NBCOT® Renewal Made Simple: What Every OTR® and COTA® Practitioner Needs to Know

Introduction
For the OT practitioners who choose to maintain their NBCOT certification, this year’s renewal period will end March 31st.

At Aspire OT, we’re proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider of continuing education. While Aspire OT is not affiliated with NBCOT, our courses can help practitioners earn continuing education that may count toward NBCOT renewal requirements.

Below, we break down the key renewal requirements directly from the NBCOT Certification Renewal Activities Manual (2023).

According to NBCOT, “Initial certification is just the beginning of your professional journey with NBCOT” (NBCOT p. 4). The renewal manual goes on to state that certification is a tool for lifelong professional development and recognizes that OTs and OTAs have met a national standard of professional development through the designation of OTR® and COTA® (p.4).

Important Information About Renewal Status & Important Deadlines

"Certificants who complete all certification renewal requirements by their scheduled renewal date will be granted Active in Good Standing certification status for a three-year period. The certification renewal season occurs between January and March annually, regardless of the month indicated on the certificant’s initial certification document. Certificants who do not submit their certification renewal application by the scheduled renewal date will have their certification status changed to Expired. An individual who has an Expired certification cannot use the OTR or COTA certification marks." (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT,2023, p. 5)

Key Points:

• Renewal season: January–March annually

• On-time renewal = Active in Good Standing for three years

• Missing the deadline results in Expired status

• Expired certificants may not use OTR® or COTA® credentials

Unit Requirements
"Certificants must accrue at least 36 units during their renewal cycle. Units can be obtained through a combination of competency assessment units (CAUs) and/or professional development units (PDUs). Accepted activity types are listed on the Certification Renewal Activities Chart. Certificants who renewed their certification in 2023 are permitted to carry over up to 10 units earned during their 2020–2023 renewal cycle, provided that the 10 units were in excess of the 36 units required for their 2023 certification renewal. If audited, certificants must provide documentation from the previous cycle (2020–2023) to show the excess units being carried forward." (NBCOT, 2023, p. 5)

Key Points:

• 36 total units required per three-year cycle

• Units may include PDUs and/or CAUs

• Up to 10 excess units may be carried forward (if eligible)

• Documentation must be retained in case of audit

How to Convert CEUs, Contact Hours, and CAUs to PDUs

With the term CEU, PDU and CEs. A CAU is a competency assessment unit associated with the completion of tools included in the NBCOT Navigator®. This information is detailed in the NBCOT Certification Renewal Activities Chart

Key Points:

• 1 contact hour = 1 PDU (meals and breaks do not count)

• 1 clock hour = 1 PDU

• 0.1 CEU = 1 PDU

• 1 contact hour or 0.1 CEU with an assessment component = 1.25 PDUs

(Assessment examples: scored test, project, or paper)

• 1 CAU = 1 PDU

• NBCOT follows the IACET standard:

1 CEU = 10 contact hours

Practical Tip for Certificants:

If your course includes a post-test or graded assessment, you may earn more PDUs per hour, which can help you reach your 36-unit requirement faster.

(NBCOT, 2023, p. 6)

To Successfully Renew On Time, You Must:

1. Complete 36 total units

2. Agree to the NBCOT Certificant Attestation

3. Submit your online or paper renewal application

4. Pay the required renewal fees

Important Reminder:

Renewal season occurs January through March, regardless of your original certification month.

Planning your PDUs throughout your three-year cycle prevents last-minute stress.

(NBCOT, 2023, p. 10)

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If You Miss Your Renewal Deadline:

• Your certification status becomes Expired

• You cannot use the OTR® or COTA® credential

• You must complete the Reinstatement of Certification Renewal application

• Approval is required before resuming use of your credentials

• The reinstatement application is available in your MyNBCOT account

 NBCOT, 2023, p. 10)

Reference

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. (2023). Certification renewal activities manual. NBCOT.

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