Security+ Renewal 2026: CEUs, CE Fee and Every Way to Renew

Does Security+ expire?

How long is Security+ good for?

Three years from the day you pass. CompTIA puts Security+ into its Continuing Education (CE) program automatically, so there’s nothing to enroll in; the clock simply starts on your exam date.

3yrsHow long Security+ stays active. A CEU renewal adds three more.
50CEUs Security+ needs per cycle, against 20 for A+ and 30 for Network+.
$150The CE fee for the whole three-year cycle, due only when you renew by uploading CEUs.
30daysGrace after expiry to pay fees or upload CEUs already earned.

CompTIA’s own example of a renewal cycle

Pass on 15 January 2025
Renew by 15 January 2028
Renewed until 15 January 2031

Your expiry date is in your CompTIA certification account. One rule people miss: sign CompTIA’s Code of Ethics and Candidate Agreement every year, or the certification won’t renew however many CEUs you upload.

Is an old Security+ good for life?

Only one earned before 1 January 2011, when CompTIA started its CE program, and the DoD doesn’t accept those. CompTIA’s CE pages still mention these earlier “good-for-life” (GFL) certifications, and say that any certification earned after 31 December 2010 is valid for three years.

Choose your route

Security+ renewal paths compared

Five routes, with what each costs in money and effort.

How to renew Security+ under CompTIA’s CE rules. Fees and US list prices from CompTIA’s pages, checked 7 November 2026.
Route	What you do	What you pay	Effort	Suits
50 CEUs from activities	Mix training, webinars, work experience, teaching or publishing	$150 CE fee, plus any paid training	About 50 hours if it’s all training, at 1 CEU per hour	People whose job already includes training or mentoring
CertMaster CE	Finish CompTIA’s self-paced course and score 100% on every assessment	$209 course; no CE fee	8–10 hours, CompTIA’s estimate	Holders who passed SY0-601 or an earlier version
A higher CompTIA certification	Earn CySA+, PenTest+ or SecurityX during your cycle	That exam’s voucher; no CE fee	Passing a harder exam	People moving into analyst, testing or architect roles
A newer Security+ exam	Pass SY0-801 if your certification came from SY0-701 or older	A Security+ voucher ($439 for V7); no CE fee	Passing a 90-minute exam	People who’d rather sit one exam than log CEUs
A listed non-CompTIA certification	Earn or renew one CompTIA lists at 50 CEUs, such as CISSP, SSCP, CISM or CEH	$150 CE fee, plus the other vendor’s costs	Depends on the other vendor	People earning one of those anyway

To see where CySA+, PenTest+ and SecurityX sit above Security+, read our CompTIA certification path guide.

Which exam did you pass to earn Security+?

SY0-601 or earlier

CertMaster CE is open to you

CompTIA’s Security+ CE course, launched on 3 October 2023, is limited to people who passed SY0-601 or earlier. It’s the quickest route without an exam, but you can’t renew twice with the same course version.

SY0-701

Pick CEUs, a higher cert or SY0-801

As of 7 November 2026, CompTIA lists no CertMaster CE course for SY0-701 holders. Your one-step options are a higher certification, a listed non-CompTIA certification, or passing SY0-801 once it launches.

Security+ CE activities

Earning 50 CEUs: what counts for Security+

Every activity must be an approved type, relate at least 50% to the Security+ objectives, be documented and fall inside your three-year cycle. CompTIA also caps what each type can earn.

Training course1 CEU per hour50 CEUs
College or ACE course10 CEUs per 3–4 credit-hour class50 CEUs
CompTIA exam workshop1 CEU per hour as a subject matter expert50 CEUs
Publish a bookMust relate to the objectives40
Teach or mentor1 CEU per hour20
Create instructional materials2 CEUs per hour20
Article or white paper4 CEUs each, at least four pages16
Blog posts1 CEU per post of 500+ words16
Live webinars1 CEU per hour10
Conferences1 CEU per hour10
Work experience3 CEUs per year, with an employer letter9

Caps per three-year cycle for Security+, from CompTIA’s activity pages, checked 7 November 2026.

