Certificate Maintenance

A certificate holder must renew the certificate annually by paying the annual certificate renewal fee to Texas Health and Human Services Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services before the expiration date. Certificate renewal notifications will be sent at least 60 days before the expiration date. Certificate holders must ensure that the online BEI Registry has their valid email address to receive notifications. A certificate holder's failure to receive notice does not prevent the expiration of a certificate. Read more about annual certification in the BEI handbook.

To maintain BEI certification, ten continuing education units (100 clock hours) must be earned during each five-year certificate cycle. At the end of the five-year period, certificate holders must apply to recertify their certificates for an additional five years.

Holders of a BEI General Certificate must satisfy:

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

Some CEU workshops may be awarded an E/I code that can be applied to either Ethics or Interpreting. E/I coded CEUs may not be applied to both categories as this results in duplication of CEUs. BEI Certificate holders must earn at least six Interpreting and at least two Ethics CEUs.

General CEUs are not required. An interpreter can meet the 10 CEU requirement through Interpreting and Ethics CEUs without taking any General CEUs. The intent of General CEUs is to allow interpreters to receive training in areas outside of interpreting and ethics to help with content of the interpreted subject.

Click here to learn more about the five-year recertification period.