Psychology CE · United States · for providers
APA CE certificate requirements for approved sponsors
The elements every APA-approved sponsor must put on a certificate of attendance for psychologists, the one approval statement APA allows, how CE credits are counted, and how long to keep proof. Checked against the APA Standards and Criteria (August 2015) and the APA sponsor FAQs.
Short answer · checked 30 October 2026
An APA-approved sponsor must give each participant documentation that shows the APA approval statement word for word, the name and date of the activity, the number of CE credits earned, and a signature or other verification from the sponsoring organization. One CE credit is one hour of instruction, and credit is given only for full attendance. Keep proof of the credit you awarded for at least three years.
- Required elements
- 8
- Issue deadline
- None set by APA
- Keep proof of credit
- 3 years
- Central reporting system
- None
New to CE?
How continuing education works, in one line
New to CE?
How continuing education works, in one line
Accreditor
Sets the rules and approves providers.
Provideryou
Runs the course and issues the certificate.
Learner
Completes the course and keeps the certificate.
Board
Renews the licence and may audit the certificate.
- Approved sponsor
- An organization the APA Continuing Education Committee has approved to offer CE to psychologists. APA approves the organization, not its courses.
- CE credit
- The unit of psychology CE. One CE credit is one hour of instructional time. It is not a CEU.
- CESA
- The APA Office of CE Sponsor Approval. The office that runs the sponsor programme.
- Statement of approval
- The one sentence pair APA lets a sponsor use to say it is approved. It must appear exactly as written.
- Co-sponsorship
- Two or more organizations plan one activity together. It does not lend or transfer approval; the approved sponsor stays responsible.
- Homestudy
- A programme with no live interaction with the instructor, for example a recorded webinar or a set of readings. It needs its own APA homestudy application and a measure of achieved learning, such as a post-test.
Who this applies to
Providers under APA, and the learners they serve
Providers
- Organizations approved by the APA Continuing Education Committee as sponsors of continuing education for psychologists (approval is for the organization, never for a single course)
- Organizations that co-sponsor a program with an approved sponsor; the approved sponsor stays responsible and issues the certificate
959 approved sponsors listed (directory read 30 October 2026; APA updates it quarterly) · APA Approved Sponsors of Continuing Education
Learners
Licensed psychologists who need CE credits for licence renewal. Other professionals may attend and may ask for a certificate, but their own board decides whether to accept it.
The 8 elements
What the certificate must show
Each number on the sample matches one element APA requires. The list says where the rule is written and which Hyperstack field fills it.
- 1
Sponsoring organization
The approved sponsor, written as its name is listed with APA CE Sponsor Approval. In a co-sponsored programme this is the approved sponsor, not the partner.
Example: Lakeshore Institute for Clinical Psychology
In Hyperstack: set once in the templateStandards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criterion 2, p. 10; The Art of Advertising (CESA, 2017)
- 2
Participant name
The documentation goes to each participant. APA’s sample reads “This is to certify that [participant’s name] has attended, in its entirety, …”.
Example: Daniel R. Okafor, PhD
In Hyperstack:
[recipient_name]Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criterion 2, p. 10; Certificate of Attendance sample (CESA, 2018) - 3
Name of the activity
The programme title. For a conference where credit is given session by session, list each session with its own credits.
Example: Trauma-Informed Assessment of Adolescents
In Hyperstack:
[group_title]Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criterion 2, p. 10 - 4
Date of the activity
The date the activity took place. For homestudy, the date the participant completed it and passed the post-test.
Example: 16 October 2026
In Hyperstack:
[issue_date]Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criterion 2, p. 10 - 5
CE credits earned
The credits this participant earned. One credit per hour of instructional time, in quarter-hour steps. Write “CE credits”, never “CEUs”.
Example: 3.25 CE credits
In Hyperstack:
[custom_ce_credits]Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criteria 1–2, p. 10 - 6
Sponsor contact information
APA’s FAQ says contact information for the sponsor “should also be included”. Both APA sample formats carry an address and phone number.
Example: [email protected] · (312) 555-0144
In Hyperstack: set once in the templateInterprofessional CE FAQs (CESA, 2020), Standard F; Certificate of Attendance sample (CESA, 2018)
- 7
APA approval statement
Both sentences, word for word, with your organization name in both places. It cannot be shortened, changed or combined with another body’s statement.
