens for the coming year. |
| September 30 | Annual membership dues deadline. If dues are unpaid, the credential enters Lapsed status on October 1. Pay your dues. |
You can check your cycle dates and credit totals in the Recertification Portal at any time. ACA also sends reminders during your recertification year, so please keep your contact information current.
Recertifying by petition
Recertification by petition lets you maintain your credential by earning a minimum of 60 continuing education credits during your five-year cycle, following the petition guidelines that apply to you, and then filing the Petition for Recertification. The petition fee is $30.
Approved credits are not the same as recertification. Reaching 60 approved credits means you have met the minimum. You must still file the Petition and pay the fee before the deadline. Every year, a few CAs reach 60 credits and lose the credential anyway because the petition was never filed.
Submitting credits
Enter continuing education activities in the Recertification Portal at any point during your cycle. The Committee reviews them as they come in, so there is no reason to wait until your final year. Entering them early means you can see your approved total, you hear about any missing documentation while there is still time to provide it, and you have room to fill gaps well before the deadline.
If you are approaching your deadline and do not expect to reach 60 credits, contact the Regent for Certification Maintenance as early as possible. Options are much easier to arrange in advance than after a cycle closes.
Common questions
What if I reach 60 credits before my cycle ends?
You have met the minimum. You may keep entering credits if you like, though they are not required. File your Petition when it opens on March 1 of your recertification year. Your next cycle begins the July 1 after your current cycle closes.
Do credits carry over into my next cycle?
No. Credits count only within the cycle in which they were earned and do not carry forward.
What if my membership lapses partway through my cycle?
Your five-year cycle keeps running. Lapsed or Suspended status does not pause or extend your recertification deadline. Credits you earn during that period still count, but the credential stays inactive until you are reinstated.
What happens if I do not complete recertification by June 30?
The credential becomes Expired when the cycle closes. While Expired, you may not use the CA designation, renew your membership, or submit a petition. Paying dues or fees does not resolve an expired credential. Only credits or the examination do.
Is there a way back after a credential expires?
Yes, though the routes are limited and none is automatic. Depending on your situation, you may be able to request a recertification appeal, document credits you earned but never submitted, or return by passing the examination as a new candidate. Write to office@certifiedarchivists.org, and see Understanding Your CA Credential for the full requirements.
I hold Emeritus membership. Do I need to recertify?
No. Emeritus membership does not maintain an active CA credential, so the five-year cycle does not apply. Emeritus members may use the CA Emeritus designation but may not represent themselves as active Certified Archivists.
Why does my cycle in the portal show six years?
CAs who were active as of August 1, 2020 received a one-time, one-year extension to offset the disruption of COVID-19. If your cycle shows six years, the extension is already applied. All later cycles follow the standard five-year schedule.
Recertifying by examination
Certified Archivists may instead retake the Certified Archivist Examination during the final year of their cycle. The examination fee for recertifying candidates is $75. Because the exam is held once a year in June, CAs choosing this pathway must notify ACA in advance.
Recertifying in 2027? Use the Choose Your Path form by February 1, 2027. The 2027 examination is June 10-12, 2027. See Exam Information for testing details.
Updated petition guidelines
ACA adopted a revised and simplified set of recertification guidelines in 2025 to make credit requests clearer and more equitable. As part of the transition, ACA completed a crosswalk of member credits from the prior system to the updated one, and members whose totals were affected were contacted directly.
Which guidelines apply to you
- Recertifying in 2027: the current guidelines apply by default. You may choose the prior guidelines instead by submitting the Choose Your Path form by February 1, 2027.
- Recertifying in 2028 or later: the current guidelines apply.
Your petition is reviewed under one set of guidelines only. Credits cannot be mixed across the two sets within a single petition.
What changed
- Each of the four categories now allows a maximum of 30 credits, so credits must be earned across categories rather than all within Education.
- More credit is available for chairing committees or task forces and for serving as an executive officer.
- Credit values for writing, publishing, and editing now depend on scope and length.
- Activities count whether they were completed through employment, consulting, volunteering, or personal interest.
Questions?
For questions about credit requirements, which guidelines apply to you, or whether a particular activity qualifies, contact the Regent for Certification Maintenance at certificationmaintenance@certifiedarchivists.org.
For questions about an expired or suspended credential, reinstatement, membership dues, or your cycle dates, contact ACA at office@certifiedarchivists.org or (518) 694-8471.
If you are worried about your deadline, reach out early. We would much rather help you plan than sort things out afterward.