Maintain Your IBBFA Active Status
Your certification records what you earned. Active status shows that your maintenance requirements are current. After your included period, you can choose to renew for $99 each year and complete the quiz or two qualifying live webinars.
CBI includes two years of Active status and Principal includes three years under your enrollment terms. No annual maintenance payment is required during the included period. Check your registry record for your individual Active-through date.
After the included period, renewal is your choice. To remain Active, pay $99 every year and complete one maintenance option during that renewal year: the online Recertification Quiz or attendance at two qualifying IBBFA live webinars. Payment alone does not establish Active status.
If you choose not to renew, your earned credential remains verifiable, but your standing becomes Inactive when your Active period expires. The registry may display this as Lapsed. Neither label means you never earned the credential or that you failed an assessment.
When annual renewal begins
Your initial included period and the yearly renewal cycle are different. Your supplied enrollment terms determine the initial dates; confirm your Active-through date in the registry before paying. Course access and Active status are separate.
2 years included
Annual renewal begins after the CBI included Active period ends.
3 years included
Annual renewal begins after the Principal included Active period ends.
$99 per year
Renewal payment plus the quiz or two webinars maintains Active standing.
Your individual expiration date should be confirmed through the IBBFA verification registry. Contact IBBFA when the registry record and your enrollment documentation appear inconsistent.
What current standing tells you
Active status records that your applicable maintenance requirements are current. It supports an informed hiring decision; it does not guarantee safe teaching, employment, insurance acceptance or studio approval.
Public status verification
Your earned credential remains verifiable whether or not you renew. The public record distinguishes credential level, specialties, current standing and expiration information.
Active directory eligibility
Active instructors may be included in relevant directory searches and may display available-for-hire or substitute indicators when those profile features are enabled.
Continuing education and assessment
Active instructors can use the applicable education platform for eligible webinars, maintenance resources and the Recertification Quiz. Check your enrollment terms for access to other recorded materials.
Professional profile management
Eligible instructors can maintain their public bio, location, credentials, specialties, and contact preferences through the directory profile system.
Employer discovery
Studios may use the directory and IBBFA employer tools to identify possible candidates. Every employer should still verify the record and conduct its own hiring review.
Optional partner benefits
Insurance, consumer-discovery, or other partner benefits may be offered to eligible Active instructors. Availability, pricing, geography, and eligibility are controlled by the applicable provider terms.
Pay the renewal and complete one education option
Each renewal year requires both the $99 payment and one of the education options below. This is an annual requirement, not a payment for two further years. You do not need to repeat the original certification course for ordinary annual maintenance.
Auto-renewal can reduce accidental lapses
Auto-renewal can help prevent missed payments, but it does not replace the annual education requirement. Any billing date, cancellation rule, or price protection is governed by the terms displayed at checkout and in the subscription confirmation.
Active and Inactive describe current standing
Certified describes the credential you earned. Active describes current maintenance standing. The registry may currently use Lapsed for an Inactive record; the earned credential remains verifiable.
Maintenance requirements are current
- The credential is within its included Active period or current renewal cycle.
- The public record shows Active standing and the applicable expiration date.
- The instructor may qualify for Active-only directory searches and continuing education services.
- Employers can consider the current status alongside the live audition and other hiring evidence.
The current Active period has ended
- The earned credential remains part of the instructor's record.
- The record shows non-current standing, which may be labeled Lapsed in the registry.
- Active-only directory searches and related services may be paused; direct credential verification remains available.
- Reactivation requirements depend on the time elapsed and the policy in force.
Active status is one employer signal, not the entire hiring decision
Employers should distinguish credential history, current status, specialty preparation, references, required safety credentials, and live teaching performance.
See the credential acceptance framework and the 30-point live audition scorecard.
Reactivation schedule effective September 1, 2026
The annual maintenance fee is $99. If your Active period has already expired, the published schedule below may add a one-time reactivation fee. Check your expiration date and the total shown at checkout before paying.
| Status | Time past expiration | Published cost | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-time renewal | Before expiration | $99 | Annual payment plus quiz or two live webinars. |
| Administrative grace period | 0–90 days | $99 | Annual payment plus maintenance requirement; no additional reactivation fee. |
| Short lapse | 91 days–12 months | $149 | $99 annual renewal plus $50 reactivation fee and annual maintenance requirement. |
| Medium lapse | 13–24 months | $199 | $99 annual renewal plus $100 reactivation fee and mandatory Recertification Quiz. |
| Long lapse | 25+ months | $249 | $99 annual renewal plus $150 reactivation fee and mandatory Recertification Quiz. |
If the amount or requirements shown at checkout differ from this page or your written terms, contact IBBFA before completing payment.
Active-status questions
Is the $99 annual renewal optional?
Is the fee $99 every year or every two years?
Does my earned credential disappear if I do not renew?
When does the $99 annual renewal begin?
Is the $99 payment alone enough to maintain Active status?
Do I need to repeat the full certification exam after a lapse?
Can I renew before my included period ends?
How are webinar attendances recorded?
Can I still teach if my Active status expires?
What happens to my directory profile if I do not renew?
Does Active status include discounted liability insurance?
Will I lose access to my course videos if I do not renew?
Does auto-renewal permanently guarantee a $99 price?
How do I update my public profile?
Verification, employment, and credential policy
Choose to Keep Your Active Status Current
Check your Active-through date. After your included period, renew for $99 each year and complete the quiz or two qualifying live webinars. If you choose not to renew, your earned credential remains verifiable.
IBBFA Active status is a credential-maintenance designation. It is not professional licensure, medical authorization, an employment guarantee, an insurance guarantee, or proof that a particular employer will accept the credential. Partner services, directory features, renewal rates, and reactivation terms should be confirmed through the current IBBFA checkout, instructor portal, or written policy before payment.