Operator Certificate Management

Operator Certification

Operator Certificate Management

Revised On: Jun. 26th, 2024 - 11:51 am

Revised On: Nov. 22, 2023 - 3:00 p.m.

Certifications are active for 3 years unless the operator chooses to commonly align certifications. In order to renew, the operator will need to upload a minimum of 30 professional development hours (PDHs) to the Portal and pay the renewal fee. At least 10 of the 30 PDHs submitted for renewal must be directly related to your certificate. All certification renewals and upgrades are completed through the Operator Certification Portal | Visit Portal >

Renewal vs Upgrade

Renewal	Upgrade
Requires a minimum of 30 PDHs	No PDHs required
Renewal fee	New Certification Fee
Can be processed up to 3 months before the expiration date	Can be processed 1 year after a certifications’ effective date or if approved for early exam
Certifications become inactive without renewal after the 90-day grace period	Must be completed within 3 years of passing the exam

What to Expect From the Operator Certification Portal

After entering your portal account, you will be able:

Upload exam information for new certification(s)
Apply for reciprocity or early exams
Submit PDHs and CEUs
Download your current certification
Update your personal information
Renew existing certification
Add or remove a facility as the operator or in direct responsible charge

Emails can only be changed by the Operator Certification Program. Please contact the Program if you need assistance updating your email address.

Accessing the Operator Certification Portal

To log into the Operator Certification Portal, select the option I Am Already A Certified Operator With ADEQ. You will be prompted to enter the email address associated with the Portal account. When the correct email is entered, the option to send a verification code will be available. A six digit code will be emailed to the operator’s email which will need to be entered before access the portal dashboard. If this is your first time accessing the portal, select the option I’ve Passed My Test (New Certificate).

If you are prompted with a password request, please double check you entered the correct email associated with your Portal account by checking the Operator Certification Database | Access Database >

There are no passwords required to access the portal. If the email is correct and you are still being prompted with a password request, call the Operator Certification Program.

Common Alignment

Before choosing common expiration dates, please note:

If you are activating a new certification and choose to align the expiration dates, the new certification will expire with your CURRENTLY EXISTING CERTIFICATE(S). Common alignment does not renew current certifications after adding a new certification to your Portal.

Example: You earn a D1 on 1/1/2023 and your C2 will expire on 7/31/2023. If you choose to align the D1, BOTH CERTIFICATES WILL HAVE THE EXPIRATION DATE OF 7/31/2023.

When the individual chooses to commonly align, this change is permanent. The Operator Certification Program will not change the expiration dates. To avoid loss of time on a new certification, only choose common expiration dates when all certificates are up for renewal around the same time. During renewal or an upgrade, the Portal will not let you align a new certificate to an existing certificate if the existing certificate expires in six months or less.

Certification Fees

Certification fees are due prior to a renewal or addition of a new certification. Acceptable forms of payment include debit or credit cards, as well as domestic bank accounts.

More information on certification fees | Visit Fee Page >

Timeline to Renew, Expiration & Inactive Certification

Operators can renew as early as three months prior to their certification’s expiration date. All operators are granted a 90-day grace period, which starts one day after the expiration date. Failure to pay for a renewal after the 90-day grace period will result in an inactive certifications and the operator will need to retest to certify again. Operators are expected to have earned all PDHs between the effective and expiration date of the certification(s).

If an individual needs to retest due to inactive certification, they may test at the grade of the expired certification or the next grade up if the expired certification was held for at least a year.

Example: If a Grade 1 Water Treatment certification becomes inactive after the 90-day grace period and the individual earned the certification one year prior to the expiration date, they may test for a Grade 1 or Grade 2 Water Treatment exam. Prior certifications do not need to be active for an operator to upgrade certification.