Maintaining Certification

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General Information

The ISA Certified Arborist designation is valid for three years. To maintain the certification, a recertification fee must be paid and a minimum of 30 continuing education units (CEUs) must be achieved by the end of the three-year period.

Renewal dates occur on June 30 or December 31, depending on date of original certification exam. Notification is mailed one month before the certification renewal due date. Please make sure that all contact information on record is current in order to insure that you receive ISA certification renewal notices and other important information. If the required number of CEUs are not achieved, or payment of the renewal fee is not received, the certification examination must be taken again. Full certification fees are required to re-take the examination. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for CEUs to be recorded. Please keep a record of all CEUs sent to ISA. In addition to workshops and seminars presented by ISA and PNW-ISA, CEUs may be offered through educational and training opportunities available through associated professions such as Society for Municipal Arborists, Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association, and others. Please check the PNW-ISA calendar for the most current listings. Other ways to acquire CEUs include:

• In-House Training

Many companies and government agencies offer in-house training. Any course pertaining to tree care and safety is eligible for CEUs. This may include safety meetings, CPR/First Aid, chainsaw safety, etc.

• First Aid or CPR class

4.00 CEUs each, once per certification period (3 years).

• ISA Publications

CEUs for articles and quizzes in Arborist News and other ISA publications may only be earned once per issue or edition. ISA publications suitable for CEU acquisition are available through the ISA webstore.

• Arboriculture & the Law Workbook (3 CEUs)
• Arborist Equipment Workbook (10 CEUs)
• Art and Science of Practical Rigging DVD Set (8 CEUs)
• Asian Long-horned Beetle CD-ROM Workbook (2.5 CEUs)
• Landscape Below Ground I (4 CEUs)
• Photographic Guide to the Evaluation of Hazard Trees in Urban Areas (2 CEUs)
• Plant Health Care for Woody Ornamentals (3 CEUs)
• Principles & Practice of Planting Trees & Shrubs (4 CEUs)
• Trees and Development (4 CEUs)
• ISA Arborist News Quiz (1 CEU each)
• Written and published articles (3 CEUs)
• ISA Compendia Set, 7 books (58.5 CEUs). CEUs vary by individual book.
  • Tree Biology
  • Tree Selection & Planting
  • Tree Maintenance
  • Trees and their Environment
  • Safe Work Practices
  • Tree Diagnosis & Treatment
  • Plant Health Care
  • Tree Science (not included in set)

• ISA CDs, DVDs and Videos

ISA CDs, DVDs and videos suitable for CEU acquisition are available through the ISA webstore.

• Introduction to Arboriculture CDs:
  • Tree Biology (4 CEUs)
  • Tree Worker Safety (6 CEUs)
  • Tree Pruning (4 CEUs) Avail. Span.
  • Tree Identification & Selection (5 CEUs) Avail. Span.
  • Diagnosis & Disorders (6 CEUs) Avail. Span.
  • Planting & Early Care (4 CEUs)
  • Tree Maintenance (6 CEUs)
  • Plant Health Care (6 CEUs)
• ISA DVD series
  • ArborMaster Training Chainsaw DVD Series (8 CEUs)
  • ArborMaster Training Climbing DVD Series (6 CEUs)
  • Basic Training for Ground Operations DVD Set (5 CEUs)
  • Basic Training for Tree Climbers DVD Set (6 CEUs)
  • Art and Science of Practical Rigging DVD Set (8 CEUs)
  • Training Young Trees Video (1.5 CEUs)
  • Arborists Knots for Climbing & Rigging DVD & Workbook (3 CEUs)

• Webinars

Organizations such as the Urban Natural Resources Institute (UNRI) and the Alliance for Community Trees (ACT) offer one-hour educational and informational webinars that offer CEUs after completion of a short online examination.

• College Courses

College courses may accumulate up to 10 CEUs per credit hour. College coursework must be done through an academically accredited 2-year or 4-year institution. Approved coursework must involve one or more of the following ten domains:

• Soil Management
• ID/Selection
• Installation & Establishment
• Safe Work Practices
• Tree Biology
• Pruning
• Diagnosis & Treatment
• Urban Forestry
• Tree Protection
• Tree Risk Management

If other available courses seem appropriate for CEUs, please send a letter with the agenda or course outline along with a post-approval form to the ISA office. If the course is granted CEUs after ISA review, those credits will appear on your CEU records. If the course does not meet CEU standards, ISA will send the information back to you with a letter of explanation.

• Teaching and Presentations

You may receive CEUs for conducting workshops, teaching classes, or making presentations. Please send a letter with the agenda or course outline along with a post-approval form to the ISA office.

Track and Check Your CEU’s

Check how ISA CEU’s you have or need to maintain certification at the ISA website.

Earn CEU’s and Maintain Certification

Want to earn CEUs? Check the ISA website for more information.

Approved CEU’s from Past Years

The PNW-ISA maintains current and past list of CEU’s so you can quickly search for a class that you took should you need to fill out a CEU request form.