Example: Lakeshore Institute for Clinical Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Lakeshore Institute for Clinical Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
In Hyperstack: set once in the templateStandards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criterion 2, p. 10 and Standard G, Criterion 3, p. 11
- 8
Signature or other verification
A signature from the sponsoring organization, or another way to verify the certificate came from you. A verification page with a QR code is “other verification”.
Example: Priya Raman, PhD · CE Program Administrator
In Hyperstack: set once in the templateStandards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criterion 2, p. 10
Exact wording
The statements, word for word
APA has 2 wordings. Use the one that fits your approval and your activity. Copy it, do not retype it.
Approved sponsor
[Organization name] is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. [Organization name] maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The only statement APA allows. Use the organization name as it is listed with APA, in both sentences. Do not alter it, break it up, shorten it, or combine it with another approval statement. The CESA icon may sit next to it but never alone.
Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard G, Criterion 3, p. 11; Promotional Materials Do’s and Don’ts (CESA, 2018); CESA Glossary of TermsCo-sponsored programme
[Approved sponsor name] is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. [Approved sponsor name] maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The same wording, with only the approved sponsor’s name. The partner organization’s name must not go in the statement, because co-sponsorship does not lend or transfer approval. When two approved sponsors work together, only one uses its statement and only one issues the certificates.
FAQs for CE Sponsor Approval (CESA, 2017), Standard B; Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard B, p. 5How credit is counted
Minutes in, CE credits out
The unit
1 CE credit = 60 minutes
One CE credit is one hour of instructional time. Only actual instruction counts: breaks, lunches and any content that is not suitable CE for psychologists are left out. A programme must be at least one hour long. Longer programmes may be counted in quarter-hour steps.
Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criterion 1 and Educational and Technical Assistance, p. 10; FAQs for CE Sponsor Approval (CESA, 2017), Standard FRounding
Count in quarter hours (0.25). APA sets no rounding rule, so count only the full quarter hours of instruction. Nothing below one hour earns credit.
Worked example
200 minutes ÷ 60 = 3.33 hours → 3.25 full quarter hours of instruction
200 minutes → 3.25 CE credits
200 ÷ 60, rounded down to the nearest 0.25. Instructional minutes only. A programme under 60 minutes earns no credit.
Timeline
From the last slide to the audit file
Activity
Day 0
The participant attends the whole programme (sign-in and sign-out sheets or room monitors prove it). For homestudy, the participant passes the post-test.
Certificate
On completion
Give the documentation once full attendance, or the passing score, is confirmed. APA sets no deadline. APA recommends that you ask for, and do not require, the evaluation form before the certificate.
Report
Not required
APA has no central system for learner records. Your annual report to APA lists programmes and promotional materials, not participants.
Records
3 years
Be able to verify the credit you awarded and give that verification to anyone who asks for at least three years after the activity.
Right and wrong
The same certificate, two ways
The lines on the left are the mistakes auditors find most. The lines on the right are the fix.
Fails an audit
Lakeshore Institute for Clinical Psychology
Daniel R. Okafor, PhD
- Approved by APA for 3 CE credits
- 3 CEUs
- An APA-approved course
- 2.0 CE credits (attended 2 of 3 hours)
- Accredited by the American Psychological Association
- Co-sponsored by Lakeshore Institute and Harbor Counseling Group; both are approved by the American Psychological Association…
Passes an audit
Lakeshore Institute for Clinical Psychology
Daniel R. Okafor, PhD
- Lakeshore Institute for Clinical Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Lakeshore Institute for Clinical Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- 3 CE credits
- Sponsored by Lakeshore Institute for Clinical Psychology
- 3 CE credits, or no certificate
- approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists
- Lakeshore Institute for Clinical Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association…
- 1. Only the full two-sentence statement is allowed, with your organization name in both places.
- 2. A CEU is ten contact hours in other professions. APA sponsors award CE credits, one per hour of instruction.
- 3. APA approves the organization, never a course. “APA-approved” may not describe a programme or its credits.
- 4. Full attendance is required. Variable credit for partial attendance may not be awarded.
- 5. APA calls this status approval. “Accreditation” means a different APA status and must not be used.
