Recertification FAQs

Yes. Please refer to the Fee Schedule found in the Fee Guide.

In order to make its products financially accessible to all those qualified to participate, despite the wide variance in economic conditions throughout the world, IBLCE uses the purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita metric as determined by international organisations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and used by a number of international NGOs. PPP takes into account the relative cost of living and the inflation rates of countries. Further information on fees can be found in the IBLCE Fee Guide.

IBCLCs may recertify up to one year early by taking, and successfully passing, the examination. Please note that if you choose to recertify one year early in this manner, then your expiration date will be five years from when you passed the examination (e.g. If you are due to recertify in 2022, but you pass an examination in 2021, then your next expiration date will be 2026 and not 2027). If you are denied or fail the April or September examination, your certification will expire on June 30th or December 31st of that year respectively.

IBCLCs are not able to recertify by CERPs one year early.

No, as of 2022, IBCLCs are no longer required to recertify by examination every ten years.

IBCLCs are required to recertify every five years to maintain their credential. IBCLCs now have the option to recertify by examination OR to recertify by CERPs with the Continuing Education Self-Assessment for each five-year recertification cycle.  Learn more here.

The impact of COVID-19 necessitated changes to the typical process of disseminating IBCLC certificates. We understand that certificates are important to many of you, and we are working to provide them in alignment with current health guidelines. Please check the Examination Resource Centre for updates about when certificates will be sent by post.

For those who recently became certified or recertified, there are other options to verify your certification status now, including:

• Searching by IBCLC Credential Number (L-#) in the updated Public Registry. 
• Logging into your online account and see your status under “My Credentials.” You can find directions to access your account here.
• Submitting a Certification Verification Form so we can provide your certification status to whomever you authorise.
• Contacting your IBLCE location for a letter verifying your IBCLC certification status that can be provided to third parties.

In 2021, IBLCE introduced a Retired Status for active IBCLCs who intend to retire and no longer practise as an IBCLC. Learn more here.

Those who have achieved this status may use “IBCLC Retired” on a résumé or below their name on a business card. However, it may not be listed directly following their name or signature as an active credential. The intention of this status is one of recognition and is for those who are no longer actively practising as an IBCLC and have no intention to return to practice.

Learn more about Retired Status here.

If you don’t pass the March/April examination, your IBCLC certification will expire on June 30 of that year. If you don’t pass the September examination, your IBCLC certification will expire on December 31 of that year.

IBCLCs who do not pass the IBCLC examination are not eligible for Inactive Status.

Due to the fact that you failed the examination, your certification is no longer valid. You may not recertify by CERPs.

If you choose not to recertify in the year that your IBCLC certification expires or you fail the examination as an IBCLC, you will no longer be permitted to use the designation “IBCLC” after your name.

As of 2023, Inactive Status is available for IBCLCs who are unable to meet recertification requirements in the year they are due to recertify but intend to earn the certification again within one year. During Inactive Status, individuals do not actively hold the IBCLC credential.

To transition from Inactive status back to Active status, candidates will need to:

• Reinstate by IBCLC examination or by CE Self-Assessment and CERPs, meeting all current recertification requirements*, in the year they hold Inactive status
  • Candidates must apply during the regular application windows posted on the website
• Earn an additional 15 CERPs*
• Pay a fee

*Candidates reinstating by examination in 2023 only do not need to meet the Basic Life Support or 250 hours of clinical practice requirements and do not need to complete an additional 15 CERPs.

Should a reinstatement candidate not reapply for certification in the year of the Inactive Status, then they would need to sit and pass the examination, having met the initial candidate eligibility requirements.

You can meet the basic life support education requirement for recertification at any point within the five-year recertification cycle. A current basic life support credential is not a requirement. A didactic basic life support course will be sufficient to meet the requirement.

Yes, each basic life support course counts as three R-CERPs and you can count a maximum of six R-CERPs from this type of education within each five-year recertification cycle. This methodology of counting basic life support courses would apply to those recertifying by examination as well.

The 250 hours in lactation consulting can be full- or part-time, volunteer or paid, or a combination of both. Here some examples:

• In-person, telephone, or online breastfeeding and lactation care to breastfeeding families. Visit the IBLCE Advisory Opinion on Telehealth for additional information on online care.
• Breastfeeding and lactation education to breastfeeding families, the public, and professionals.
• Administrative and supervisory work as an IBCLC in the areas of breastfeeding and lactation.
• Paid or volunteer breastfeeding care at a Recognised Breastfeeding Support Counsellor Organisation.
• Volunteer participation on a committee or board of an organisation that promotes and/or supports breastfeeding.
• Speaker for a lactation educational activity.
• Participation on an editorial board for a lactation or breastfeeding related journal or publication.
• Research regarding lactation.
• Developing breastfeeding policy in healthcare.
• Publishing evidence-based information about human lactation and breastfeeding. 

