CEDS Recertification
How to Recertify
Certified E-Discovery Specialists (CEDS) seeking to maintain their CEDS designation must meet the CEDS recertification requirements which verify their continuing education in the field of e-discovery. Professionals who hold the CEDS credential are required to earn qualifying continuing education credits through experience, training and education.
Recertification is due every two years, where applicants must complete the Recertification Application and pay the applicable fee. By completing the renewal process you authorize that you have completed a minimum of forty (40) approved continuing education credits within the prior two (2) calendar years. You understand that no supporting documentation of the continuing education credits is required to be submitted with the Recertification Application outside of the Self-Verification form. Please note that ACEDS reserves the right to request and review supporting documentation to confirm and verify this information if necessary.
Download the standard CEDS recertification handbook here.
Download the Canadian CEDS recertification handbook here.
In the event recertification is not approved, the recertification fee will be refunded, less a $100 administrative handling fee.
For questions about recertification, contact us at [email protected].
Continuing Education Credit Requirements
Forty (40) hours of professional development or continuing education credit in e-discovery or closely related fields are required to be completed within the two-years prior to your renewal date. Candidates will not be granted continuing education credits for activities completed prior to obtaining their CEDS credential or completed more than two (2) years prior to the recertification period. All applicable continuing education credits must be earned prior to the recertification deadline.
CEDS Recertification Deadlines
Recertification candidates are required to submit a completed CEDS Recertification Application, and a recertification fee, postmarked no later than the recertification deadline — which is two (2) years from the date indicated on your CEDS certificate, or two (2) years from your most recent CEDS recertification deadline.
For example, if the date you obtained your certification (as indicated by the date on the credential) is March 30, 2019, you will have until March 30, 2021 to submit your completed Recertification Application and the recertification fee . In this instance, you must recertify again through the same process by March 30, 2023, regardless of the date on which you previously recertified.
If the recertification deadline is not met, the CEDS credential will lapse and persons seeking to obtain the credential again must contact ACEDS Customer Service at 844-992-2337 or [email protected] to have their account assessed for any necessary late fees or, in the event of a credential expired more than two years, to arrange an exam retake.
CEDS Continuing Education Credits Supporting Documentation
ACEDS generally relies on the applicant to self-verify that he or she has completed the requisite number of continuing education credits, and supply some basic information on those credits through the Self-Verification form. Applicants do not need to include supporting documentation with the recertification application, but are advised to retain originals or copies of their supporting documents should ACEDS request them for auditing purposes.
Recertification Application Fees and Timeline (For the Year Your Recertification Is Due)
- ACEDS will not accept recertification applications postmarked after the recertification deadline as described above. Please contact ACEDS Customer Service with questions at 844-992-2337.
- Checks, credit cards and wire transfers are acceptable forms of payment.
The Recertification Application must be submitted to ACEDS within six (6) months of the recertification deadline. The following application fees apply: $495 for members and $395 for Government members. This fee includes a two-year membership and certification renewal.
Denial of Recertification and Removal of the CEDS Credential
Failure to submit the CEDS recertification application by the application deadline will result in denial of recertification and removal of the CEDS credential. Candidates may contact ACEDS Customer Service with questions at 844-992-2337.
Processing
To submit an application, you should review the application and policy, and then complete the required information and sign the application accordingly. Please allow up to two (2) weeks from the time ACEDS receives your application for review and notification.
Extensions
Extenuating circumstances, such as prolonged unemployment or serious illness of the applicant or a close family member, may prevent CEDS-certified professionals from meeting the recertification requirements. One-year extensions of the CEDS credential can be requested under such circumstances through the submission of the ACEDS Financial Hardship Scholarship Application (a link to this application is included at the bottom of any aceds.org page). The extension may be granted only once during a CEDS-certified professional’s recertification period and must be approved by the recertification deadline. These are examples of persons who may be eligible for an extension:
- Applicants who have been out of work for at least one year of the two-year recertification period because of a layoff or child birth or child care responsibilities.
- Applicants who have spent a significant amount of time caring for a seriously ill family member or who have suffered serious illness themselves.
- Applicants who are deployed to active duty in the armed forces for at least a six-month assignment.
If approved, the recertification expiration date will be renewed for one year. At the end of one year, applicants will be required to recertify per standard procedure to maintain their CEDS credential.
Please note: if an applicant is in need of additional credits to meet the forty (40) minimum required for renewal, they may login to their member account to access the ACEDS on-demand webinar library which includes hundreds of productions eligible for credit.
Ineligibility for Extensions
Applicants who have not accrued the required 40 recertification credits by the expiration date or who cannot demonstrate extenuating circumstances or have not submitted a recertification application before their expiration date are not eligible for an extension.
Lapsed CEDS Certifications
CEDS-certified professionals who do not submit an application by the recertification deadline will be considered lapsed and no longer certified. ACEDS will notify CEDS certified members if their certification expires and will also provide certification status to employers who request it. Expired CEDS certified professionals must cease using the CEDS designation immediately upon notification. To become certified and to display the CEDS designation, the expired CEDS-certified professional must contact ACEDS to submit applicable late fees and/or retake the CEDS exam.
Recertification by Examination
Persons whose certification has lapsed more than two years may only recertify by taking and passing the CEDS examination. The cost to retake the certification examination as an expired CEDS is $995 for those who do not request study materials, and $1195 for those who wish to receive access to study materials. After making one of these payments, individuals will have one year from the date of payment to sit the CEDS exam and submit their completed Recertification Application.
Reminders and Application Submission
CEDS professionals should know their recertification cycle and submit a completed application before the recertification deadline. ACEDS will send any renewal reminders to the e-mail address on file, so it is important that ACEDS be notified of changes in contact information. Recertification cycles and submission requirements will not be changed because a CEDS professional did not receive reminders that were sent to the addresses on file. Applicants who submit applications with the inappropriate payment amount will be invoiced the difference and remain unprocessed until the full amount is paid. Fees, which are non-refundable, may only be paid by credit card, or check payable to ACEDS. The applicants name and company must appear on all payments made by check.