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Does Security+ expire? The three year clock explained

By SunTzu, founder of CertOwl • Published August 16, 2026 • 3 min read

Three years. That is how long a Security+ certification stays valid, counted from the day you pass, and the timer starts whether you think about it or not. Plenty of people learn this the expensive way, discovering a lapsed cert during a job application. The renewal system is not complicated once you see it whole, so this article lays out the clock, the four ways to reset it, and the cost of ignoring it.

The three year clock

Since January 1, 2011, every Security+ carries the "ce" designation, short for continuing education, and is valid for three years from your pass date. The one exception is historical: certifications earned before 2011 never expire, which is why you will occasionally meet someone who passed in 2009 and is certified for life. Everyone since is on the clock, and your exact expiry date sits in your CompTIA certification account, which is worth checking now rather than in year three.

The clock exists for a defensible reason. Security+ is meant to signal current security knowledge, and the exam itself is refreshed every few years, a cycle described in our SY0-701 exam guide. A certificate that never aged would say less and less each year.

The four renewal routes

Pass a higher CompTIA exam. The pyramid rule: earning a certification above Security+, such as CySA+ or PenTest+, renews Security+ automatically, no fees and no paperwork. If you were heading up the ladder anyway, this route costs you nothing extra and is the reason many people time their next cert for year three.

Complete CertMaster CE. CompTIA's own online course for renewal, done at your pace. One purchase, one completion, cert renewed for another cycle without collecting anything.

Collect 50 CEUs. Continuing education units accumulate from things a working security person often does anyway: training, conferences, published work, relevant job activities. Security+ needs 50 across the three years, plus a $50 annual CE fee. This is the standard route for people staying put rather than certifying upward.

Retake the newest exam version. Always available, rarely chosen, since it is the most effort and the most money. The full comparison of all four routes, with costs, lives in our renewal guide.

What lapsing actually costs

Miss the three year window and you are no longer certified. There is no grace period and no reactivation fee to pay your way out: the only route back is sitting the full exam again at the current voucher price of $439. The practical damage depends on your situation. For a civilian job hunt, a lapsed cert is an awkward line on the CV. For government and defence work it can be disqualifying, because DoD roles under the 8140 framework require the certification to be active, a system we cover in our DoD 8140 guide.

The cheap insurance is administrative: know your expiry date, and decide your route in year two rather than month thirty-five. CEUs in particular reward early starters, since fifty units gather comfortably across three years and painfully across three months.

Frequently asked questions

Is Security+ ever valid for life?

Only if it was earned before January 1, 2011. Everything since carries the ce designation and expires after three years unless renewed.

Does a higher certification really renew Security+ automatically?

Yes. Passing a higher CompTIA exam in the CE program, such as CySA+ or PenTest+, renews the certifications below it with no extra fees.

What if my Security+ already expired?

Then renewal options are gone and the only way to hold the certification again is passing the current exam version at full price. Treat it as a fresh attempt, including study time.