CPD Recertification Program

1. After passing the Certified in Plumbing Design exam, continuing education is required to maintain Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) status through recertification. The recertification process must be completed and submitted two years after the exam and each subsequent two years to maintain CPD certification. CPD status expires on the last day of the month that is printed on the certificate issued on a biennial basis.

2. Recertification is achieved by accumulating 2.4 CEUs (continuing education units) within the two-year certification period using the following criteria:

• Acquiring additional professional plumbing design, fire protection, or engineering-related education
• Participating in activities that advance or broaden the plumbing design, fire protection, and engineering professions

Failure to accumulate the required CEUs before the expiration of the certification period will result in the cessation of CPD status, removal from the Certified in Plumbing Design Directory, and removal from the official CPD registry.

The Certified in Plumbing Design Directory is available to ASPE membership, the general public, state registries/ boards/agencies, and any other requesting agencies. The directory is available at https://aspe.org/education-credentialing/cpd/directory/.

3. A total of 2.4 CEUs (continuing education units) are required for Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) recertification. Different units are commonly used to track continuing education, but ASPE uses CEUs (continuing education units) as the primary unit.

Some useful conversions are:

• 0.1 CEU = 1.0 PDH (professional development hours) = 1 contact hour
• 1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs = 10 contact hours
• 1.0 PDH = 0.1 CEU = 1 contact hour

A contact hour is defined as a 50- to 60-minute period devoted to the education and learning effort.

Any combination of the following minimum and maximum continuing education is allowed:

3.1 A minimum of 50 percent or 1.2 CEUs must be from an approved provider such as ASPE (Society), an ASPE Chapter, or an approved ASPE CEU provider: Minimum of 1.2 CEUs (50%)

3.2 Approved Education and Professional development in plumbing engineering, plumbing design, or fire protection programs issuing CEUs or PDHs: Maximum of 1.2 CEUs or PDH equivalents (50%)

3.2.1 Approved Education and Professional development programs are defined as efforts undertaken to advance, broaden, and enhance the individual’s technical knowledge and job skills in plumbing engineering, plumbing design, or fire protection, such as engineering-related education and professional development programs offered at local or national events. These activities are required to offer CEUs or PDHs. Activities such as workshops, seminars, technical presentations at ASPE chapter meetings, and training sessions shall earn 0.1 CEU for every hour of training.

3.2.2 Activities such as tours of a manufacturing or research facility of a company/organization that is in the plumbing or fire protection industry also qualify for continuing education. The tour shall be sponsored by the Society or an ASPE Chapter and be at least one hour in length excluding any travel, meal or social activity. Participants shall earn 0.1 CEU in total for participating in the tour of a sponsored manufacturing/research facility that is hosted by the Society or ASPE Chapter.

3.3 Higher education and professional development courses: Maximum of 1.2 CEUs (50%)

3.3.1 Higher Education and Professional development courses are defined as the successful completion with a grade of “C” or higher and the awarding of credits for course work at colleges, universities, or technical schools that advance, broaden, and enhance the individual’s technical knowledge and job skills in engineering. Activities such as college, university, and technical school course work earn 1.0 CEU per semester-based hour or 0.7 CEUs per quarter-based hour.

3.4. Advanced professional activities: Maximum of 0.6 CEUs (25%)

3.4.1 Advanced professional activities include volunteer or for-hire education or professional development activities such as participating in professional membership organizations that advance the plumbing/ fire protection design and engineering profession or providing professional engineering expertise to assist committees, taskforces, or working groups; presenting educational or professional development to increase technical, engineering, and design knowledge; or writing technical or engineering-related research papers pertinent to the engineering profession for publication or distribution.

3.5. Industry leadership activities: Maximum of 1.2 CEUs (50%)

3.5.1 Committee, taskforce, and/or working group activities = 0.1 CEU/year

3.5.2 Instructor of continuing education that awards CEUs or PDHs = 0.1 CEU/hour of instruction

3.5.3 Author of a published plumbing design article in a reviewed publication. = 0.1 CEU per article

3.5.4 Author of an engineering or plumbing design-related book = 1.0 CEU per book

4. A courtesy recertification reminder notice will be emailed after one year. A final courtesy notice of pending expiration will be e-mailed three months prior to the end of the certification period. It is the responsibility of the individual to keep a valid and updated email address on file with ASPE, as well as to meet the recertification application submission deadline. In the event an individual holding the CPD designation is unable to be located or otherwise fails to receive recertification notification mailings through their email, it will be the responsibility of the individual to petition the Credentialing Committee for a recertification extension waiver.

5. Reinstatement of an expired CPD certification may occur only during the 18 months immediately following the expiration date. The full reinstatement procedure can be found on aspe.org. The reinstatement process shall include:

• Payment of the recertification fee and a reinstatement fee
• Meeting all of the recertification requirements for the current and previous recertification periods

6. An expired CPD certification that is no longer eligible for reinstatement will be treated as an initial (first-time) applicant and must satisfy the Certified in Plumbing Design criteria. The individual must retake the CPD exam.

7. CPD recertification requires completing the recertification online no later than the expiration date of the certification.

8. Continuing education activities must be completed before the certification expires subject to the following exceptions:

Exception 1: Additional time is required to obtain continuing education because the individual had to allocate substantial time for military duty, jury duty, or illness. Each case will be reviewed on its own merits.

Exception 2: ASPE requires additional time to complete an audit of the information supplied.

9. Information provided on the CPD status will be processed and evaluated as follows:

A. Information supplied may be reviewed for adherence to the recertification criteria as described in section 3, as well as proper documentation of continuing education. If necessary, clarification may be requested.

10. Recordkeeping is the responsibility of the individual. A certificate listing the amount of CEUs is required. CEUs issued by ASPE Education can be found in the My Education Transcripts.

11. The recertification fee is not refundable in whole or in part if recertification is not achieved.

12. Inactive CPD status may be elected by an individual if he/she is unemployed.

A. Inactive CPD status must be requested in writing within 12 months from the start of the unemployment period.

B. Reinstatement to CPD status must be done within 18 months from the date inactive status begins or can be determined on a case-by-case basis.

C. The full reinstatement process can be found on aspe.org. Reinstatement is done by:

• • Documentation of recent work experience appropriate to CPD recertification, and
  • Payment of a reinstatement fee.

13. All documentation and materials submitted for CPD recertification become the property of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers and will not be returned.

Credential holders must enroll in recertification prior to the expiration of the CPD status. This must be done online in ASPE Education, under My Dashboard Certifications.  The CPD nonrefundable recertification fee must be paid prior to the expiration date.  Please make sure to read the acknowledgement associated with the fee and mark it as read.  Failure to do so will mean recertification will not be complete. ASPE will not separately bill or invoice. The recertification procedures and online application form are found on education.aspe.org/CPDRecert.

Retired individuals who desire to maintain CPD status for occasional consulting efforts or for other reasons must recertify in the same manner as all other recertification applicants. The recertification fee for a retired individual meeting the recertification requirements is $15, provided that the retiree is 65 years of age or older and engages in consulting or other professional activity no more than the equivalent of three months of full-time effort per year.

The CPD Recertification Fee must have been prepaid or must accompany this application for this Recertification Application to be considered and processed. The Recertification Fee is nonrefundable.

• CPD Recertification Fee: $75
• Non ASPE Member w/CPD: $165
• CPD Reinstatement Fee: $200*
• Non ASPE member CPD Reinstatement Fee: $260*
• CPD Retired Active Status Fee: $15

*Fee includes recertification fee