Guide to Maintaining Your Certification

Voluntary Relinquishment

If you are no longer providing patient care but are not eligible for emeritus status or if you wish to inactivate a credential you are no longer using, you can voluntarily relinquish your credential. Once you have done so, you may not use your credential for professional compensation or the for the benefit of an ABC accredited facility. You will no longer be in the online directory, receive complimentary publications or be required to pay an annual renewal fee.

Emeritus Status

Emeritus is an inactive/retired status reserved for certified individuals who satisfy the following requirements:

• Officially retired and not engaged in any paid, direct patient care employment arrangement using the ABC credential
• Credentialed by ABC/BCP for at least 25 years
• In good standing at the time of the request (not suspended or revoked for non-payment or lack of continuing education)

Once granted Emeritus status, you cannot use the ABC credential to provide direct patient care, including consulting on a patient's current treatment, for professional compensation or for the benefit of an orthotics, prosthetics, pedorthic or mastectomy facility. You may use your credential with an (E) designation following your credential if you are providing patient care for humanitarian or charitable purposes or when providing expert witness testimony.

Your annual renewal fee is no longer required once you are granted Emeritus status. You will receive a new certificate verifying your Emeritus status. You will continue to receive a complimentary subscription to the O&P Almanac and Mark of Merit newsletter.

Reinstating Voluntarily Relinquished or Emeritus Credentials

If you have relinquished your credential or have become emeritus and you wish to reinstate your credential, you may do so within one year by submitting a written request to ABC via email to ce@abcop.org. You will be subject to the following reinstatement policies:

• If you relinquished your credential or became emeritus while in good standing (current on CE credits and annual fee), to reinstate, all current fees must be submitted. Your CE cycle will be set to your last CE effective date and the expiration date will be extended.
• If you were on suspension (for either non-payment or lack of CE credits) when you voluntarily relinquished your credential, you may only reinstate your credential if you retake the necessary exam(s).
• If you relinquished your credential or became emeritus in the final year of your CE cycle and had not completed your credits, you will be assessed penalty credits which must be completed along with outstanding balance of your CE credits. These must be completed within the year and all fees must be paid before you can be reinstated.
• To return to active practice after one year, you must pass your discipline specific certification exam(s) as well as pay the current year’s annual fee. You will not be required to meet the current educational and experiential requirements. After passing the exam(s), you will receive a new certification number, certification date and CE expiration date.