All certified child passenger safety technicians (CPSTs) and instructors are required to recertify every two years. It is important that CPSTs stay current and active so that they can serve as relevant resources in the field. By successfully completing mandatory recertification, you can increase your knowledge of child passenger safety technical issues, demonstrate your proficiency using and installing different child safety seats, and participate within your community.
The recertification requirements are set by Safe Kids Worldwide, which serves as the certifying body. There are minimum requirements for staying active in the field. CPSTs are encouraged to seek as many opportunities as possible to hone their skills and increase their knowledge as technicians.
Don’t let your certification lapse. There is no grace period for recertification once it expires.
You can also find detailed information on recertification at http://cert.safekids.org. On the right-hand menu of the home page, click on the Polices and Procedures link.
In order to recertify, CPSTs must successfully complete the seat check activity, participate in a community event, participate in six (6) hours of approved continuing education activities and register and pay the recertification fee. In addition to these requirements, instructors must also have logged 20 hours of teaching, at least 10 of which come from the certification course.
Details on each of the recertification requirements can be found below:
Seat Check Activity
The primary purpose of the seat check activity is to verify by an instructor or instructor proxy your ability to provide appropriate education and installation guidance to families. The preferred method for verifying seat check activity is to have an instructor or instructor proxy observe your interactions with families at a car seat check-up event or inspection station appointment.
If this is not possible, you can have an instructor or instructor proxy observe you during a mock scenario, where a colleague plays the role of the parent.
Instructors must observe a correct installation and be provided accurate technical information and quality communication by CPSTs for the following five (5) configurations:
- Rear-facing only child safety seat
- Rear-facing convertible child safety seat
- Forward-facing child safety seat with a harness
- Belt-positioning booster seat
- Installation with LATCHOnce you have completed the verified seat checks, log onto your online profile at http:cert.safekids.org.
Select the action item “recertification.” Select “Click Here to Add Seat Checks.” Enter the date of the seat check and the instructor who verified the seat check (you can find the instructor by clicking on “Lookup Instructor”). Instructors will be notified via e-mail after you have entered your seat checks. You will want to double-check and make sure the seat checks have been approved. If the status says “pending” contact the instructor and remind them to approve your activity.
Community Event
You can fulfill your community event requirement by either 1) participating in a two-hour check-up event with at least one other CPST or 2) providing at least four hours of community education to non-CPST, such as presentations for parents, educators, or organizations.
Once you have completed your community event, document it in your recertification action item at http://cert.safekids.org.
Continuing Education
As a CPST, you are required to participate in six (6) hours of continuing education units (CEUs) that improve your technical knowledge about child passenger safety. There are a number of ways in which you can earn technical CEUs. You can attend presentations at conferences and updates at refresher courses; participate in teleconferences or online webinars and training; or read designated newsletters, manuals, or journals. Most of these have been pre-approved for CEUs by Safe Kids so you know ahead of time how many CEU’s you will be earning. You will usually need to earn your CEUs by participating in more than one type of event since Safe Kids Worldwide limits the number of CEUs you can earn in the following four (4) categories:
1. In-person session/workshop (maximum 6 CEU’s). Examples include a presentation at
a conference or the technical updates in a refresher course. This is the only category
in which you can earn all 6 CEUs.
2. Teleconferences (max. 5 CEUs). An example would be listening to a teleconference that is
preapproved for CEUs.
3. Online/Web sessions (max. 5 CEUs). An example would be listening to a webinar or
reading an online training course preapproved for CEUs.
4. Newsletters/Manuals/Journals (max. 3 CEU’s). These must be publications approved by
Safe Kids, such as Tech Update newsletters, Safe Ride News, or SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
Often, a quiz must be completed.
Register
After you have completed and logged in your seat check activity, community event, and 6 continuing education (CEU’s) activities, you can go to your “recertification activities summary page.” There will be a button you click to begin the recertification process (this button will not appear sooner than four months before your current certification expiration date even if you completed everything before then).
You will have the option to continue, pay online with a credit/debit/check card: pay with a purchase order or e-voucher: or print out a registration form to complete and submit with a check, purchase order, or money order.
Payment must be received by Safe Kids before your expiration date.
Audits
Frequently, Safe Kids Worldwide contacts CPSTs for verification of CEU activity. If you are randomly selected for an audit of CEU activity, you will be required to submit documentation of the CEUs you have earned during your recertification period. Make sure to save documents such as conference agendas or printed copies of presentations; proof of attendance; quizzes, proof of purchased newsletters; and conference passports.
For assistance, or if you have any questions, please contact CPS Certification Customer Service toll-free at 877-366-8154 or cps.certification@safekids.org.
Recertification Scholarships
The Automotive Safety Program (ASP) at Indiana University School of Medicine is funded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to direct child passenger safety education and training in the state of Indiana. ASP is offering a limited number of re-certification scholarships to help with the $60 CPSTI re-certification fee, $40 CPSTI re-certification fee for instructors with 70+ teaching hours, $55 CPST re-certification fee, and $25 technician proxy fee. You can access the FY25 Re-certification Scholarship application at this link.