Certifications and DoD training that give partial CEUs

These don’t renew Security+ outright but count toward the 50. The CE fee still applies.

AutoOps+: 28 CEUs
SecAI+: 15 CEUs
CCSP: 43 CEUs
Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate: 33 CEUs
DoD Cybersecurity Fundamentals training: 25 CEUs

Paperwork matters. Training needs a course outline and a completion certificate with your name, the course, the provider, the date and the hours. Work experience needs a signed letter on company letterhead; résumés and work orders don’t count. Each course counts once per cycle, and CompTIA audits submissions at random, so keep every document.

Free CEUs for Security+

Several activities cost nothing but time. This mix reaches 50 within CompTIA’s caps without paying for a course.

A no-cost route to 50 CEUs

Three yearly work letters: 9
10 hours of live webinars: 10
16 blog posts: 16
15 hours of mentoring: 15

Each piece still needs the 50% relevance and the documents CompTIA asks for. On-demand webinars and YouTube videos count only with proof of registration or a completion certificate. You still pay the $150 fee.

Security+ renewal cost

How much does it cost to renew Security+?

You pay the $150 CE fee only when you renew by uploading CEUs, which includes renewing with a non-CompTIA certification. CompTIA’s own one-step routes skip the fee but carry a price of their own.

Renewing with CEUs

CompTIA CE fee · Security+

Pay it: Yearly or all at once
Due by: Your expiry date
Refund if you fall short: None
Other certs renewed free: Network+, A+

Three-year total$150

CompTIA also sells CE tokens of $25 and $50 that pay the fee. They don’t expire and can’t be refunded once uploaded. Checked 7 November 2026.

Passing SY0-801

No CE fee, but you need an exam voucher. CompTIA’s US list price for a Security+ voucher was $439 for V7 when we checked on 7 November 2026.

Security+ exam cost

A higher certification

No CE fee, since CySA+, PenTest+ and SecurityX each renew Security+ in full. You pay for that exam’s voucher instead, so it suits people who want the new certification anyway.

CertMaster CE

No CE fee for the cycle; the Security+ course had a US list price of $209 on 7 November 2026, payable by credit card only. Already paid CE fees this cycle? CompTIA says you can request a refund, since they can’t go toward the course.

Tip: wait to pay the CE fee until your CEUs are ready to upload.

Worked example

Certified in March 2024: what to do by March 2027

Say you passed SY0-701 on 15 March 2024. Your Security+ expires on 15 March 2027. Here’s how each route plays out.

2024: the clock starts

Note your expiry date and sign the yearly Code of Ethics and Candidate Agreement.
2025: bank the easy CEUs

Get a work-experience letter at the end of each CE year (3 CEUs). Upload training as you finish it.
November 2026: pick a lane

SY0-801 is expected on or around 17 November 2026. Short of CEUs? Passing it, or earning CySA+, renews you with no fee.
By 15 March 2027: finish

Upload the last CEUs and pay the $150, or pass your exam, before the expiry date.

New expiry date by route, for Security+ earned on 15 March 2024, following CompTIA’s renewal-cycle and higher-certification examples.
If you renew by	Security+ is then valid until
50 CEUs and the $150 fee	15 March 2030, three years after the old expiry date
Earning CySA+ on 10 September 2026	10 September 2029, aligned to the CySA+ date
Passing SY0-801	CompTIA’s CE pages don’t say how the new date is set, so check your account after you pass
Doing nothing	Expires on 15 March 2027; after 30 days of grace, only a new exam pass restores it

Renewing by exam

Does passing SY0-801 renew Security+?

Yes, if your Security+ came from an older exam version and you pass SY0-801 within your three-year cycle. CompTIA renews the certification automatically, with no CE fee and nothing to upload.