Refer to the following documents regarding practice as an IBCLC, as well as taking into consideration the importance of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes from the World Health Organization:

IBCLC Scope of Practice
Clinical Competencies for IBCLCs
Detailed Content Outline

No, IBCLCs are no longer required to recertify by examination every 10 years.

In August 2018, the IBLCE Board decided that the IBCLC examination would remain an option for recertification but would no longer be required every ten years commencing with those recertifying in 2022. Instead, a self-assessment with required focused continuing education would now be an option each recertification cycle. The rationale for this is that formal or organised education can lead to advancing practice, as well as that self-assessment encourages self-reflection by allowing the certificant to self-identify strengths and areas of improvement.

For FAQs about the IBCLC examination, please see the Examination FAQs page.

Candidates planning to recertify by examination should complete at least 250 practice hours of lactation consulting as well as a basic life support course prior to submitting their application for the examination of their choice. More information about these requirements can be found in the Recertification Guide.

Please note that CERPs are not required to be eligible to apply for the examination.

You are required to complete a total of 75 CERPs.

Beginning in 2022, IBCLCs who choose to recertify by CERPs must take the CE  Self-Assessment  to inform their continuing education. The CE Self-Assessment is a computer-based test with approximately 70 multiple-choice items based on the IBCLC Detailed Content Outline. Upon completion of the CE Self-Assessment, you will receive immediate feedback in the form of a Personalised Professional Development Plan (PPDP). This plan will show you the topic areas of the IBCLC Detailed Content Outline where you need to focus your continuing education. 

Please see the “Continuing Education Self-Assessment FAQs” for more information. Learn more about Recertification by CERPs here.

You should keep copies of your certificates of participation in continuing education, as your application may be randomly selected for audit. If selected for audit, you will have 10 business days to submit supporting documentation. Please note that IBCLC Commission reserves the right to audit any certificant application.

Due to the fact that you did not meet recertification requirements by the deadline, your certification is no longer valid.

The deadline to recertify by CERPs is always on September 30 of the year that your certification expires.

The last day to submit an application to recertify via CERPs is September 30th of the year of your expiration.

This deadline remains September 30, 2024. 

You may wish to contact your international or national professional association for online CERPs opportunities.  The IBCLC Commission has an extraordinary circumstances policy, which has been broadened expressly in light of COVID-19.  If you or an immediate family member is impacted by COVID-19 in terms of health, or you or your partner is unemployed due to COVID-19, the extraordinary circumstances policy is available to you.  This simply requires that you apply for it and provide documentation along with proof of completing 15 L-CERPs.  Please review the Recertification Extension Request Policy for more information.

When you are eligible to register for the IBCLC Continuing Education Self-Assessment, you will receive an email from IBLCE staff and an email with log-in details for the CE Self-Assessment Dashboard.  You will need to reset your password and register for the CE Self-Assessment before launching the assessment.

If you have previously received this email and claimed your account, you can log in to the CE Self-Assessment Dashboard here.

Learn more about using the CE Self-Assessment Dashboard here.

You are only allowed to take the CE Self-Assessment once during any 5-year recertification period. 

You will receive access to the CE Self-Assessment approximately 4 years before your certification expiration date.

You have 120 minutes (2 hours) to complete the CE Self-Assessment. It must be completed in one 120-minute period. You cannot save your progress and return at a later time, so please do not start the CE Self-Assessment until you are ready to complete the full Self-Assessment.

You may take a break during the CE Self-Assessment, but you cannot stop the clock. It must be completed in one 120-minute period.

Upon completion of the CE Self-Assessment, you will receive your Personalised Professional Development Plan (PPDP) immediately. The PPDP will show you in which areas of the IBCLC Detailed Content Outline you are required to focus your continued education.

Your PPDP shows the IBCLC Detailed Content Outline topics and your score in each topic. A proficient score is 75%. You are required to earn CERPs in each topic where you scored below 75%. When you are selecting a course in one of your areas, review the Detailed Content Outline to ensure that the course description is aligned with the required area of continuing education.

You can access your PPDP at any time in the CE Self-Assessment Dashboard. Learn more  here.

As a result of IBCLC feedback, the CE Self-Assessment transition plan has been modified to clarify the recertification by CERPS with CE-Self Assessment requirements.  IBCLCs are required to earn a minimum number of their CERPs based on the results of their Personalised Professional Development Plan (PPDP):

• For IBCLCs due to recertify in 2023: if you have one or more required topic areas identified in the PPDP, you are required to earn a minimum of three (3) CERPs in each of those topic areas,
• For IBCLCs due to recertify in 2024 and beyond: if you have one or more required topic areas identified in the PPDP, you are required to earn a minimum of five (5) CERPs in each of those topic areas,  OR
• If you have no required topic areas identified in the PPDP, you can earn CERPs based on your career path, practice setting, or interest areas in alignment with the Detailed Content Outline (DCO). 

You can access your PPDP at any time in the CE Self-Assessment Dashboard. Learn more  here.

