Updates to the Certification Maintenance Program

AICP certification is rooted in a solid foundation that represents knowledge, experience, ethics, and leadership. It serves as an important tool to help planners make an impact in their work.

Much as communities must adapt to an evolving world, so must AICP... Our world has not remained static, and neither can our professional development.
- Mitchell Silver, FAICP, AICP President

As part of the ongoing evolution of AICP to ensure the certification remains relevant to the needs of today's planners and communities, the Certification Maintenance program is being updated. This update prioritizes two new mandatory topics identified by the AICP Commission as critical knowledge areas for planners to be prepared to best serve their communities. The criteria for education that meets the new topics was developed by subject matter expert task forces and is being shared with CM Providers to ensure education will be available on the new topics.

New Mandatory Credits

Beginning January 1, 2022, AICP members will be able to start logging two new mandatory credits in addition to Law and Ethics. One of the new mandatory credits is Equity, which will help planners build their skillsets in an area that is of pressing and lasting concern to communities across the country.

The other new credit is a targeted topic, which allows the AICP Commission to rotate the topic as they deem appropriate to reflect the professional development needs of planners in a rapidly changing world. The topic for this targeted credit beginning January 1, 2022, will be Sustainability and Resilience, recognizing the growing need for planners to help their communities prepare for issues like climate change, sustainable development, and hazard resilience.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I need to begin earning the new mandatory credits?

Members will first be able to start earning and logging the new credits on January 1, 2022. Members will have a full two-year reporting period to earn the credits.
Note: the initial reporting period for new or reinstating AICP members may be longer than two years.

How many CM credits of each mandatory topic must I earn?

The number of required credits for all mandatory credits, including Law and Ethics, will be 1 CM. Any additional credits earned for the mandatory credits will count towards your general CM credits.

How does this affect the total number of CM credits needed per reporting period?

The total number of CM credits that must be logged during your reporting period remains the same, including for members with active CM exemptions for the reporting period.

Will I be able to self-report CM for the new mandatory topics?

Yes, as is the case for ethics and law, you will be able to self-report CM for the new mandatory topics beginning January 1, 2022.

Are there changes to whether I can carry over education that is eligible for the new topics that I earned in a previous reporting period?

There is no change. AICP members may roll over 16 CM credits to their next reporting period. However, these carry-over credits are not eligible to meet the mandatory credits. Carry-over CM for law, ethics, equity, and sustainability and resilience will be counted as general CM.

My current reporting period deadline changed — why did that happen?

To streamline the CM program, we have adjusted some members' reporting periods to align reporting period deadlines. This means the current reporting period deadline for the group of affected members was extended by one year and is reflected in their CM Log.

How frequently will the targeted credit topic be changed?

The AICP Commission will assess the targeted credit topic after a minimum of four years and may elect to change the topic or maintain the same topic based on their analysis of the knowledge needs of planners at that time. Members will be communicated with a year prior to any change in credit topic.

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