How many CEUs does an ISA Certified Arborist need to renew?
Thirty CEUs in each three-year period, or a retake of the exam. This page sets out how ISA counts a CEU, what it says about grace periods, and what it says about rollover.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
The ISA Certified Arborist program guide says certification is valid for three years. It names two ways to recertify. One is to retake and pass the exam. The other is to earn at least 30 continuing education units (CEUs) in the three-year period, related to the 10 domains tested on the exam, and pay the recertification fee, which the guide gives as US$220. The longer guide to renewal across credentials is keeping a credential current.
How ISA counts a CEU
The awards are set in the ISA continuing education policy (CERPP 015, version 5). These are the ones that come up most.
| Activity | CEUs the policy awards |
|---|---|
| One hour of a seminar or training session | 1 CEU |
| A session under 30 minutes of learning time | None on its own; short sessions such as tailgate talks can be combined to reach 30 minutes |
| Time after the first 30 minutes | Awarded in steps of 0.25 |
| A graded online activity with no tracked attendance | A quiz of 20 questions is worth 1 CEU, with a score of 80 percent or higher |
| A credit hour of an arboriculture-related college course, apprenticeship or certificate program with a passing grade | 12 CEUs |
| First aid or CPR course or renewal | 4 CEUs, once per certification period |
| An arboriculture article published in a magazine, online or in a newspaper | 3 CEUs for the author |
| Safety meeting topics and aerial rescue training | May be completed for CEU credit once per year |
The policy adds that identical courses are awarded once in a credentialing cycle, that presenters receive the same CEUs as attendees, and that the education has to relate to the domains covered by the credential exam and have structured, measurable learning objectives.
Rollover, processing and late renewal
- Rollover. ISA's page for credential holders says the period set by the Credentialing Council is three years and that rolling CEUs over from one period to the next is not allowed.
- Processing. The policy gives an average CEU processing time of four to six weeks, and ISA's common questions page gives the same four to six weeks for events pre-approved for CEUs.
- Grace period. The policy grants a 60-day grace period to a holder who does not meet the criteria, then a further 60 days to cover processing time only. CEUs earned in the final 60 days do not count. A late fee of US$75 applies at renewal after the first grace period.
- Not renewed. A holder who does not meet the requirements and pay the fees by the final deadline submits an appeal or retests, per the policy.
Who tracks the CEUs
The policy says credential holders are responsible for submitting and monitoring their own CEUs. The credential holders page says CEUs for events that were not pre-approved are requested through the self-report system in the ISA portal, and that only requests sent through the portal are accepted.