Every credible program of professional certification has a mechanism to ensure that certified members remain current. The CDFM Program requires its certificants to earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE).

Recertification Requirements

To keep your CDFM or CDFM-A certification active, adhere to the ASMC Pledge of Professionalism, pay the CDFM recertification fee ($25 members/$45 non-members) and complete 80 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE), with at least 20 CPEs per year and 2 CPEs in an ethics-related topic, by your recertification deadline.

It is not necessary to submit CPEs when recertifying; however, 5-10% of recertifications are audited, so we recommend that you keep an electronic copy of your CPEs on hand. ASMC will contact you directly if you are chosen for audit.

Summary of CDFM Recertification Requirements

Details can be reviewed in the Recertification Policy here. Certificants can recertify online or send a completed CDFM Recertification Form to certification@asmconline.org.

Recertification is a personal responsibility. However, ASMC sends a courtesy email reminder to each certificant 3 months before, 2 months before, and the month of expiration of certification. We strongly recommend providing a personal email address and your mobile phone number so you will be sure to receive our email and text recertification notices. To update your account information, log in here and click on “Update Profile”.

CDFM Recertification Policy

View the CDFM Recertification Policy here

CPEs

Any course or training related to defense financial management or that assists you in your role as a defense financial manager can be used for CPEs in CDFM recertification. Any credits earned toward the DoD FM Certification Program during your CDFM certification cycle qualify for CDFM recertification.

Methods of obtaining CPEs include:
•  Attendance at relevant formal training courses
•  Attendance at relevant college courses
•  Attendance at briefing or lectures on relevant subjects
•  Attendance at professional conferences
•  Teaching and course preparation for relevant subject matter
•  Preparation and delivery of briefing and work-related documents outside of the scope of routine business
•  Reading of articles in professional journals
•  Preparation and publishing articles in professional journals

One fifty-minute block of learning yields one CPE unit.

1 CPE  =  1 CET  =  1 CLP  =  0.1 CEU

For more details, please refer to the CDFM Recertification Policy.

Recertification Deadline

The recertification deadline is two years from the last day of the month that the CDFM certification is first awarded. For example, if certification was awarded during the month of March  in 2017, then the recertification deadline is March 31 of each ODD-numbered year. If certification is awarded during the month of September in 2018, then the recertification deadline is September 30 of each EVEN-numbered year.

CDFM certificants who later pass the Module 4 exam, earning the CDFM-A, continue with their original recertification deadline. There are no additional CPE requirements for CDFM-A certificants. The CPE requirements apply to all CDFM and CDFM-A certificants, regardless of employment status.

To check your recertification deadline (“CDFM expires”) date, log into your ASMC account and click “Update Profile”.

Extension Requests

Need additional time to complete the recertification requirements? Apply for a 90-day extension BEFORE your recertification deadline by filling out a CDFM Recertification Form, marking the “CDFM Extension” option, and emailing the form to certification@asmconline.org.

Active CDFMs who have permanently retired from and are not working in the field of financial management can request an adjustment of their status to Certified Retired by contacting the Certification Department via email at certification@asmconline.org. If the CDFM first becomes inactive, the individual must reactivate the designation before being able to change the CDFM status to Certified Retired. Those who are Certified Retired do not need to meet the CDFM CPE requirement or pay a recertification fee to maintain their status.

Certified Retired individuals who wish to reactivate their CDFM are required to have at least 80 CPEs earned in the two years preceding the request for reinstatement to be considered. Individuals in this category must pay the reactivation fee of $50 plus the current recertification fee.

Reactivation

If you do not recertify your CDFM by the deadline, your certification goes into Suspended Status, your name is removed from the ASMC website, and a $50 recertification late fee is applied. After 90 days in Suspended status, your certification goes into Inactive Status and the late fee is changed to a $100 reactivation fee.

If events beyond your control, such as a deployment or a health situation, interfered with your ability to recertify on time or from earning enough CPEs to recertify, you may request a one-time waiver of some or all of the reactivation requirements by sending documentation of the situation to certification@asmconline.org.

Suspended Status Reactivation Requirements

  • Pay recertification fee ($25 ASMC members / $45 non-members)
  • Pay $50 late fee
  • Submit proof of 80 CPEs


Inactive Status Reactivation Requirements

  • Pay one recertification fee ($25 ASMC members / $45 non-members)
  • Pay $100 reactivation fee
  • Submit proof of 80 CPEs total since beginning of lapsed certification cycle

See the CDFM Recertification Policy for more information.