Renewal Requirements and Procedures

ABC certificates expire on the fifth anniversary of the Diplomate or Fellow certificate. Recertification is obtained by demonstrating the accumulation of fifty recertification “points” over a five-year period. Points are awarded for continued employment in the field, for membership in professional organizations, for attendance at regional or national forensic meetings, for service to professional organizations, for publishing and for teaching.

Each January, Affiliates and certificate holders are mailed a reminder letter or e-mailed a reminder message that current recertification forms are available on the “MEMBERS ONLY” side of the ABC website for entering the previous year’s professional development activities. This form must be submitted no later than March 1st along with the $40 recertification maintenance fee and a signed copy of the ABC Rules of Professional Conduct. Forms submitted between March 1st and June 1st requires an additional $20 late fee in addition to the $40 maintenance fee.

No recertification form will be accepted after June 1st and no points will be awarded for professional development activities reported after June 1st. In order to have recertification points credited for the following years, this year’s $40 maintenance fee, the $20 late fee and an additional $100 special processing fee must be submitted along with the next annual recertification package. If you submit your fees and paperwork on time over a five year period and obtain sufficient recertification points you would pay a total of $200 every five years to recertify.

Fellows must obtain at least fifteen points of their fifty recertification points engaging in professional development activities directly related to their specialty area. Fellows must successfully complete at least one external proficiency test in their specialty area for each year they hold that Fellow certificate.