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Recertification Requirements

Maintaining Your Certification & Commitment to Excellence

Recertification Timeline

IAEM certification is valid for five (5) years. To maintain your AEM or CEM certification, you must meet recertification requirements before the last day of the fifth full year following the year of your previous certification.

Example

  • If certified on September 30, 2025, you must recertify by December 31, 2030.
  • All recertification content must fall within your five-year certification period.

Key Recertification Requirements

  1. Both AEM and CEM applicants must submit Professional Contributions for recertification.
  2. Training requirements decrease, and contribution requirements increase with each subsequent recertification milestone.
  3. Failure to recertify within the required timeframe will result in loss of certification.

Recertification Training & Contribution Requirements for AEM and CEM

*EM = Emergency Management training
**GM = General Management training

Recertification Steps

STEP 1: Pay Recertification Fee: $299 for IAEM members and $399 for non-members. (Certification fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.)

  • Visit the IAEM Portal and log in.
  • Select the Certification tab at the top of the page.
  • Click View My Certification/Pay Recertification Fee from the dropdown. This will open the My Certifications page.
  • Highlight the circle next to your current certification.
  • Click Renew.
  • Complete the prompts and click Review & Confirm.
  • After reviewing your information, click Checkout.

IMPORTANT: You must pay your recertification fee before submitting your application. Payments made online are batched and posted on the next business day.

STEP 2: Submit Recertification Application 

  • Applicants must meet and submit recertification requirements before Dec. 31 at 11:59 pm EST of the fifth year of previous certification/recertification.
  • Use the Applicant Portal to submit the application.

Expired Certifications

Those with an AEM/CEM whose certification expires will no longer be permitted to use the AEM/CEM designation and will not be listed as such on the IAEM Website. If certification lapses, applicants must certify again beginning anew by submitting the certification application fee, completing the AEM/CEM Initial Application, and repassing the examination. Applicants are allowed two (2) exam attempts per fee. Upon successful completion of the new certification, the applicant becomes part of the current class of AEMs/CEMs.

 

Need Assistance?

Many common questions are answered on the Resources page and under Important Links at the bottom of the Certification website. We encourage you to review the Applicant Guidebook for detailed application requirements and connect with a volunteer mentor for guidance. Please note that IAEM cannot preapprove documentation or determine eligibility before an application is submitted. If, after reviewing these resources, you still need assistance, please contact IAEM at certificationinfo@iaem.com for support throughout your certification journey.

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