SecureServe Academy™
Continuing Education
Professional certification is the beginning of a career, not the end of learning. Compliance-regulated fields require ongoing education as regulations, standards, and best practices evolve.
What Is Continuing Education?
Continuing education (CE) refers to structured professional learning completed after initial certification or licensure. In compliance-regulated professions, CE is not optional — it is a formal requirement of maintaining certain credentials, registrations, and practice authorizations.
CE serves a different function than initial certification. Initial certification training establishes foundational competency. Continuing education keeps practitioners current with regulatory changes, updated professional standards, new compliance requirements, and emerging best practices in their field.
A professional who completed certification three years ago and has not engaged in CE may be operating with outdated compliance knowledge. In fields governed by the IRS, federal bankruptcy statutes, and state-regulated service organizations, that gap carries real professional and legal risk.
CE vs. Initial Certification
| Dimension | Initial Certification | Continuing Education |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Establish foundational professional competency | Maintain currency with regulatory and professional changes |
| Timing | Completed once to earn the initial credential | Completed on a recurring cycle (annually or by renewal period) |
| Exam Requirement | Final examination required for credential issuance | Completion requirements vary; exam may or may not be required |
| Credential Impact | Earns the initial professional certificate | Maintains credential validity or satisfies regulatory renewal obligations |
| Regulatory Source | Professional training standards | State licensing boards, IRS, NNA, and field-specific regulatory bodies |
CE Requirements by Profession
Tax Professional
IRS-regulated requirements for unenrolled preparers and Enrolled Agents
IRS Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP)
The AFSP is a voluntary IRS program for unenrolled tax return preparers. Participants who complete the program receive a Record of Completion and are listed in the IRS public directory of tax return preparers.
- 18 CE hours required per year for non-exempt preparers
- Includes 10 hours federal tax law, 2 hours ethics, 6 hours federal tax law updates
- 15 CE hours for exempt preparers (PTIN holders who passed the RTRP exam)
Enrolled Agent (EA)
- 72 CE hours per three-year renewal period (minimum 16 per year)
- Includes 2 hours ethics per year
- CE providers must be IRS-approved
Requirements are established by the IRS and subject to change. Verify current requirements at irs.gov.
Notary Professional
State-regulated renewal and continuing education requirements
Notary commissions are issued by state governments and must be renewed on a state-specific cycle, typically every 4 years. Some states require CE or an examination as a condition of renewal. Others require only the renewal application and bond.
- California: No mandatory CE for standard notary renewal, but exam required.
- Florida: 3-hour education requirement for first-time applicants.
- Texas: No mandatory CE for renewal.
- National Notary Association (NNA): Recommends 12 CE hours annually for Notary Signing Agents, though this is not a statutory requirement in most states.
Requirements vary by state. Verify current requirements with your state's Secretary of State office.
Credit Consultant
No uniform federal CE mandate — staying current is a professional responsibility
The credit consulting field does not have a single governing body with mandatory CE requirements comparable to the IRS or state notary commissions. However, the regulatory landscape — particularly CROA, FCRA, and state-specific Credit Services Organization statutes — evolves regularly.
Credit consultants who hold credentials from professional associations such as the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC) may face CE requirements for credential renewal under those programs.
SecureServe Academy™ recommends that credentialed credit consultants engage in formal CE annually to stay current with FCRA amendments, CFPB regulatory guidance, and state CSO statute changes.
SecureServe Academy™ Approach to Continuing Education
SecureServe Academy™ views continuing education not as an add-on product but as a structured component of professional development that serves a distinct purpose from initial certification. CE programs are developed with the same curriculum methodology as certification programs — competency-mapped, regulatory-source-first, and specific to the compliance requirements of each field.
Rather than simply re-offering initial certification content, SecureServe CE programs are designed to address what has changed in a practitioner's field since their initial training: updated regulations, new IRS guidance, revised FCRA amendments, changes to state notary commission rules, and emerging compliance obligations.
CE Program Notifications
SecureServe Academy™ continuing education programs are currently in development. Certificate holders and enrolled students may register below to receive notification when CE programs become available.
Your email will only be used to notify you when CE programs become available. No marketing messages.