Certification Renewal Information

Initial Notices/Renewal (Fall):

Certification renewal occurs each fall.  Invoices are prepared and available in MyAAFCS beginning July 15.  Invoices will be sent via email, with periodic reminders.  Paper invoices will be mailed in August.   Fee payments are due by October 1st.  However, paying electronically before paper invoices are created/mailed will demonstrate “Save the Planet” and “Save AAFCS Resources” behavior! .

Certification renewal is based upon payment of the maintenance fee (paid annually) and submission of 75 PDUs (reported at the end of the cycle). The due date for fee payment and PDUs is October 1st.   PDU reporting is due for those whose 3-year certification cycle ends August 31 of the current year. To check your cycle dates and the number of PDUs recorded, please log into MyAAFCS using the instructions below.

If you do not receive a notice regarding the annual maintenance fee or PDU reporting, it is likely that your fees are paid up and that PDUs are not due. If you believe that you should have received a notice, please log into the MyAAFCS portal and review your certification information or contact AAFCS Certification Office at 703-636-7641 or certification@aafcs.org.

Those who meet the eligibility criteria and have requested a change to the "Retired" category for their CFCS credential are no longer required to report PDUs to maintain their certification.  Please note that a change to "Retired" must be made in writing to the Credentialing office at AAFCS.  The change is not automatic when one retires or moves to Emeritus membership.

Follow Up Notices (January)

While renewal email reminders will be sent throughout the fall, a round of paper invoices will be mailed again in January.  Fee payments are due by March 15th.

Certification renewal is based upon payment of the maintenance fee (paid annually) and submission of 75 PDUs (reported at the end of the cycle). The due date for fee payment and PDUs is March 15th.   PDU reporting is due for those whose 3-year certification cycle ends August 31 of the most recent year. To check your cycle dates and the number of PDUs recorded, please log into MyAAFCS using the instructions below.

If you do not receive a notice regarding the annual maintenance fee or PDU reporting, it is likely that your fees are paid up and that PDUs are not due. If you believe that you should have received a notice, please log into the MyAAFCS portal and review your certification information or contact AAFCS Certification Office at 703-636-7641 or certification@aafcs.org.

Those who meet the eligibility criteria and have requested a change to the "Retired" category for their CFCS credential are no longer required to report PDUs to maintain their certification.  Please note that a change to "Retired" must be made in writing to the Credentialing office at AAFCS.  The change is not automatic when one retires or moves to Emeritus membership.

Maintenance Fee Payment Information:

  • In the MyAAFCS web portal, click on the “Invoices (View, Pay, or Print)” menu button. Click on “Pay Open Invoices” to locate the invoice associated with certification fees. Check the box beside the certification fees invoice and click “Add to Shopping Cart.” Then, follow the instructions to pay via credit card (VISA, Discover, MasterCard, or American Express). 
  • For convenience, you may opt to use the recurring payment option. To do so, click the check box to “Save Payment Information” on the payment information screen. 
  • For initial notices in the fall, payments should be made by October 1st. A late fee of $35 may apply to payments submitted after that date.  
  • For renewal reminders in January, payments should be made by March 1st.

PDU Reporting (Online) - Due October 1st (Fall) or March 1st (Spring)

  • To access, choose "MyAAFCS Certification Portal" on the "Credentialing" menu on the navy navigation ribbon on the AAFCS website.  You will be prompted to log into MyAAFCS and then directed to the Certification Portal.
  • In the Certification portal, click on the “Professional Exams and Certifications” menu button. To report PDUs, click on the “PDU Reporting and Transcript” button. This screen shows the dates of your certification cycle, the list/status of PDUs reported, and the total PDUs earned, reported through online or hardcopy submission, and accepted as eligible credits in the current cycle.
  • If this screen has no PDU activities listed, the Certification Office has no record of any PDUs reported during your current certification cycle. 
  • To report PDUs, click on “Add New Credits” at the bottom of the screen. On the Credit Type screen, choose “PDU Activity” from the drop down menu. Click “Continue”
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to enter information and then click “Save” at the bottom of the screen.  Please note:  If you receive an error "feature not available" when saving, this is likely due to a description that is too long (over the maximum characters).  Shorten the description and try again.
  • You will receive a “Credits Added” note after successful entry. To add more PDUs, follow the steps again (by clicking the browser’s “back” button to return to the “Credit Type” screen or beginning again at “Add New Credits.”)
  • See the NEW list of options for earning PDUs here

PDU Reporting (Paper Submission)

  • When using the printed “PDU Reporting Form,” report PDU activities only once during the 3-year certification cycle when all 75 PDUs can be reported.
  • See the NEW list of options for earning PDUs here
  • Use the “PDU Reporting Form” – Word Version (available here)
  • PDUs for the certification cycle ending August 31 are due October 1st.(Fall deadline) or March 15th (Spring deadline)
  • Mail the completed “PDU Reporting Form” to: AAFCS, PO Box 79377, Baltimore, MD  21279-0377 or email the form as an attachment to PDU@aafcs.org


Thank you for your ongoing participation and support for YOUR national certification program. We appreciate your patience as AAFCS works to distribute the invoices and mailings in a timely manner!