How to Renew Your Personal Trainer Certification

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What’s Ahead

As a new certified personal trainer, renewing your credentials is imperative to maintaining your position at a gym and advancing your career as a fitness professional. If you’re unfamiliar with the recertification process or why you should try to plan ahead, this guide will help you navigate it. It will contain information for the following personal training fitness education organizations: NASM, AFAA, ISSA, ACE, NESTA, NCCPT, NCSF, KIPS, and ACSM.

Please remember that if the personal training organization you are certified through is not listed, you can use the steps below to acquire the desired information.

How long does a CPT stay current?

It depends on the certifying organization, but the two quickest ways are to check your certificate or go to Google, type in the name of the organization you’re certified through, and add “recertification guide.”

Most personal training certifications are valid for 2-4 years, which typically corresponds to the number of continuing education units (CEUs) required to complete the recertification process.

Why do I need to renew my CPT?

Renewing your personal training certification is not about earning credits; it’s about staying current as we continue to learn more about the human body and how it applies to better coaching practices. Ultimately, we want to improve our careers and grow our monthly income, and staying current with research or learning a new exercise format can lead to these outcomes.

How do I renew my personal trainer certification?

The following process is typically the same regardless of the organization you’re certified through, but gathering this information as early as possible can often help you avoid late fees.

1. The first step in the process is determining your expiration date and the number of CEUs required to recertify. If you don’t have this information, checking your certificate can give you a good starting point. One of two things will typically be listed: your date of certification and maybe how long the certificate is valid. If you’re uncertain about how long your certification is valid, head over to Google (or your desired search engine), type in the name of your credentialing agency, and add “Recertification Guide.” Hopefully, a link to a PDF will be one of the top search outcomes, or a link to the page with more information will pop up. You can also scroll down to find info on NASM, AFAA, ISSA, ACE, NESTA, NCCPT, NCSF, KIPS, and ACSM.
2. After figuring out your expiration date and how many CEUs are required, find educational courses to help you achieve the desired total. During this step, finding “pre-approved ” courses can help you save money. The fitness education company you got certified through will have courses you can take, or they will have a list of pre-approved courses from other fitness education providers.
3. If you find a course (certification or CEU) that is not pre-approved, most fitness education companies have a petition form you can fill out to apply the units from it. This option typically incurs an additional fee, which varies by organization.
4. After you’ve completed the required amount of CEUs to recertify, fill out the Recertification Form (might be a digital input process or PDF) from your credentialing agency and submit it following the instructions listed on their form. Typically, fees (listed below) are associated with submitting your recertification application, so it’s essential to submit all the required information before expiration.

What if I’m past my expiration date? Is there a grace period?

If you miss your recertification deadline, there’s likely a grace period where you can still submit with an added fee. Check your organization’s recertification guide for the most accurate information on how these fees are applied.

PRO TIP: Read Your Recertification Handbook Early

Each organization has a PDF handbook that walks you through your recertification process, including fees, late fees, and the types of continuing education that apply. Reviewing this handbook could unlock knowledge that saves you money and time during this process.