- 6. Co-sponsorship does not transfer approval. Only the approved sponsor’s name goes in the statement.
Digital
Electronic certificates and badges
Electronic certificates
The Standards ask for “documentation” with “a signature or other verification from the sponsoring organization”. They do not say paper or electronic, and APA has published no separate rule on electronic certificates. APA’s own sample formats are PDF files. A digital certificate that carries all the elements and can be verified meets the words of the Standard.
Digital badges
APA says nothing about digital badges. A badge on its own is not the documentation Standard F asks for; it would need the same elements, including the credits and the approval statement.
Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criterion 2, p. 10; Certificate of Attendance samples (CESA, 2018)
Records and other rules
What else APA checks
Keep proof of credit for 3 years
You must be able to verify the credit you awarded, and give that verification to anyone who asks, for at least three years after the activity. Hyperstack keeps every issued certificate, its verification page and its audit log for the life of your account and after you cancel.
Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Criterion 3, p. 10Full attendance, no partial credit
Credit is all or nothing for a programme. Use sign-in and sign-out sheets or room monitors. Someone who arrives a little late or leaves a little early is judged case by case, within reason, but variable credit for partial attendance may not be awarded.
Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Educational and Technical Assistance, p. 10; The Art of Advertising (CESA, 2017)Conferences: credit session by session
When a programme has many sessions, award credit per session. Each session needs its own learning objectives and its own evaluation, and you need a system (sign-in sheet or credit log) to know which sessions each person attended. APA’s letter-format sample lists each session with its own credits.
Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard F, Educational and Technical Assistance, p. 10; Certificate of Attendance letter sample (CESA, 2018)Homestudy: credit after the post-test
A homestudy programme needs its own APA approval. Credit is awarded only after the participant meets the passing score (APA advises 75%, or 70% on a 10-question test). You must also be able to verify that the person who enrolled is the person who completed it. APA recommends that participants are asked, not required, to complete the evaluation form before they get the certificate.
Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard E and F, pp. 9–10; Homestudy FAQs (CESA, 2020), Standards E and FCo-sponsorship
Co-sponsorship is the mutual planning of an activity by two or more organizations. It does not lend or transfer approval. The approved sponsor stays responsible for every Standard, its statement is the only one on the certificate, and when two approved sponsors work together only one issues certificates and reports the programme. A written agreement is recommended, not required.
Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard B, p. 5; FAQs for CE Sponsor Approval (CESA, 2017), Standard B; Co-sponsorship Requirements and Best Practice (CESA)Non-psychologists and instructors
Anyone who attends the full programme may ask for a certificate of attendance, whether or not they are a psychologist. Their own licensing board decides if it counts. Instructors may receive CE credit too, subject to their state board.
FAQs for CE Sponsor Approval (CESA, 2017), Standard FWords you may not use
Do not write “CEU”. Do not call a course or its credits “APA-approved”. Do not say “accredited” or “accreditation”. Do not use the acronym “APA” to describe credit (write American Psychological Association), because other bodies share the acronym. Do not show the CESA icon without the statement next to it.
Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard G, Educational and Technical Assistance, p. 11; Promotional Materials Do’s and Don’ts (CESA, 2018); The Art of Advertising (CESA, 2017)APA approval is not state approval
Many state psychology boards accept credit from APA-approved sponsors, but APA says to check with each board. Some states add their own rules. APA itself has no provider number and no reporting system.
FAQs for CE Sponsor Approval (CESA, 2017), Standard F; Standards and Criteria 2015, Standard A, p. 4Before you send
The audit checklist, to tick or print
APA certificate checklist0/12
How to do it in Hyperstack
Three steps to a compliant certificate
- 1
Open the APA template
The template has a place for every element on this page. Add your logo and your 4 fixed elements once.
- Sponsoring organization
- Sponsor contact information
- APA approval statement
- Signature or other verification
- 2
Map your columns
Upload a spreadsheet or connect your LMS. Each column fills one element for every learner.
- [recipient_name]
- [group_title]
- [issue_date]
- [custom_ce_credits]
- 3
Issue and keep the record
Every learner gets an email, a verification page and a QR code. The record stays for as long as the rules need it.
