CompTIA Security+ renewal is required because the certification is valid for a set number of years, not for life. CompTIA offers three official renewal paths: earning Continuing Education units within the renewal cycle, passing the current version of the exam again, or earning a higher-level CompTIA certification. Each path keeps your certification active without requiring you to retake the exact same exam from scratch.
CompTIA Security+ does expire if you do not renew it, but CompTIA gives you more than one way to keep it active. This page covers how long the certification lasts and exactly what each renewal path involves, using only what CompTIA publishes about the process.
Does CompTIA Security+ expire?
Yes. CompTIA Security+ is valid for a set renewal cycle rather than permanently, so you need to complete one of CompTIA's renewal paths before your certification lapses. Losing an active certification typically means you would need to pass the current exam again from scratch to regain it, which is exactly what the renewal paths below are designed to prevent.
How long is CompTIA Security+ valid for?
CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 is valid for a renewal cycle. Mark your certification date and plan your renewal activity well before that cycle ends, since some renewal paths, particularly earning Continuing Education units, take time to accumulate and are far easier to manage steadily than in a last-minute rush.
The three CompTIA Security+ renewal paths
CompTIA gives you three official ways to renew Security+:
- Continuing Education (CE) program. Earn CEUs within your renewal cycle through qualifying activities. CompTIA requires that these activities be at least half relevant to the exam objectives, so not just any professional development counts; check the specific activity against CompTIA's CE program rules before assuming it qualifies.
- Pass the current exam version again. Sitting and passing the exam version that is current at the time renews your certification, effectively resetting your renewal cycle the way your original pass did.
- Earn a higher CompTIA certification. Passing certain higher-level CompTIA certifications renews Security+ automatically, since the higher certification is understood to cover the same or broader ground.
Most working professionals use the CE program path, since it lets you renew through ongoing professional activity rather than sitting a full exam again. If you are already planning to pursue a higher CompTIA credential anyway, that path can renew Security+ as a byproduct of that goal.
What counts toward Continuing Education?
CompTIA requires CE activities to be at least half relevant to the Security+ exam objectives. This means training, professional development, or other qualifying activities need a clear connection to the domains covered on the exam objectives page, not just general IT work. Keep records of what you complete throughout your renewal cycle so you are not scrambling to document everything close to your renewal deadline.
Planning your renewal timeline
The most reliable approach is to treat renewal as an ongoing task rather than a deadline you address at the end of your cycle. If you are pursuing the CE path, look for qualifying activities steadily throughout your renewal cycle instead of trying to earn everything in the final months. If you are planning to renew by passing the current exam again, build in enough runway to review changed objectives, since exam versions do get updated over time and a renewal attempt on a newer version may cover material that was not on your original exam.
For what the current exam version actually tests, see the exam objectives and exam format and scoring pages, and for booking a renewal attempt through the exam path, see cost and booking.
After you renew
Once you complete a renewal path, your certification's active status carries forward and a new renewal cycle begins from that point. The process repeats the same way each cycle: choose a path, complete it before your deadline, and your CompTIA Security+ certification stays current.
Exam facts on this page come from CompTIA’s own pages (official exam page). Prices, versions and policies change — confirm there before you book.