Does CCSP Expire? Yes — 3-Year CPE & AMF Requirements

Yes, the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) expires every 3 years. Maintained by (ISC)², CCSP requires 90 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits over the 3-year cycle (minimum 30 per year) and a $125 Annual Maintenance Fee (AMF). This is the same maintenance structure used for CISSP and other (ISC)² certifications.

CCSP CPE Credit Requirements

(ISC)² divides CPE credits into two groups, and CCSP holders must meet specific minimums in each:

CPE Group	Description	Minimum
Group A	Directly related to CCSP domains (cloud security architecture, operations, legal compliance, etc.)	30 minimum
Group B	General professional development (management, communication, ethics, etc.)	No minimum
Total	Combined A + B over 3 years	90

How to Earn CCSP CPE Credits

At 30 CPEs per year, you need roughly 2.5 hours of professional development per month. Here are the most efficient sources:

• (ISC)² webinars: 1 CPE per hour — free for members, multiple sessions per month
• (ISC)² chapter meetings: 1-2 CPEs per event — local and virtual chapters available
• Cloud security conferences: 10-40 CPEs per conference (RSA, re:Invent, fwd:cloudsec)
• Vendor training: AWS, Azure, GCP security courses — 1 CPE per hour of instruction
• Writing articles/whitepapers: 5 CPEs per published article on cloud security topics
• Self-study: Reading books, whitepapers, RFCs — 1 CPE per hour (max varies)
• Earning another certification: 10-40 CPEs for passing relevant exams (AWS Security Specialty, etc.)

CCSP vs CISSP — Maintenance Comparison

Both are (ISC)² certifications with the same maintenance structure, but different credit volumes:

Factor	CCSP	CISSP
Total CPEs (3 years)	90	120
Annual Minimum CPEs	30	40
Annual Maintenance Fee	$125	$125
Combined AMF (both certs)	$125 total (not $250)
CPE Overlap	Yes — credits count for both

3-Year Cost of Maintaining CCSP

The total 3-year maintenance cost for CCSP depends on how you earn CPEs:

Expense	Low Cost	Typical
AMF ($125 × 3 years)	$375	$375
CPE Activities	$0 (free sources)	$500-$2,000
Total	$375	$875-$2,375

What Happens If CCSP Expires?

If you fail to meet CPE or AMF requirements, (ISC)² follows a progressive suspension process:

• Suspended status: First, your cert moves to "suspended" — you cannot use the CCSP designation
• Reinstatement window: You have a limited period to pay back AMF fees and catch up on CPEs
• Reinstatement fee: $35 on top of any unpaid AMF amounts
• Full expiration: After the reinstatement window closes, you must retake the full CCSP exam ($599)

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CCSP expire?

Yes. CCSP expires every 3 years. You need 90 CPE credits (30/year minimum) and must pay the $125 Annual Maintenance Fee each year.

How many CPE credits does CCSP require?

90 total over 3 years with 30 minimum per year. At least 30 of the 90 must be Group A (domain-specific). The rest can be Group B (general professional development).

What is the CCSP Annual Maintenance Fee?

$125 per year. If you hold multiple (ISC)² certifications (CISSP + CCSP), you only pay one $125 AMF, not separate fees for each cert.

Do CCSP CPEs count toward CISSP?

Yes. If you hold both certifications, CPE credits count toward both simultaneously. Meeting CISSP's 120 CPE requirement automatically satisfies CCSP's 90.

What happens if CCSP expires?

Your cert moves to "suspended" status first, with a reinstatement window to catch up on CPEs and pay back fees. After full expiration, you must retake the exam ($599).

Can I earn CCSP CPEs for free?

Yes. (ISC)² webinars, chapter meetings, self-study, writing articles, mentoring, and volunteering all provide free CPEs. Many cloud vendors also offer free security training that qualifies.