- Verification page
- QR code
- Audit log
- Kept 3 years and beyond
Free template
An APA-ready certificate, with all 8 elements in place
Set your provider details once. Names, dates and CE credits fill in for every learner. Each certificate gets a verification page and QR code.
FAQ
APA certificates, answered
Standard F, Criterion 2 lists four things: the APA approval statement, the name and date of the activity, the number of CE credits earned, and a signature or other verification from the sponsoring organization. APA’s FAQ adds that your contact information should be on it, and the documentation goes to each participant by name.
No. The Standards do not ask for a number. The approval statement, with your organization name as listed with APA, is what identifies you. Some state boards ask for their own numbers; check each board.
APA has no rule for or against electronic certificates. The Standards ask for “documentation” with “a signature or other verification”, and APA’s own sample certificates are PDF files. A digital certificate with all the elements and a verification page meets the words of the Standard.
1.5 CE credits, if all 90 minutes are instruction. One credit is one hour of instructional time, counted in quarter hours. Breaks and lunch do not count, and a programme must be at least one hour long to earn any credit.
No. Full attendance is required and variable credit for partial attendance may not be awarded. APA lets you judge a few minutes late or early case by case, within reason. For a multi-session conference, award credit per session attended.
Yes. Anyone who attends the full programme may ask for a certificate of attendance. Whether their board accepts the credit is up to that board, so tell them to check first.
Only the approved sponsor’s name, in both sentences. Co-sponsorship does not lend or transfer approval, and the approved sponsor must issue the certificates. If both organizations are approved sponsors, pick one to carry the statement, issue the certificates and report the programme.
At least three years after the activity. In that time you must be able to verify the credit you awarded and give that verification to anyone who asks. A certificate with a verification link that never expires does this for you.
Sources
Read from American Psychological Association, Office of CE Sponsor Approval documents on 30 October 2026. This page is a guide, not legal advice. Your accreditation manual and your licensing board have the final word. Something out of date? Tell us.
Changes to this page
- 2026-10-30Page written from the APA Standards and Criteria (August 2015), the CESA FAQs and the APA sample certificates.
- 2026-10-30Fact check against the Standards and Criteria, the CESA FAQs and the sample certificates. Softened the quarter-hour rounding, the evaluation-form and the “APA” acronym rules to what the sources say; removed an unsourced state-board example.
- 1APA Standards and Criteria for Approval of Sponsors of Continuing Education for Psychologists, August 2015Standard F (certificate elements, one credit per hour, three-year verification, full attendance, quarter hours) pp. 10; Standard G (approval statement, no “CEU”, no “APA-approved” course) p. 11; Standard B (co-sponsorship) p. 5; Standard E (post-tests) p. 9.
- 2APA: FAQs for CE Sponsor Approval (2017)Standard F tab (credit calculation, CEUs, non-psychologists, instructors, state boards); Standard B tab (co-sponsorship, one sponsor issues certificates); Standard G tab (statement and icon); Responsibilities tab (approval length, annual certificate of approval).
- 3APA: Interprofessional Continuing Education FAQs (2020)Standard F: certificate of attendance elements plus sponsor contact information; statement may not be modified or combined.
- 4APA: Homestudy FAQs (2020)Standard E and F: passing score, verification of identity, evaluation form not tied to the certificate.
- 5APA: Certificate of Attendance sample, certificate format (2018)Layout and wording of APA’s own sample.
- 6APA: Certificate of Attendance sample, letter format (2018)Multi-session example with credits per session.
- 7APA: Promotional Materials Do’s and Don’ts (2018)Statement in its entirety, icon never alone, “CE credit” not “CEU”.
- 8APA: The Art of Advertising — Getting the Most Out of Your Promotional Materials (2017)Organization name as listed with APA; no “accreditation”; full credit for full attendance.
- 9APA: CESA Glossary of TermsStatement of Approval, Co-Sponsorship, Homestudy, Hybrid, Certificate of Approval.
- 10APA: Co-sponsorship Requirements and Best PracticeDefinition and the three requirements of co-sponsorship.
- 11APA: Policies and Procedures Manual, February 2026Terms of Approval, p. 5. Approved by the APA Council of Representatives on 21 February 2026; effective February 2026.
- 12APA Approved Sponsors of Continuing Education (directory)959 entries on 30 October 2026. Updated quarterly.
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