CompTIA Certification Renewal: CEUs, Fees and Security+ (2026)

CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, CySA+, PenTest+ and SecurityX expire three years after you earn them. You keep one active in one of two ways: earn the Continuing Education Units (CEUs) it needs and pay one CE fee for the whole three-year cycle, or finish a single activity that renews it outright, like earning a higher CompTIA cert. For Security+ that is 50 CEUs and $150, and that fee pays for all three years.

How Do You Renew CompTIA Security+?

Earn 50 CEUs inside your three-year cycle, upload the proof to your CompTIA account, and pay the $150 CE fee before your expiration date. Or skip both with one qualifying activity: earn CySA+, PenTest+ or SecurityX, or pass the newest Security+ exam once it is out. If you earned Security+ on SY0-601 or earlier, CertMaster CE also works.

The four routes, in the order most people should weigh them:

1. Earn a higher cert you want anyway. CySA+, PenTest+ and SecurityX each fully renew Security+ (plus Network+ and A+) and waive its CE fee. You have to pass the higher exam before your Security+ expires, and Security+ then takes the new cert’s expiration date ^[3].
2. Collect 50 CEUs. Training courses, college classes, IT work experience, publishing and other IT certifications all count ^[2], provided at least half the content maps to the Security+ objectives and you keep the documentation ^[7]. Some outside certs cover all 50 on their own: CISSP, SSCP, CISM, CEH and several CCNP Security specialties are on CompTIA’s Security+ list at 50 CEUs ^[8]. You still pay the $150 fee on this route ^{[1] [5]}.
3. Pass SY0-801. CompTIA lists Security+ V8, exam SY0-801, with a November 17, 2026 launch date ^[10]. Passing the latest release of your exam during your cycle renews the cert with no CE fee ^[9]. You cannot renew by passing the exact same exam twice ^[6], so retaking SY0-701 does not count. The SY0-801 release guide covers what changes.
4. CertMaster CE, if you qualify. Only for Security+ earned on SY0-601 or earlier. Details below.

How Many CEUs Does Each CompTIA Certification Need?

Read two columns: the CEUs you need inside the cycle, and the fee, which covers all three years. CompTIA publishes both on its CE pages ^{[1] [2]}.

If you hold several CompTIA certs, you pay the fee for your highest-level one only, and the certs it fully renews come along without a second fee ^[1].

How Much Does It Cost to Renew a CompTIA Certification?

If you renew with CEUs, the whole cost is the CE fee: $75 for A+ and SecAI+, $150 for SecurityX, CySA+, PenTest+, Security+ and Network+. CompTIA says you do not have to pay it annually. It is due by your expiration date, and you can pay it in yearly slices or all at once ^{[1] [7]}.

Paying the fee does not renew anything by itself; the CEUs still have to be uploaded. CompTIA does not refund it if you fall short on CEUs, so it advises paying only once you have them ^[7]. The fee also stays due when an outside certification such as CISSP supplies your CEUs ^[5].

You pay no CE fee at all when you renew by ^[1]:

• passing the latest release of your exam
• earning a higher-level CompTIA certification that fully renews it
• completing CertMaster CE

If the cert lapses, the cost jumps to a full exam voucher.

Which Single Activities Renew a CompTIA Cert?

CompTIA lists four single activities that can renew a cert in one step ^[5]:

• CertMaster CE: A+, Network+ and Security+ only. CE fee waived.
• A higher CompTIA certification: renews the certs below it on CompTIA’s matrix. CE fee waived.
• A higher non-CompTIA IT certification: counts toward your CEUs, sometimes all of them. CE fee still required.
• The latest release of your exam: only when a newer version than yours exists. CE fee waived.

What Is CertMaster CE, and Can You Use It?

CertMaster CE is CompTIA’s self-paced renewal course. Finish it inside your cycle and the cert renews automatically, with no CEU upload and no additional CE fee for that cycle ^[4]. Whether you can use it depends on your cert and the exam version you passed:

• Three certs only. CompTIA offers it for A+, Network+ and Security+. There is no CertMaster CE for CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX or SecAI+ ^[5].
• Older versions only. The current courses take A+ earned on 220-1101/1102 or earlier (both retired), Network+ on N10-008 or earlier, and Security+ on SY0-601 or earlier ^[4]. If you passed SY0-701, the current course is not open to you, so renew with CEUs, a higher cert or SY0-801.
• 100% on every assessment. CompTIA estimates 8 to 10 hours, and the renewal posts only once every assessment in the course is at 100%. You can reset and retake them ^[4].

Does a Higher CompTIA Cert Renew Your Lower Ones?

Only the ones below it on CompTIA’s matrix, not every cert you hold. Read each row as: earn the cert on the left, and the certs on the right renew with it ^[3].

The higher cert has to be earned inside the lower cert’s three-year cycle. Once it is, the lower cert’s expiration date moves to match the new one, three years from the day you pass. Its CE fee is waived only when the higher cert fully renews it ^[3].

