Certification path
How to renew your CCMA certification
Your NHA CCMA certification renews every 2 years: earn 10 continuing education (CE) credits and pay the $195 renewal fee before the expiry date on your certificate. Miss it by less than 30 days and the grace period covers you at no extra cost.
- per cycle
- 2 years
- CE credits
- 10
- renewal fee (Oct 2026)
- $195
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One cycle, start to finish
The date that matters is printed on your certificate.
Day you pass
The 2-year clock starts
Your certificate shows the expiry date. Put it in your calendar now, with a reminder three months earlier.
Years 1 and 2
Collect 10 CE credits
One credit equals 2 hours, so 10 credits is about 20 hours of continuing education spread over 24 months.
Before expiry
Renew: credits + $195
Submit the credits and pay the renewal fee. NHA describes it as about $8.00 a month, and it includes NHA One membership.
Expiry + up to 30 days
Grace period
Renewing within one month after expiry costs nothing extra.
30 days to 1 year late
Reinstatement
15 CE credits instead of 10, and $391.50 instead of $195.
More than 1 year late
Start over
No reinstatement. You sit the exam again at full price.
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What each situation costs
Fees as listed by NHA on 2026-10-05. They can change.
| Your status | CE credits | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewing on time | 10 | Renewal fee $195 | $195 |
| Within the 1-month grace period | 10 | Renewal fee $195, no late fee | $195 |
| Expired 30 days to 1 year | 15 | Renewal $292.50 + reinstatement $99 | $391.50 |
| Expired more than 1 year | n/a | New exam application, $169 per attempt | $169 |
Sources: NHA Stay Certified page and Candidate Handbook; exam fee from the NHA store.
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How the CE requirement works
Ten credits over two years is less than an hour a month.
The rule in the Candidate Handbook is short: 10 CE credits per 2-year cycle, where one credit is 2 hours. That is roughly 20 hours across 24 months. The renewal fee includes NHA One membership.
The practical approach is to do one credit every couple of months instead of all ten in the last week, and to keep the completion records in one folder.
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Before you submit
Five minutes of checking saves a reinstatement fee.
- Find the expiry date printed on your certificate, not the date you passed.
- Count your credits: 10 for an on-time renewal, 15 if you're reinstating.
- Keep each course's completion record in one folder in case NHA asks.
- Have the fee ready: $195 on time, $391.50 for reinstatement (NHA, as of 2026-10-05).
- Log in to your own NHA account well before the deadline.
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Renewal and your job
Renewal keeps your name active in NHA's public Verification Tool, which employers use to check the credential. What you may do at work is a separate question set by state law and your supervising provider; see is the CCMA a license. If you let it lapse for more than a year, the path is the exam again, with the same eligibility rules and the current exam fee.
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Renewal questions
What is the cost to renew a CCMA?
$195 every 2 years as listed by NHA on 2026-10-05, including NHA One membership.
How many CE credits do I need for CCMA renewal?
10 per 2-year cycle. One credit equals 2 hours. Extra credits don't carry over.
Is there a grace period?
Yes, one month. Renewing less than 30 days after expiry needs no extra fee.
My CCMA expired 6 months ago. What now?
You can reinstate: 15 CE credits and $391.50 ($292.50 renewal plus a $99 reinstatement fee).
Do I have to retake the exam to renew?
Not while you renew on time, within the grace month, or within a year through reinstatement. The exam is only required once it has been expired for more than a year.
It expired over a year ago. Can I still reinstate?
No. After one year you retake the exam at full price.
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Sources
- NHA, Stay Certified (renewal and reinstatement) https://www.nhanow.com/stay-certified · as of 2026-10-05
- NHA Candidate Handbook (updated 06/01/2026) https://www.nhanow.com/docs/default-source/test-plans/candidate_handbook.pdf · as of 2026-10-05
- NHA store, CCMA exam application https://store.nhanow.com/medical-assistant-ccma-exam-application.html · as of 2026-10-05
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