Staying Certified

How long does my certification last?

Once you have achieved Compost Operations Manager Certification, that certification is valid for three years. 

What are the recertification fees?

Recertification every three years requires remittance of 30 Professional Development Hours.

What do I need to do to stay current?

During that time, you need to stay current with advances in the field through the process of continuing professional development. You must document that continuing professional development and pay a per-credit fee in order to stay certified. If you allow your certification to lapse, you will need to update your application form and take the certification test.

What are the continuing professional development requirements?

Thirty (30) hours of professional development hours (PDHs) are required for recertification.

PDHs may be earned by completing USCC-approved PDH programs or by maintaining records of total PDHs by using the PDH Petition Form.

Examples of continuing professional development are conferences, in-services, academic credits, independent studies, workshops, on-line educational opportunities, brown bags, forums, study, etc.

If the course titles do not clearly reflect the course’s relevance to facility operation and management, include a brief description of how the course relates to facility operation and management. All PDHs must be earned within the three-year certification period, and a percentage of applicants will be audited upon recertification. 

How do I get a recertification?

The CCOM™ certification must be renewed every three years. A recertification reminder will be sent to you approximately 90 days before your certification expiration date. Be sure to keep your home address and email information current with the Certification Commission by logging back into your application form which is also your lifetime career record documentation, confidential information. 

The following steps must be taken to maintain certification: 

1. Complete 30 hours of professional development during your three-year certification period.
    
2. After each PDH-earning event, submit the credits via the online form which will be provided to you after you earn your CCOM™, along with the fee for recording and claiming your PDHs.
   
   In addition to the electronic master file for your recertification credits, the Commission recommends that every candidate should also maintain your own records of continuing education units during the three years between recertification renewals.
3. Complete the recertification application and pay the fees online. If you have not previously submitted 30 PDHs, you will be required to document the PDHs and remit your payment.

When will I get my recertification?

After processing, you will receive a new certificate in approximately 30 to 60 days. If your application is returned for corrections, this will delay the recertification process.  But remember, we’re here to help you succeed so the Commission will provide feedback on anything in the recertification application that did not go through.

What else do I need to know about recertification?

A certain number of certified professionals are randomly chosen for an audit of continuing professional development. If you are audited, you will receive notification by mail indicating that you will need to submit copies of the original PDH documentation which you received from the training provider or instructor when you completed the training or course.

With this in mind, keep copies of your PDH materials for at least one year after your recertification expiration date. 

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