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Certification Maintenance

 Testing measures skills and competence at the time the interpreter was tested. Once certified, members must maintain their certification through continuing education and membership in RID. This is required of all certified members, including RID certified interpreters and transliterators, NIC certified interpreters, NAD certified interpreters and certain interpreters from external organizations under contract with RID.

Requirements

• Maintain current RID membership by paying annual RID Certified Member dues (interpreters with NAD III, NAD IV, and NAD V certification must also keep their NAD Certification Dues in good standing with RID)
•  Meet the CEU requirements of the RID Certification Maintenance Program (CMP)

CMP CEU Requirements in a nutshell:

8.0 Total CEUs with at least 6.0 in PS CEUs
(up to 2.0 GS CEUs may be applied toward the requirement)
SC:L’s only--2.0 of the 6.0 PS CEUs must be in legal interpreting topics
SC:PA’s only--2.0 of the 6.0 PS CEUs must be in performing arts topics

• Follow the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct
   

Loss of Certification

Loss of Generalist Certification

Any active certified member not satisfying the requirements of the certification maintenance program by the end of his/her cycle will cease to be certified.

Loss of Specialist Certification

Active certified members holding a specialist certification who do not satisfy the required two (2) CEUs in the field of specialization, but do accrue the required eight (8) CEUs with at least six (6) CEUs in professional studies, will only lose their specialty certification. They will maintain any other certifications held.

Special Cases

Certification Cycle Extension Request

 (Extension requests for cycles ending December 31, 2011 are no longer being accepted.)
A one-year, once-in-a-lifetime certification cycle extension may be available for those who submit a Certification Cycle Extension Request form. The extension request must be sent before the certification cycle ends—extension requests for cycles ending December 31, 2012, must be sent by December 31, 2012. 

The National Office will begin processing 2012 extension requests on September 1, 2012.

Requests will be granted based on the inability to accrue the required number of continuing education units for the following reason:

A sudden and unforeseeable, traumatic, catastrophic, or incapacitating, life-altering event that disrupts the life of the certified member or an immediate family member for a considerable amount of time. Simple failure to accrue the required number of CEUs is not an appropriate reason to request an extension to the CMP cycle.

IMPORTANT: An extension does not delay the end date of the next certification cycle—the extension cuts into the following cycle.  Once enough CEUs are earned to complete the extended cycle, the next cycle will begin immediately.  For this reason, it is good to complete the CEU requirement as quickly as possible allow as much time as possible to earn the next cycle’s CEUs

Changing Member Status

If you are temporarily out of the field, RID offers certified members an inactive status. This is for certified members who are not currently interpreting as a way to put their certification (and CMP requirements) on hold.
For more details, contact Member Services.

If you are retired from interpreting, RID offers a Certified: Retired status. This is a member, age 55 years or older, who is retired from interpreting work. A member in this category may not work as an interpreter. They do not have to meet the CMP requirements.

Reinstatement

Reinstatement is for members who are not current with their membership dues. The procedure for reinstatement varies based on the amount of time the interpreter’s membership has lapsed.

CMP Cycle Option When Earning Additional Certificates

Certified interpreters earning additional generalist certificates will be given the option to begin a new cycle. If they opt to begin a new cycle, the CEUs earned in the previous cycle will not be carried into the new cycle. CEUs earned during the new cycle will serve to maintain all certificates held.