HRCI recertification credits: what each credential needs

Every HRCI credential renews on a three-year cycle that ends on the last day of your birth month. You renew by earning recertification credits (or by retaking the exam). Here's what each credential needs, from HRCI's Recertification Policies and Procedures Handbook and Specified Credit Types sheet.

Credits needed per credential

Credential	Total credits per 3 years	Of which specified credits	Ethics
aPHR®	45	None	1 (within the 45)
aPHRi™	45	None	1 (within the 45)
PHR®	60	None	1 (within the 60)
PHRi®	60	None	1 (within the 60)
PHRca®	60	15 California	1 (within the 60)
SPHR®	60	15 Business	1 (within the 60)
SPHRi®	60	15 Business	1 (within the 60)
GPHR®	60	15 Global	1 (within the 60)

If you hold more than one credential (for example SPHR and SPHRi), the handbook says you meet the 15 Business credits and 1 ethics credit only once. Lifetime and Emeritus holders are excluded from the ethics requirement.

The ethics credit

Since January 1, 2021, every certificant needs one ethics credit per cycle. The handbook says there's no separate "Ethics Credit" type to select: you include an ethics-themed activity and tick the ethics affirmation box when you apply. HRCI's "Recertification Made Easy" sheet describes it as one pre-approved credit hour from an ethics course, webinar or program. To be safe, pick a pre-approved session clearly about ethics. See HRCI's ethics requirement page and our free HRCI ethics credit options (2 on-demand right now).

Which activities count, and the caps

HRCI category	Cap per cycle	Examples
Professional Development: pre-approved activities (with an HRCI code)	No maximum	Webinars, podcasts, conferences, courses, e-learning
Professional Development: instructor-led continuing education (no HRCI code, but HR-related)	No maximum	Webinars, podcasts, conferences, courses that weren't pre-approved
Self-directed learning	30 hours	See handbook page 21
Professional Achievement	40 hours (incl. up to 12 for HR membership)	Instruction, on-the-job projects, leadership, research and publishing

Source: HRCI Recertification Handbook, "Categories at-a-glance". Activities must be HR-related, meaning they relate to the exam content outline for your credential. Up to 15 surplus credits can carry over to your next cycle. Recertification costs 169 USD for one designation (handbook pricing; check your HRCI account for the current fee).

So an HR-related free webinar that doesn't state HRCI credit can still be self-reported under instructor-led continuing education, but HRCI may review it. Sessions with an HRCI program code are the low-risk choice. For Business, Global or California credit, HRCI's guidance says to self-report the qualifying sessions individually rather than using a general pre-approval code.

Free HRCI credit on our list right now

• 80 free upcoming webinars list HRCI credit (approved, pending or eligible). See the list.
• By HRCI type as stated by providers: General 14, Business 5, Global 0, Ethics 0, type not stated 61.
• Need Business credit for SPHR? Look for sessions marked "HRCI Business", for example the SYN Learning Institute OWN IT series. Use the "HRCI credit type" filter on the HRCI list.
• HRCI also runs free webinars of its own (see hrci.org webinars).

HRCI vs SHRM at a glance

	HRCI (PHR, SPHR, GPHR...)	SHRM (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP)
Credits per 3 years	45 (aPHR/aPHRi) or 60	60 PDCs
Special requirements	1 ethics; 15 Business / Global / California for some credentials	None; caps of 30 each on Organization and Profession categories
Cycle ends	Last day of birth month	Last day of birth month
Carry-over	Up to 15	Up to 20

Many free webinars carry both, so one session can count toward HRCI and SHRM. Read how to earn SHRM PDCs for free.