Professional Certifications: Give Up or Maintain in Retirement?

[Involuntary Retiree]

Although I haven't practiced law in almost four years, I haven't wanted to pull the plug on my law license yet, so I have kept my license current, which means I have paid my bar dues and complied with continuing education requirements. I plan to revisit the issue at the end of 2021.



My state bar association has an "inactive" category, which relieves a non-working lawyer from mandatory CLE requirements and requires the payment of only a portion of the annual bar dues. The only way I would ever go back to practicing law if I absolutely HAD to, and the inactive status makes going back a little easier than if I resigned from the bar or allowed my license to expire. So I may go "inactive" for a few years.



Just playing it safe .... for now. I voted "I keep it current" in the poll.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I keep my licenses current so I can still fill in at the former business when the new owner needs help. When the buy out is done in 5 years I will let it lapse.


I hold the highest professional designation in the industry but no longer belong the society. The education required to achieve the designation was valuable but membership to the society was $250 to wear a pin on your lapel...

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

At the end of 2019, after 7 months of retirement, I was granted retired status in the three states where I am admitted to practice. All I need to do is keep filing the yearly registration forms. It saves me several hundred bucks a year and is another issue I no longer have to worry about. I can return to active status if I want, but I hope I never need to.

I would like to do that where I have my license, but they don't have an inactive status. You either keep up with the dues/CE requirements or you let it lapse and have to go through all the hoops to get readmitted. I don't think I can go inactive until 65 years old.

 

[OldShooter]

I had a SCORE mentoring partner who had been a CPA for 53 years. He had to, I think, let it lapse because he was no longer employed by a CPA firm.

On his cards it said something like "Certified Public Accountant (Inactive)" So he still (and rightfully) took credit for his career but it didn't cost him any money. No reason a PE could not do that IMO.

 

[Jerry1]

Maintained my active CPA license for one cycle after calling it quits. Then shifted license to CPA Retired status. This still costs me $50 every two years, but no longer need to maintain Continuing Education credits. But still get to represent myself in public as "CPA Retired".

Same here except I let my license go into reserve status while I was working because it was not a requirement for my job (worked in industry). As long as I keep it in reserve, I can always relicense by doing some extra CPE. Will probably never have to do that but I figure I’ll stay in reserve until around 70 then give it up.

One thing I did give up quickly was the professional organizations like the AICPA. Those were worthless in retirement. I can’t imagine going to a conference or reading the Journal ever again.

 

[USGrant1962]

On his cards it said something like "Certified Public Accountant (Inactive)" So he still (and rightfully) took credit for his career but it didn't cost him any money. No reason a PE could not do that IMO.

The reason a PE cannot do that is you will get fined by the state PE Board. I used to get the newsletter from the state that listed all of the people charged, and one of the common charges was something like "advertising engineering services without a license". I'm sure states are all different on enforcement, but Tennessee, at least, is quite strict.

Having said that, I kept PE on my business card when it was paid inactive, but not after I let it actually lapse.

 

[disneysteve]

Great question. I'm not retired but this is something I haven't really considered yet. I believe there is a "retired" or "inactive" status that I would qualify for once I stop working that would carry a smaller price tag to continue carrying.


Most likely, I will continue to maintain my licenses (I'm a physician) so that I still have the ability to write the occasional prescription or purchase medical supplies at the professional rates rather than retail.


I also might want to keep my hand in things, attend professional conferences, etc.



I guess I should figure out what that's going to cost me and add it into my retirement budget.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I let 2 lapse but kept the one I use as I still do some consulting.

 

[6miths]

I kept mine as I still do some consulting work in the field now and then. CME is easily maintained by all the volunteer teaching I do.

 

[Brat]

My husband, who will soon turn 83, has maintained his license. It has been useful for family members how have had construction/property development projects. Once a bank needed a document stamped.

His license was just renewed, DH says for the last time. He will be 85'ish at that point.

 

[1242Vintage]

I’m a professional engineer in two disciplines (Civil Engr and Traffic Engr) and will be maintaining those with the state board for the foreseeable future. I worked hard to obtain them and at the cost of a couple hundred dollars every other year I will keep them paid up and current.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

I have two credentials to "worry about."

Fortunately for me, my main credential is an academic one, not professional, and so doesn't expire. (Ph.D.)

However, in case I want to do a fun post-retirement j*b, I did pick up the ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Certification. (Allows you to be a waiter or a cook.) This must be renewed every 5 years, and I don't know yet if I will keep that one up or not!

 

[2017ish]

DW let her DEA prescribing license, state medical license, and specialty certification lapse as of her retirement year. OTOH, I can't "retire" from tennessee bar until age 65. Thus, unless I choose to be disbarred for failure to pay dues, or formally petition the supreme court to exercise its discretion and revoke my license (which, of course, carries a fee!), I will remain "inactive" for $85(?) annually until I'm deemed old enough to retire. Reminiscent of Hotel California.

 

[sengsational]

... Reminiscent of Hotel California.

Leave it to lawyers to come up with that one!

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I value my drivers license and fishing license much more than my old work/professnal licenses. I know which I'd give up first.

