Renew Your ICF Credential

Step 1: Get started early!

Completing the renewal requirements will take longer than you think. For ACC renewals only, 10 hours of qualified Mentor Coaching with an eligible Mentor Coach over a minimum of three months is required. Completing the required CCEs will take time too.

Don't wait to get started.

Step 2: Find out when your coach credential expires

Go here and look up your name to find the date of your credential expiration. If your name is listed and you're within the expiration date, move to the next step. If your name isn't listed, it could mean one of a few things:

• Your credential expired more than 2 months ago, but you can still renew it late. See Step 3 below. 
• Your credential expired more than 12 months ago, in which case you'd need to apply anew. See end of Step 3.
• There's a mistake in the ICF's listing. Look for your original approval email for the expiration date, or write the ICF Credentials & Standards folks and ask them.

Step 3: ACC, PCC, and MCC renewal requirements

For credentials that have not yet expired:
40 hours of Continuing Coach Education (CCE) in the three years since the initial award of your credential or since your last credential renewal. Of the 40 hours of CCEs required:

1. For all credentials, at least 24 CCEs must be in Core Competencies. At least 3 of these hours must be in coaching ethics. 
2. For ACC renewal only, 10 hours of Mentor Coaching with an eligible Mentor Coach over a minimum of three months in the three years since the initial award of your credential or since your last credential renewal.
3. The remaining 16 hours can be in Resource Development or Core Competencies (see Step 6 below).

For credentials that have expired: (skip to Step 4 if your credential hasn't expired)
If you were unable to submit your credential renewal application by its expiration date, ICF provides a two-month grace period during which time your credential will remain active.

However, if you are unable to submit your credential renewal application by the end of the 60-day grace period your credential will lapse, and you will not hold an active credential. You will still have an additional 10 months to renew your credential, but you will need to provide additional CCEs for each lapsed month.

Below is the list of CCE’s required by month when submitted following expiration date:

• Application submitted in the first month following expiration date: grace period – 40 CCE units (Minimum of 24 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the second month following expiration date: grace period – 40 CCE units (Minimum of 24 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the third month following expiration date: 41.2 CCE units (Minimum of 24.72 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the fourth month following expiration date: 42.4 CCE unit (Minimum of 25.44 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the fifth month following expiration date: 43.6 CCE units (Minimum of 26.16 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the sixth month following expiration date: 44.8 CCE units (Minimum of 26.88 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the seventh month following expiration date: 46 CCE units (Minimum of 27.6 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the eighth month following expiration date: 47.2 CCE units (Minimum of 28.32 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the ninth month following expiration date: 48.4 CCE units (Minimum of 29.04 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the tenth month following expiration date: 49.6 CCE units (Minimum of 29.76 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the eleventh month following expiration date: 50.8 CCE units (Minimum of 30 must be Core Competencies)
• Application submitted in the twelfth month following expiration date: 52 CCE units (Minimum of 31.2 must be Core Competencies)

Once a full year has passed from the expiration date of the credential it is now fully expired. In order to reinstate your ICF Credential, you will be required to submit a new credential application rather than completing a credential renewal application.

Step 4: Take the most efficient Core Competency CCEs

Here's a renewal power tip: gather CCEs for your renewal that will also help you reach your next coach credential. See renewal suggestions for ACC and PCC:

Renewing your ACC:

If you have an ACC up for renewal, you could collect various workshop and seminar CCEs. Or you could take courses that are directly part of completing your PCC requirements with our new Level 2 Certificate. The advantage is, Level 2 training hours count as both Core Competency CCEs (for your renewal) and Level 2 training hours (for your PCC). Once you complete a Level 2 Certificate program, you can use the fastest, easiest, and least expensive ICF PCC application pathway. 

Here's what this would look like for those with an ACC:

In our Level 2 Certificate Program, there are 4 courses and an assessment on top of your ACC. Each course is 15 training hours. Most people renew their ACC once or twice before they've coached 500 total client hours to apply for a PCC. If on your first ACC renewal you take two of our Level 2 courses, one of which is Coaching Excellence (Mentor Coaching), you'll have 30 Core Competency CCEs and you'll be nearly halfway done with your additional PCC requirements. Not only that, you'll have advanced your coaching skills towards a PCC. 

Take a look at the Level 2 Professional Coach Certificate Program and its courses. All count as Core Competencies.

• Coaching the Whole Person - 15 training hours
• Advanced Partnering in Coaching - 15 training hours
• Coaching Leaders - 15 training hours
• Coaching Excellence for PCC (Mentor Coaching) - 15 training hours, while doing 10 mentor coaching hours

What qualifies as mentor coaching?

Coaches applying to renew their ACC Credential are required to complete an additional 10 hours of Mentor Coaching above those hours required for their initial credential. These hours must be completed in the three years since the initial award of the credential or since the last credential renewal, and must take place over the course of at least three months.

Get mentor coaching that will move you to a PCC skill level. There's a large gap between ACC and PCC. It takes expert help and feedback to get to that level. If you're investing time, money, and energy into your mentor coaching, get the best. Our Coaching Excellence (Mentor Coaching) course earns 15 training hours, while doing the required 10 mentor coaching hours.

Renewing your PCC: 

Don't just go through the motions collecting various CCEs, learn something to advance your skills! Our Level 3 The Art of Masterful Coaching program will move you from PCC to an MCC skill level. We offer one cohort a year, which qualifies as 25 Core Competency training hours toward your MCC and towards renewing your PCC. Just add the free Ethics class (see Step 5) and a few free Resource Development hours (see Step 6) and you're set to renew your PCC. After you've taken 3 cohorts of the PCC to MCC course, you'll receive a Level 3 Certificate.