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Continuing Education
Green Ideas is a registered educational program provider (EPP) for the USGBC and AIA. Many other organizations, such as IDCEC, BOMI, CoreNet Global and IFMA, also recognize our seminars for their continuing education programs. Through our EPP relationship with the USGBC, we are also able to offer LEED accredited professional’s continuing education hours though our in-person and online seminars. To determine how many credits you may earn, view the seminar descriptions section of this website.
LEED Accredited Professionals • Credentialing Maintenance Program
The Credentialing Maintenance Program (CMP) is designed to expand the knowledge and experience base of LEED Professionals. The program is also designed to facilitate a LEED Professional’s continuing professional development. Beginning with the LEED Green Associate and LEED AP Operations + Maintenance (O+M) credentials, followed by LEED AP Homes, Building Design + Construction (BD+C), Interior Design + Construction (ID+C), and Neighbor Development (ND), all credentials awarded for passing any LEED examination given by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) must be maintained on a 2-year cycle through the accumulation of continuing education (CE) hours.
The term “CE hours” refers to hours earned from credentialing maintenance activities. To maintain your credential:
- LEED APs must earn 30 CE hours biennially (6 of which must be LEED-specific hours)
- LEED Green Associates must earn 15 CE hours biennially (3 of which must be LEED-specific hours).
CE hours are calculated differently depending on the activity; see the Activities sections of the CMP Guide for an outline of credentialing maintenance activities and the CE hours possible.
LEED professionals must earn their required CE hours during the 2-year period following the date GBCI awarded their credential. This 2-year period, called the CMP reporting period or, simply, reporting period, begins on the exam date or the CMP enrollment date and ends 2 years minus 1 day from the start date (except for LEED Professionals who passed the LEED Green Associate or a LEED AP (with specialty) exam before August 3, 2009*). (LEED Professionals will continue on the same cycle unless the credential is not renewed.)
At the end of the 2-year reporting period, LEED Professionals are required to have completed their continuing education requirements. If LEED Professionals do not complete these requirements and/or do not report their hours to GBCI, the credential expires.
LEED Accredited Professionals • Maintenance Through Retesting
LEED Professional, whether LEED Green Associate or LEED AP, will not be required to sit for additional examinations after fulfilling initial credentialing examination. However, LEED Professionals do have the option of maintaining their credential through retesting (without completing continuing education).
LEED Professionals maintaining through retesting must take the required exam between 3 and 12 months from the end of their reporting period. (No testing will be allowed more than 12 months or less than 3 months from the end of the reporting period; see the chart below for details.)
- In order to retest, LEED Professionals must apply (including meeting eligibility requirements);
- Register for the required exam through GBCI;
- Are responsible for all applicable fees.
LEED Green Associates are required to take the LEED Green Associate exam; LEED APs are required to take only the LEED specialty exam.
If LEED Professionals wait until their credential expires (24 months after their exam date), they must test like all new candidates. They will not maintain the same cycle reporting period; a new reporting period will begin on their exam date if they pass the exam.
Individuals whose LEED AP credential has expired must retake both parts (LEED Green Associate and specialty exam) of their exam to regain the credential.