What the CRCST Renewal Requirements Entail
The renewal process has three components that must all arrive by the last day of your anniversary month:
- 12 CE credits, technical in nature and relevant to sterile processing.
- $50 annual renewal fee (this fee covers all HSPA certifications you hold, even if you hold multiple).
- Documentation meeting HSPA's submission standards.
If you hold additional HSPA credentials – Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS), Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER), or Certified Healthcare Leader (CHL) – each requires an additional 6 CE credits per year on top of the CRCST's 12. So, a tech holding a CRCST plus CIS needs 18 CEs annually.
Effective January 1, 2024, HSPA stopped mailing paper renewal certificates. Everything is digital. If you have been expecting a physical card, it is not coming.
Get and Stay Certified
Health Tech Academy's 16-week online Sterile Processing Certification Program prepares you for the CRCST through the HSPA – covering everything you need to pass the exam and build the clinical foundation that annual CE credits are designed to reinforce.
See the Program Here →Hear From One of Our Students
What Happens If You Miss the Sterile Processing Deadline
HSPA grants a six-week grace period after the expiration date. That sounds reassuring until you read the fine print: During those six weeks, your certification is suspended. You are not considered certified. You cannot use the CRCST title.
That is not a grace period in the sense of extra time to complete your renewal without consequence. It is a suspension with a six-week window to pay back fees and submit all outstanding CE credits before permanent revocation kicks in. Employers who verify credentials during that window will see a suspended status. Whether that creates an employment problem depends entirely on your facility's policy, but it is a risk most techs would rather avoid.
Free and Low-Cost CE Options That Cover All 12 Credits
The good news is that completing 12 CE credits annually is not expensive. What it requires is planning, not money.
- HSPA “PROCESS” magazine lesson plans are the easiest route. Each lesson plan published in PROCESS (available to read for free online at myhspa.org) is worth 2 CE credits when you complete the associated quiz with a passing score. Six lesson plans complete your full 12-credit requirement. Free, self-paced, and done entirely online.
- HSPA webinars earn 1 CE each after completing the video session and submitting a survey. Topics rotate across sterilization standards, instrumentation, and regulatory updates. Free for HSPA members.
- The HSPA "PROCESS This!" podcast earns 0.5 CE per episode after listening and completing a short quiz. To meet the full 12-credit requirement via podcasts alone, you would need 24 episodes. At roughly 20 to 30 minutes each, it is an option for techs who prefer audio learning.
- Employer in-services and staff meetings count. A department meeting covering a new sterilization protocol, updated AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation) standards, or a vendor demonstration of reprocessing equipment qualifies as CE – provided it is submitted on HSPA's CE Submission Form or on a facility letterhead with the date, topic, duration, and a supervisor signature. Most techs log at least a few of these every year without realizing they can apply toward renewal.
- Purdue Extended Campus offers an annual mail-in or online self-study lesson plan subscription for $75 covering six CRCST lessons worth 2 credits each. The full 12 CEs for less than the cost of a pair of work clogs.
The Sterile Processing Career Argument for Staying Current
"I began to meet people who were passionate about sterile processing, and I began to really understand the importance of what we did and the “why” behind what we do."
– Anthony Bondon, Director of Sterile Processing at WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center
That re-engagement with the field's purpose is what ongoing CE is designed to sustain. The annual 12-credit requirement tracks with how fast sterilization standards, surgical instrumentation, and regulatory guidance move.
"We need to commit to certification and ongoing education for our sterile processing staff. They need to have the knowledge and skills required to produce quality work and ensure that our customers receive clean, sterile, and functioning instruments for their surgeries."
– Mary Velasco, Manager of Sterile Processing at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital
Know Your Sterile Processing Baseline
Before your next renewal cycle, make sure your foundational knowledge is where it needs to be.
Take the Free Practice Exam →Continue Your Education in Sterile Processing
CRCST recertification is straightforward if you know the rules and plan around your anniversary month. Twelve CE credits from free or low-cost sources, $50, and documentation submitted before your deadline keeps your credential active and your employment status uncomplicated. The techs who lapse are almost always the ones who treated the renewal date as flexible – it is not, and the six-week grace period is not the safety net it sounds like.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
How Many CE Credits Are Required to Renew the CRCST Each Year?
12 CE credits are required annually. These must be technical in nature and relevant to the sterile processing field. If you hold additional HSPA certifications (CIS, CER, or CHL), each requires an additional 6 CE credits on top of the CRCST's 12.
How Much Does CRCST Renewal Cost?
The annual renewal fee is $50. This fee covers all HSPA certifications you hold, regardless of how many. CE costs depend on your source – HSPA's lesson plans and webinars are free; Purdue's full lesson plan subscription costs $75.
What Happens if You Miss the CRCST Renewal Deadline?
Your certification is suspended. HSPA grants a six-week grace period, but you are not certified and cannot use the CRCST title during that time. If fees and CE credits are not submitted within the grace period, the suspension extends further and back fees accumulate.
When is the CRCST Renewal Deadline?
The deadline is the last day of the anniversary month of your certification – the month you originally passed the exam. It is not a calendar-year or January deadline.
Can Employer In-Service Meetings Count Toward CRCST CE Credits?
Yes. In-services and staff meetings relevant to sterile processing or job performance qualify when submitted on HSPA's CE Submission Form or facility letterhead with the date, topic, duration, and a supervisor's name and signature.
