Why certifications expire and course certificates do not
A certification is a claim about current competence, so vendors attach a shelf life to it. Microsoft says its role-based certifications expire after one year to keep skills up to date with evolving technology. Course completion certificates make a different claim, that you completed a course on a date, which stays true forever: Alison says its certificates do not expire, and Educative says claimed certificates last a lifetime and do not expire.
That difference matters when you list credentials. An expired certification should be labelled with its dates or removed; a course certificate never needs renewing but also never says you are current.
Validity and renewal rules compared
All rows reflect the vendors' pages on October 30, 2026.
| Vendor | Validity | How to renew | Window | Cost of renewing | If you miss it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft (associate, expert, specialty) | 1 year from earning | Pass a free, unproctored, open-book online renewal assessment of about 45 minutes on Microsoft Learn; no other route | Opens 6 months before expiry; passing extends one year from the expiration date | Free; unlimited retakes, with a 24-hour wait after the second attempt | Re-earn by passing the required exams |
| Microsoft Fundamentals and Applied Skills | Do not expire | None needed | None | None | Not applicable |
| AWS | Recertify every 3 years | Pass the latest version of the exam, or in many cases a higher-level exam; some certifications can instead be maintained via AWS Skill Builder for one more year | Skill Builder maintenance needs an active certification within 90 days of expiry; Cloud Practitioner's free Cloud Quest route opens 6 months before expiry | Exam fee, with a 50% discount voucher available for many exams in your AWS Certification Account; Skill Builder route needs a paid subscription | Certification must be active to renew or maintain |
| Google Cloud | Professional: 2 years; Foundational and Associate: 3 years | Retake the exam, a shorter renewal exam for some certifications, or continuing education in Google Skills for some certifications (adds 1 year) | Exam: 180 days before expiry for Foundational and Associate, 60 days for Professional; continuing education: 365 days | Varies by exam; 50% off a renewal exam with the code issued when you first certified | Up to 30 days late keeps your Series ID; after that, standard exam at full list price |
| CompTIA | 3-year cycle from the date you certified | Earn CEUs (for example via a single CertMaster CE course or a higher-level CompTIA certification) and pay the CE fee | Any time in the cycle; fees are due by the expiration date | Per 3-year cycle: A+ $75; Network+, Security+, CySA+ and most others $150; Tech+ requires passing the latest exam instead | Not stated on the pages we read |
CompTIA CEUs in numbers
CompTIA's CEU page lists the units needed per three-year cycle: 20 for A+ and Data+, 30 for Network+, Project+ and Server+, 50 for Security+, Linux+ and Cloud+, 60 for PenTest+ and CySA+, and 75 for the expert-level SecurityX, CloudNetX and DataAI. Its fee page says fees are paid per renewal cycle, not annually (its renewal-cycle page still mentions annual fees, so check your account), can be paid with CE tokens of $25 or $50, and that when you renew a higher-level certification your lower-level ones renew without extra fees.
For an A+ holder that means 20 CEUs and $75 every three years, or about $25 a year in fees before the cost of any CEU activity. A Security+ holder needs 50 CEUs and $150 per cycle.
Worked renewal calendar (invented candidate)
Suppose someone earns four credentials in 2027. The dates below apply each vendor's published rules; check your own dashboard, because exact dates come from your record.
| Credential (date earned) | Expires | Earliest renewal action | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| CompTIA Security+ (1 March 2027) | 1 March 2030 | Any time in the cycle | Log 50 CEUs and pay $150 before 1 March 2030 |
| Google Associate Cloud Engineer (1 May 2027) | 1 May 2030 | Exam route from 2 November 2029 (180 days) | Book the renewal exam in the window, using the 50% code |
| AWS Solutions Architect - Associate (10 June 2027) | 10 June 2030 | Skill Builder maintenance from 12 March 2030 (90 days) | Either maintain for one year via Skill Builder or pass the latest exam or the Professional exam for three more years |
| Microsoft Azure associate certification (20 September 2027) | 20 September 2028, then yearly | Renewal assessment from about 20 March 2028 (6 months) | Pass the free assessment each spring; it extends one year from the expiration date |
Renewal habits that save money
If a certification no longer matches your work, letting it expire can be a sensible choice. Label it with its dates rather than presenting it as current.
- Put every expiry date and window opening into a calendar the day you pass the exam.
- For Microsoft, renew early in the six-month window; Microsoft recommends leaving time for retakes and unforeseen events, and there is no alternative path after expiry.
- For Google Cloud, keep the 50% renewal discount code from your first certification in your CM Connect profile.
- For CompTIA, aim for the highest-level certification you want, since renewing it renews lower ones without extra fees.
- For AWS, compare a Skill Builder subscription (one more year) with passing a newer or higher exam (three more years) using the 50% voucher.
- Update LinkedIn and your resumé when a certification lapses; a hiring manager who checks status will notice.
Who should not worry about expiry
If you hold only Microsoft Fundamentals certifications, Microsoft Applied Skills credentials or course completion certificates from platforms such as Alison or Educative, there is nothing to renew. If your employer or a contract requires a current certification, treat renewal dates as deadlines, because Microsoft requires you to pass the required exams again after expiry, AWS says a certification must be active to renew or maintain, and Google Cloud requires the standard exam at full list price once its 30-day grace period ends.
Questions before you decide
How long are Microsoft certifications valid?
Microsoft says role-based (associate and expert) and specialty certifications are valid for one year. You can renew free online in the six months before expiry; Fundamentals certifications do not expire.
How often do AWS certifications need renewing?
AWS says you must recertify every three years. Passing the latest exam or an eligible higher-level exam renews for three years; Skill Builder maintenance adds one year for eligible certifications.
How long are Google Cloud certifications valid?
Google says Professional certifications are valid for two years and Foundational and Associate certifications for three years from the date you certify.
How much does it cost to renew CompTIA Security+?
CompTIA lists a $150 continuing education fee per three-year cycle for Security+, plus 50 CEUs. A+ costs $75 and needs 20 CEUs.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Microsoft Learn: Credential expiration policies Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Certification renewal Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Learn: Renew your Microsoft Certification FAQ Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- AWS Certification FAQs Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- AWS Certification: recertification Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Google Cloud Certification Help: FAQs Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Google Cloud Certification Help: Certification renewal options Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- CompTIA: CE renewal cycle Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- CompTIA: Earn continuing education units (CEUs) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- CompTIA: Continuing education renewal fees Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Alison Help Center: How do I add my completed course to LinkedIn? Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Educative Certificates FAQ Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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