Security+ exam versions

SY0-601
SY0-701: until 11 June 2027 (English)
SY0-801: from about 17 November 2026

Newer than yours
The exam you pass must be a newer version than the one that earned your certification.
Inside your cycle
You have to pass before your current expiry date. After it, a pass makes you certified again rather than renewed.
Not the same version twice
Once you’ve passed a version, sitting it again won’t renew your certification.

Holding an SY0-601 certification?

Until SY0-801 arrives, the latest release is SY0-701; after that, it’s SY0-801. CompTIA’s rule says “the latest release”, so if you plan to renew with SY0-701 during the overlap, confirm with CompTIA before you book.

Prepare like a first-time candidate: SY0-801 adds an objective on AI threats. Our SY0-801 vs SY0-701 guide lists what changed. Then work through practice questions by domain and finish with full-length SY0-801 practice exams: 90 questions in 90 minutes, PBQs first.

Missed the date?

What happens if your Security+ expires?

It expires on the expiry date. CompTIA then allows 30 days, but only to pay outstanding fees or upload CEUs you earned during the original cycle. After that, the only way back is to pass the latest version of the exam.

What happens after the expiry date

Expiry date
30-day grace: fees and earlier CEUs only
Grace ends: no renewal
Pass the latest exam

Using CertMaster CE? CompTIA warns it may block redeeming the course within 24–48 hours of expiry, and it records completion in UTC, not local time.

DoD personnel

Security+ CE rules for DoD staff and contractors

The same CE rules apply, plus a few extras for US Department of Defense personnel. For which roles need Security+, see DoD 8140 and Security+.

Good-for-life doesn’t count

CompTIA states that the DoD hasn’t recognized GFL certifications since 1 January 2011, so a Security+ used for a DoD role must be kept current.

Your fee may be covered

DoD components can buy CE tokens in bulk, with a minimum of 10 per order, to pay employees’ CE fees. Ask your manager or component point of contact.

DoD training earns CEUs

DoD Cybersecurity Fundamentals training is worth 25 CEUs toward Security+, and CompTIA pre-approves courses from providers such as the DC3 Cyber Training Academy, the Defense Acquisition University and CDSE.

FAQ

Security+ renewal questions

Do you have to renew Security+?

Yes, if you want it to stay active. Security+ is valid for three years from the date you earn it, then expires unless renewed. CompTIA still mentions good-for-life certifications from before 2011, but the DoD doesn’t recognize them.

What is the easiest way to renew Security+?

It depends on the exam you passed. With SY0-601 or earlier, CertMaster CE is quickest: CompTIA estimates 8–10 hours, with no CE fee. With SY0-701, choose 50 CEUs plus the $150 fee, a higher certification such as CySA+, or passing SY0-801.

How much does Security+ renewal cost?

$150 in CE fees for the three-year cycle if you renew with CEUs. A newer Security+ exam, a higher-level CompTIA certification or CertMaster CE waives the fee, but you pay for that exam or course instead: $439 for a Security+ V7 voucher or $209 for CertMaster CE, at US list prices checked 7 November 2026.

What happens if my Security+ expires?

You get a 30-day grace period to pay outstanding CE fees or upload CEUs you earned during your cycle. Activities completed after the expiry date don’t count. Once the grace period ends, you have to pass the latest version of the exam to be certified again.

How long does Security+ CertMaster CE take?

CompTIA estimates 8 to 10 hours, depending on what you already know. You must score 100% on every assessment (you can reset them), and access lasts 12 months. It’s open only to people who earned Security+ with SY0-601 or earlier.

Checked 7 November 2026

Sources

All CompTIA pages, fetched on that date. CompTIA changes these lists without notice.

Renewing by exam? Find your gaps first

Take a free Security+ practice test in exam mode. Your domain bars show where you’re weakest before you spend money on a voucher.

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