Yes, you can apply CERPs hours that you took before the CE Self-Assessment to your required areas as identified in the Personalised Professional Development Plan from the CE Self-Assessment. 

IBCLCs who are selected for audit during the recertification process must submit copies of their CE Self-Assessment Personalised Professional Development Plan, proof of CERPS earned in the areas identified on the CE Self-Assessment Personalised Professional Development Plan, certificates of completion, as well as proof of completion of a basic life support class and a completed copy of the Practice Calculator to document the required practice hours. Documentation needed for other types of activities that count toward recertification is detailed in the Individual CERPs Guide. Find the Practice Calculator and Guide here.

For the purposes of the recertification process, IBLCE and the IBCLC Commission do not maintain records of participants in education programmes that have been awarded CERPs through the CERP Provider Programme. IBCLCs who have lost or misplaced their certificate of completion must contact the educational provider.

The CE Self-Assessment is intended to encourage self-reflection and to guide subsequent focused continuing education to advance practice as an IBCLC.

The CE Self-assessment uses a “Blended Approach” in continuing education, balancing the commitment to maintain competency and continuously evolve to align with industry standards in the topics outlined in the IBCLC Detailed Content Outline. It also allows IBCLCs the flexibility to select continuing education more specific to their career path, practice setting, or interest areas.     

In August 2018, based on feedback from IBCLCs and further research and analysis, IBLCE decided that the IBCLC examination would remain an option for recertification but would no longer be required every ten years commencing with those recertifying in 2022. The CE Self-Assessment was developed by IBCLC Subject Matter Expert (SMEs) representing the IBCLC population, practice settings, geographic location, and discipline.  It was pilot tested in 2021 and now available to IBCLCs who are due to recertify in 2022.

If you are not certain about the education provider’s full range of products or relationship with the WHO Code, you should contact the education provider directly and confirm their compliance with the WHO Code.

The Commission accepts education related to the general disciplines and the chronological periods listed on the IBCLC Detailed Content Outline for certification and recertification.  Should your application be randomly selected for audit, you will need to provide proof of completion of the education from a provider and for that education to count towards certification or recertification, the educational provider cannot be an entity whose products fall within the WHO Code (e.g., infant formula, bottles, and teats).  Proof of this may be required during the audit.  Official documentation or a letter from the educational provider attesting that it is not a company, inclusive of manufacturers, distributors, or marketers, whose products fall within the scope of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (1981) and subsequent World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions (e.g., infant formula, bottles, and teats) and expressing support of the WHO Code would suffice. For ease of compliance with this requirement, we encourage WHO Code compliant and WHO Code supportive educational entities to include this information on the Certificate of Attendance provided to learners.

In order to afford a transitional period with respect to this new requirement, education completed prior to January 1, 2022, can be used toward certification and recertification.  Certificates dated January 1, 2022, or later will not count towards IBCLC certification or recertification if the educator is an entity, inclusive of manufacturers, distributors, or marketers, whose products fall within the WHO Code (e.g., infant formula, bottles, and teats).

Education for the purposes of recertification by CERPs must be earned after you are certified as an IBCLC. The timeframe in which CERPs can be earned is dependent on which examination is taken.

For initial candidates who pass the April examination: education can be earned toward recertification starting July 1 of that year through application for recertification five years later. For example, if you pass the April examination in 2021, then you can begin to earn education points (CERPs) for recert by CERPs from July 1, 2021 until you submit your application for recertification in 2026.

For initial candidates who pass the September examination: education can be earned toward recertification staring January 1 of the following year through application for recertification five years later. For example, if you pass the September examination in 2021, then you can begin to earn education points (CERPs) for recertification by CERPs from January 1, 2022 until you submit your application for recertification in 2026.

For current IBCLCs who last recertified by examination: education may count towards recertification at any point after notification of earning IBCLC recertification through application for recertification five years later. For example, if you recertify by examination in 2021, then you can begin earning education (CERPs) at any time after you receive your passing examination results until you submit your application for recertification in 2026.

For current IBCLCs who last recertified by CERPs: education may count toward recertification at any point after the date on which your previous recertification by CERPs was approved.

When you submit your recertification by CERPs application, you may submit continuing education that has not already been recognised for CERPs. The Individual CERPs Guide provides details about the types of educational activities that you may submit.

You can review the Individual CERPs Guide here to see if your activities meet the requirements. Review ahead of the recertification application is not available.

Yes, you can earn a maximum of 15 L-CERPs per student who completes the Pathway 2 programme. You can report up to a maximum of 50 L-CERPs over the five-year recertification cycle. Hours are allocated based on a percentage of time spent in the preceptor role.

Yes, these 15 L-CERPs can be counted toward the 75 needed for recertification by CERPs.

No. CERPs earned by serving as a Pathway 3 Mentor are based on the percentage of time each mentor provided direct supervision to the applicant following Pathway 3. These are considered uncategorized L-CERPs and therefore may not be used to meet requirements identified in the PPDP.