Outside the security path, Linux+ renews A+, the Cloud+ V3 exam renews A+, Network+ and Linux+, and the data certs renew nothing else; CompTIA’s matrix page has the full list ^[3].

Does CompTIA A+ Expire?

Yes. An A+ earned after December 31, 2010 is valid for three years and joins the CE program automatically ^[7]. It needs 20 CEUs and a $75 fee per cycle. For most A+ holders the easier route is moving up: earning Network+ or Security+ renews A+ with no CE fee. If your A+ came from the retired 220-1101/1102 pair, CertMaster CE is open to you too ^[4].

An A+ earned before January 1, 2011 is a good-for-life certification and does not expire ^[13]. The Department of Defense, however, stopped recognizing good-for-life certs under DoD 8570.01-M on that date ^[7].

SecurityX (Formerly CASP+): What Renews It?

CompTIA renamed CASP+ to SecurityX with the V5 exam, CAS-005, which launched December 17, 2024 ^[11]. If you hold the cert under its former name, CASP+, CompTIA says the rename does not affect your certification status or the CE program ^[11].

SecurityX sits at the top of the security path. It needs 75 CEUs ^[2] and a $150 fee per cycle ^[1], and earning it fully renews CySA+, PenTest+, Security+, Network+ and A+ ^[3].

What Happens If Your CompTIA Certification Expires?

You get a 30-day grace period after the expiration date to pay outstanding CE fees or submit CEUs you earned inside the original cycle. After that the cert is gone, and the only way back is passing the latest version of the exam ^[6]. CEUs earned after the cycle ended do not count toward it.

For Security+ that means buying a $439 voucher and sitting the full exam again. The Security+ exam cost breakdown has the voucher, retake and discount math.

A Three-Year Security+ Renewal Plan

CompTIA’s renewal-cycle page lays out a year-by-year rhythm ^[12]. Adapted for Security+:

1. Year 1. Look up your expiration date in your CompTIA account and pick a route. If CySA+ or PenTest+ is in your three-year plan, that exam is your renewal.
2. Year 2. Log CEUs as you earn them, whether that’s a course or a conference. Keep the certificates, because CompTIA accepts submissions automatically and audits at random ^[7].
3. Year 3. Close the gap to 50 CEUs, pay the $150 fee, and upload before the expiration date. Don’t plan around the grace period.

If you go the exam route, SecuSpark has CySA+ practice exams and PenTest+ practice exams, and the Security+ vs CySA+ vs CISSP comparison helps you pick the next step. SecuSpark does not issue CEU documentation, so it only helps if you renew by exam.

How this was made: drafted and fact-checked with AI assistance against the CompTIA pages listed below, each re-read on October 10, 2026.

SecuSpark is not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA. CompTIA and its certification names are trademarks of CompTIA, Inc. CompTIA changes renewal rules from time to time; check the linked comptia.org pages before you pay.

References

1. CompTIA. "Continuing Education Renewal Fees." comptia.org. Total CE fee per three-year period, fee waivers, and paying only for your highest-level cert. Accessed October 10, 2026.
2. CompTIA. "Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs)." comptia.org. CEUs required per certification. Accessed October 10, 2026.
3. CompTIA. "Earn a Higher-Level CompTIA Certification." comptia.org. Which certification fully renews which, timing, fee waiver, and expiration alignment. Accessed October 10, 2026.
4. CompTIA. "Complete a CompTIA CertMaster CE Course." comptia.org. Eligible exam versions, 100% assessment rule, and estimated duration. Accessed October 10, 2026.
5. CompTIA. "Compare Single-Activity Renewal Options." comptia.org. Availability and CE fee treatment for each single activity. Accessed October 10, 2026.
6. CompTIA. "Certification Renewal Policy." comptia.org. Three-year validity, 30-day grace period, and no renewal by passing the exact same exam twice. Accessed October 10, 2026.
7. CompTIA. "CompTIA Continuing Education Program FAQ." comptia.org. Fee timing, refunds, CEU validity checks, audits, and the DoD’s treatment of good-for-life certifications. Accessed October 10, 2026.
8. CompTIA. "CompTIA Security+ V7 - 50 CEUs Required for Certification Renewal." comptia.org. Non-CompTIA certifications accepted for Security+ CEUs. Accessed October 10, 2026.
9. CompTIA. "Pass the Latest Release of Your CompTIA Exam." comptia.org. Renewing by passing a newer exam version. Accessed October 10, 2026.
10. CompTIA. "Security+ V8 (Coming November 2026)." comptia.org. SY0-801 exam code and November 17, 2026 launch date. Accessed October 10, 2026.
11. CompTIA. "SecurityX." comptia.org. CAS-005 launch date; SecurityX was formerly CASP+. Accessed October 10, 2026.
12. CompTIA. "CE Renewal Cycle." comptia.org. Year-by-year renewal timeline. Accessed October 10, 2026.
13. CompTIA Help Center. "Which CompTIA Certifications Must Be Renewed?" help.comptia.org. A+, Network+ and Security+ earned before January 1, 2011 are good-for-life and do not expire. Accessed October 10, 2026.