BEI 5-year Recertification

Each BEI certificate holder must earn a total of 10 continuing education units (100 clock hours) during the five-year certification period in the amounts and topics as stipulated in the following to be eligible for recertification. More information is available in the BEI Handbook.

CEU Requirements

Single Certificate Holder

A BEI certificate holder who possesses one certificate must provide proof of CEUs earned during their five-year certification cycle.

The BEI certificate holder must comply with annual certificate renewal procedures to maintain active certification status.

CEUs may not be carried over from one five-year cycle to another.

Multiple Certificates Holder

A BEI certificate holder who possesses more than one BEI certificate is considered a multiple certificate holder. This means:

  • When a current BEI certificate holder is awarded an additional BEI certificate, the current and new certificates are assigned a single, new five-year certification cycle that begins on the award date of the newest BEI certificate(s).
  • The new five-year certification cycle and the annual renewal date each become due as of the award date of the newest BEI certificate.
  • All certificates are assigned one certificate number.
  • Any CEUs earned before the multiple certificate award date are void.
  • The certificate holder has five years from the multiple certificate award date to earn all required CEUs.

BEI CEUs Requirement

A BEI certificate holder must earn a specified number of CEUs during the five-year certification period.

First-time CEUs credit is approved only once in a five-year certification period.

Holders of a BEI General Certificate must satisfy:

  • At least six CEUs (60 clock hours) in interpreting-related topics
  • At least two CEUs (20 clock hours) in ethics-related topics
  • No more than two CEUs (20 clock hours) in general studies

Holders of a BEI General Certificate and a Court Certificate must satisfy:

  • Six CEUs (60 clock hours) in interpreting-related topics
  • Two CEUs (20 clock hours) in court-related topics approved by DHHS
  • Two CEUs (20 clock hours) in ethics-related topics

Holders of a BEI General Certificate and a Trilingual Certificate must satisfy:

  • Five CEUs (50 clock hours) in interpreting-related topics
  • Three CEUs (30 clock hours) in trilingual-related topics
  • Two CEUs (20 clock hours) in ethics-related topics

Holders of a BEI General Certificate and a Medical Certificate must satisfy:

  • Six CEUs (60 clock hours) in interpreting-related topics
  • Two CEUs (20 clock hours) in medical-related topics approved by DHHS
  • Two CEUs (20 clock hours) in ethics-related topics

Holders of a BEI Court Interpreter Certificate and a current RID Certificate must satisfy:

  • Two CEUs (20 clock hours) in court-related topics approved by DHHS

Holders of a BEI Trilingual Interpreter Certificate and a current RID Certificate must satisfy:

  • Three CEUs (30 clock hours) in trilingual-related topics

Holders of a BEI Medical Interpreter Certificate and a current RID Certificate must satisfy:

  • Two CEUs (20 clock hours) in medical-related topics

Acceptable Ways to Earn CEUs

A BEI certificate holder can earn CEUs by:

  • Participating in state or national workshops or conferences for interpreters documenting first-time preparation for a workshop presentation at a professional conference, seminar, or in-service training session.
    • A DHHS CEU Application must be received 30 days before the event; double CEUs will not be awarded.
  • Participating in the DHHS-approved court interpreter mentorship program.
  • Completing DHHS or RID-approved distance learning classes, correspondence courses, or self-study video courses.
  • Taking courses from an accredited college or university and earning a grade of C or better.
    • CEUs are calculated by multiplying one semester hour by 1.5 or one-quarter semester hour by 1.
    • An official college transcript is required.
  • Participating in in-service trainings, employee orientations or K-12 and post-secondary educational workshops.

Credit may only be given for a workshop once in a five-year renewal cycle.

The same CEUs from one workshop completion cannot be used to satisfy the CEU requirements for more than one BEI certificate.

The dates the CEUs were earned must fall within the five-year certification cycle.

CEUs are not carried over from one renewal period to the next renewal period.

Examples of General CEUs

General studies are non-related interpreting training which may be earned in workforce or career training, personal enrichment courses such as:

  • College credit courses (official college transcript required)
  • In-service trainings (certificate of attendance required)
  • Employer orientations
  • Other professional field trainings
  • K-12 and postsecondary education-related trainings

Documenting Ethics Courses or Workshops Not Endorsed by DHHS

To document ethics courses or workshops not endorsed by DHHS, a BEI certificate holder must submit a description of the ethics topic(s) covered in the course or workshop, along with a letter from the instructor verifying the exact amount of time spent discussing ethics if the course focused on multiple subject areas.

If a BEI certificate holder does not provide the required documentation, they will not receive credit for the ethics CEUs.