 

[Ole Red 29]

I went "inactive" on my PE for the first couple of years into retirement (for a fee). Plan to drop after that.

 

[Huston55]

Same as the OP; took and passed the EIT & PE exams as soon as I could* and held the licenses until I retired. Although I rarely used my PE to stamp drawings, I did use it frequently to meet contractual requirements to fill various positions. I had PE licenses in two states; let one (MN) lapse and retired the other (CA).

*Funny story on how I got my license...in a state I'd never been in - Minnesota. I was in the Air Force, stationed in Germany. Although the Air Force doesn't value PEs, I planned to get out after my second tour and I did value it; so did a great guy (Major Torgeson) in my unit. He valued it so much that he contacted the Minnesota state board, where he was registered, got permission to proctor both the EIT and PE, and enabled a handful of us to take the exams and get registered. So, I took the exams in a foreign country, got registered in a state I'd never set foot in, and became a Professional Engineer.

 

[38Chevy454]

Same as the OP; took and passed the EIT & PE exams as soon as I could* and held the licenses until I retired. Although I rarely used my PE to stamp drawings, I did use it frequently to meet contractual requirements to fill various positions. I had PE licenses in two states; let one (MN) lapse and retired the other (CA).

*Funny story on how I got my license...in a state I'd never been in - Minnesota. I was in the Air Force, stationed in Germany. Although the Air Force doesn't value PEs, I planned to get out after my second tour and I did value it; so did a great guy (Major Torgeson) in my unit. He valued it so much that he contacted the Minnesota state board, where he was registered, got permission to proctor both the EIT and PE, and enabled a handful of us to take the exams and get registered. So, I took the exams in a foreign country, got registered in a state I'd never set foot in, and became a Professional Engineer.

OP here, kind of related, I got my PE in CA, and just kept it there while I was working around the country. Never bothered to get it transferred when I moved. I actually took the EIT in last year of college, and then the PE after working two years which was the minimum work reqt.



Also earlier there was mention of gov't security clearance. I also had one and since when I retired it was not being transferred to a new employer, it also became inactive soon as I turned in my badge. It was due for renewal in about 1 year at that point anyway. Glad to be done with that [-]hassle[/-] process.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

OTOH, I can't "retire" from tennessee bar until age 65. Thus, unless I choose to be disbarred for failure to pay dues, or formally petition the supreme court to exercise its discretion and revoke my license (which, of course, carries a fee!), I will remain "inactive" for $85(?) annually until I'm deemed old enough to retire. Reminiscent of Hotel California.

Our state is in the middle of a lawsuit about the mandatory fees/mandatory bar membership. I am curious as to how this pans out and would love to STOP paying the fee, but like you...there is no inactive status here. Either you pay or you don't belong.

 

[Lucie]

I will switch to inactive status for my Psychology license. I was planning to keep it active but last month NY added a ridiculous continuing education requirement. If I should decide to reactivate it I can complete the CMEs and reactivate it.

 

[2177V]

Just curious what you did if you had some type of professional certification or license, what did you do after retirement? Let it go, keep it current, other?


I am an engineer and had my Professional Engineer (P.E.) license for almost the whole time I was working. Took (and passed) the test as soon as I could once I started working. Never needed it as a strict job requirement, but it was good brownie points on the resume. I let it lapse once I retired. It was $150 every 2 years, and with no plans to need it for work it was no longer justified expense.

I had two California PE licenses in Mechanical and Civil plus nationally certified as a BCEE or Board Certified Environmental Engineer.

I let all three lapsed since I had worked for 44 years as a Mechanical, Civil, Environmental, Nuclear Engineer plus work as a Combat Engineer in the US Army.

44 years were enough and I wanted to do something different other than engineering...like fishing, motorcycling, skiing, surfing, bicycling, traveling, etc.

 

[papaof2]

That's probably a matter of "how retired" you are ;-)

Would you take an interesting/challenging job offer just because of the challenge? If so, you might want to keep the certification.

If not, and you're not in a volunteer position where current knowledge of the field would be valuable, then drop it.

 

[gooddog]

Wife and I kept our CEU's and licenses current for eight years after retiring, and finally just let them go this last year. With what is going on in the world, really don't want to see the inside of a hospital anyway.

 

[Jakob]

Play it safe, but plan for the worst.

I am close to retirement, 62 y.o. I’ve been putting 16 2/3 into my 401 for 30 years. DW has an awesome pension and retired in 2020. DW was a Speech therapist, 66 y.o., and let her license expire. Me, I’m an Occupational therapist still working. I think I may see if I can put my license on inactive status. But deep down, once I’m out I really don’t see myself going back. Pittsburgh medical corporations have the town in medical lock-down.

 

[NXR7]

I have until Feb 28th to decide.

I passed my Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) in 2002 and I've done way more than the minimum 40 hours of CE each year. I also have enough CE done that I can pay the renewal fee and get renewed for three years.

But...they recently raised the annual fee from $85 to $125 so I'm wrestling with this because I doubt I'd ever need it again and I've got better things to do with $125.

If it was still $85 I'd just pay it one more time to keep my very low certification number but I'm thinking it's time to leave that life in the past.

Ray