Recertification & Continuing Education Requirements
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS I, II & III Certification Term
- Valid for one (1) year from the date of certification.
To retain NACA ACO Certification the following must be met:
- NACA members must recertify every year after their initial certification. To remain certified, members must complete 10 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) per year. All CEU activities must relate to the animal care & control profession, as defined by NACA, and meet the outlined Core Competencies below.
- A CEU is 60 minutes of an organized learning activity.
- CEUs MUST be uploaded prior to the expiration date for recertification consideration.
If ACO I, II and III are completed within two years of each other, CEU requirements for the first certification are considered met. The new recertification cycle starts from the completion date of the last course completed.
NOTE: NACA ACOII Addendum is available to ACO II graduates before May 1st, 2024 – 5 CEUs
Steps to Recertify
Step 1 - Earn CEUs
Your 10 Continuing Education activities per year, must fall within NACA’s core competency areas as found in this document. CEUs help maintain current skills as well as expand your existing knowledge base.
Step 2 - Track CEUs
Members must login to the NACA Member Portal and upload their CEUS before your certification expiration.
Step 3 - Submit Application
Complete your recertification application and upload your CEUs before certification expiration. Pay recertification fee with your application: $30
For Members
For Non-Members
After you renew/join, follow instructions for Members.
CEU Reporting FAQ’s & Documents
Q: Do I have to be an active member of NACA for my certification to be valid?
A: Yes. An active NACA membership is required to maintain a valid NACA certification.
Q: Will NACA upload my CEUs automatically?
Q: I have never seen the CEU requirements, is this new?
A: No, NACA previously required CEU submission every 3 years to maintain certification in good standing. This change only affects the submission process.
Certification & CEU Upload Process Update (Effective January 2026)
Effective January 2026, responsibility for uploading certification completion documents and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will transition to the registrant/member through their NACA member profile. Participants already receive an official course completion certificate, which will serve as the standardized documentation for CEU submission and certification recordkeeping.
Q: Why a new process, what was wrong with the old process?
A: The new process is streamlined and supports easier tracking for the certificate holder. In addition, this process ensures that Nationally Certified ACOs have the ability to self-report all CEUs and be able to easily access their own personal records.
Q: I need a place to track other CEUs as well (for other NON-NACA certifications), can I use this same tracking feature?
A: YES! This tracking feature is an added benefit for NACA Members and can be used to track all CEU certifications. From this feature, you can export your transcripts and use them however you need.
Q: I am not a member of NACA, can I use the tracking feature as well?
A: No, the tracking feature is only available for members with an active account.
Q: What if I have never completed any CEUs, is my certification still valid?
A: No, NACA previously required CEU submission every 3 years to maintain certification in good standing. If you have no record of any CEUs you will need to recertify. Email us if you have questions or want to talk about your specific situation, we are happy to connect!
Q: My department doesn’t have the budget for travel currently so I may not be able to meet the requirements, how will I get my CEUs?
A: The limits posted in the policy are the maximum limits allowed in any one area and there is no requirement that the training be in person. There is not a minimum and the CEUs can be a mixture of items to equal 10 per year. In addition, the core competency areas were added to expand the types of training that an officer can do that would count as an approved CEU.
Have additional questions? Feel free to reach out to us! We thank you for your commitment to continuing to set the standard and lead the way in animal care and control!
- An individual, institution, organization, or agency responsible for the development, implementation, evaluation, record-keeping, of a quality continuing education activity may submit activities for approval. The CEU activity must meet the NACA Guidelines and program definition of continuing education.