Guide
How to become a CE provider.
To award credits that count, your association needs approval from whoever your members report to: IACET, your profession's accreditor, or a state board. Here are the routes, what IACET accreditation costs and involves, and the records every provider keeps.
Updated
Start with what your members need
Before choosing a route, find out which credits your members actually report and to whom. A nurse needs credits their nursing board accepts; an accountant needs CPE their state board accepts. The right approval is the one their board recognizes.
| Route | What it is | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| IACET accreditation | Accredits your organization as a provider of CEUs, across any field | Associations whose members need general CEUs, or whose boards accept IACET CEUs |
| Your profession’s accreditor | A body that accredits providers in one field, such as ANCC for nursing, ACCME for physicians, NASBA’s registry for accountants’ CPE, or ASWB’s ACE program for social work | Associations whose members hold licenses in that field |
| State licensing boards | Approve providers, or individual courses, for the professionals they license | Associations serving one state, or one licensed profession |
| Course-by-course approval | Submit each activity for approval instead of accrediting the organization | Associations that run only a few credit-bearing activities a year |
IACET accreditation, step by step
IACET accredits organizations against the ANSI/IACET Standard for continuing education and training. An accredited provider can award IACET CEUs, where one CEU is 10 contact hours.
- Buy the ANSI/IACET Standard and the Accredited Provider application ($495). You then have one year to submit.
- Self-audit your policies and processes against the Standard, and close the gaps.
- Document how you meet each element of the Standard, and submit the application online.
- Pay the review fee ($4,845) and the first annual fee ($1,245, refunded if you are not approved).
- Answer IACET’s questions during review, which generally takes three to four months.
- Once approved, keep your accreditation for 5 years with an annual report and the annual fee.
| IACET fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Standard and application | $495 |
| Review fee | $4,845 |
| Annual fee, first year | $1,245 |
| To apply | $6,585 |
| Over the 5-year accreditation | $11,565 |
Fees from IACET's application process and FAQ, checked November 5, 2026. Additional review fees may apply.
The records every provider keeps
Whichever route you take, an accreditor or board can ask you to show how each credit was earned. Keep these for every activity:
- Who attended or completed each activity, and when.
- The credits awarded to each person, and the certificate issued.
- The activity’s learning outcomes, instructor and format.
- How learning was assessed, such as a quiz with a pass mark.
- Evaluations from participants.
In FullRoster, credits are added to each member's record when they check in at an event or finish a course, courses can include a quiz with a pass mark, and every credit comes with a PDF certificate. You can export credits for any year when an accreditor asks.
More: CE tracking for associations · CEU certificate template · Event registration software for associations
Common questions
- How do I become a CEU provider?
- Decide which credits your members need, then get approved by the body that grants them: IACET for general CEUs, your profession’s accreditor, a state licensing board, or course-by-course approval. Each requires documented processes for planning, delivering and assessing education, and records of who earned what.
- How much does IACET accreditation cost?
- IACET's site lists $495 for the Standard and application, a $4,845 review fee and a $1,245 annual fee, so about $6,585 to apply and $1,245 a year after that.
- How long does IACET accreditation take?
- You have one year from buying the Standard to submit your application, and IACET says review generally takes three to four months. Accreditation then lasts five years.
- Does IACET approve individual courses?
- No. IACET accredits organizations as providers, not individual courses or events. Some licensing boards do approve courses one at a time.
- Do we need accreditation to give certificates?
- Anyone can issue a certificate of completion. For the credits to count toward a member’s license or certification, you usually need approval from the board or accreditor that member reports to.
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