ISA Certified Arborist CEUs and Recertification
Short answer: ISA Certified Arborist certification lasts three years. To renew it, either pass the exam again or earn at least 30 CEUs related to the ten exam domains during those three years and pay the $220 recertification fee.
Sources: ISA's Certified Arborist Program Guide and its continuing education policy, checked October 19, 2026.
Two ways to recertify
- Retake the exam and pass it again (see our exam cost guide for fees).
- Earn CEUs: at least 30 continuing education units during the three-year certification period, related to the exam domains, and pay $220. You also agree again to ISA's Code of Ethics.
The education must relate directly to the domains on the exam and have structured, measurable learning objectives. ISA reviews requests and can ask for more detail. These are the ten domains your CEUs need to relate to:
- Tree Biology
- Tree Identification and Selection
- Soil Management
- Installation and Establishment
- Pruning
- Diagnosis and Treatment
- Trees and Construction
- Tree Risk
- Safe Work Practices
- Urban Forestry
How CEUs are counted
ISA's continuing education policy sets these rules:
| Activity | CEUs |
|---|---|
| Seminar, workshop or training session | 1 CEU per hour of learning time (breaks and meals excluded); nothing for programs under 30 minutes |
| Online course, video, article or podcast | Needs a graded summative quiz with a score of 80% or higher; 20 quiz questions = 1 CEU |
| College, apprenticeship or certificate course | 12 CEUs per credit hour passed, when related to arboriculture |
| First Aid or CPR course or renewal | 4 CEUs, once per certification period |
| Arboriculture article you wrote and published | 3 CEUs for the author |
| Certification exam prep workshop | 1 CEU per hour, at most 10 CEUs for one program |
| Safety meetings and aerial rescue training | Eligible, but once per year |
| Teaching or presenting | The same CEUs as attendees if you attend the whole program; preparation time does not count |
A few more rules worth knowing:
- The same course counts only once in a certification cycle.
- After the first 30 minutes, CEUs can be awarded in quarter-unit steps.
- CEUs approved for other ISA credentials (Board Certified Master Arborist, Utility Specialist, Tree Climber, Aerial Lift Specialist, Urban Forest Professional) also count for Certified Arborist.
- Volunteer service and board meetings don't earn CEUs; there has to be a real educational component.
Reporting CEUs yourself
If you attended only part of an approved event, or missed the sign-in sheet, you can submit the activity yourself through ISA's credentialing system. You need the type of activity, date, place, provider, title and hours, an outline showing the topics and the time spent on each (or the number of quiz questions), and proof that you attended the whole event, such as a certificate or a sign-in record. Keep copies.
Deadlines and the grace period
If you haven't met the requirements when your certification period ends, ISA gives you a 60-day grace period to earn the missing CEUs. After that, a further 60 days is allowed for processing only, because approval takes four to six weeks on average. CEUs earned in that final processing window don't count, so submit early.
Planning your CEUs
Thirty CEUs over three years is about ten a year. One way to get there, using the policy's own numbers: a day of approved workshops each year, a First Aid or CPR renewal (4 CEUs, once per period), and a few quizzed online courses. Check that each provider's course is approved, or keep the outline and proof of attendance so you can self-report it.
Questions about CEUs
How many CEUs does an ISA Certified Arborist need?
At least 30 CEUs over the three-year certification period, related to the ten domains of the Certified Arborist exam, plus a $220 recertification fee. The other way to recertify is to retake and pass the exam.
Do online courses and videos count for CEUs?
Yes, when they come with a graded summative quiz. ISA requires a score of 80% or higher, and a 20-question quiz is worth 1 CEU. Online material without tracked time and without a quiz does not earn CEUs.
Does a First Aid or CPR course count?
Yes. A First Aid or CPR course or renewal is worth 4 CEUs, once per certification period.
What happens if I am short of CEUs when my certification ends?
ISA grants a 60-day grace period to earn the missing CEUs. After that, a further 60 days is allowed only for processing (approval usually takes four to six weeks), and CEUs earned in that final period do not count.
Official sources
- ISA Certified Arborist Program Guide (revised August 2025) (expiration and recertification)
- ISA Continuing Education Policy Statement (CERPP 015, version 5)
This page summarizes ISA's published rules in our own words. It is not an official ISA document, and we are not affiliated with ISA. If anything here differs from ISA's current documents, ISA's documents win.