AZ-400 certification does expire, unlike some fundamentals-level Microsoft credentials. Az 400 renewal is a free, unproctored, open-book online assessment through Microsoft Learn, available during a window before your certification's expiration date. Passing it extends your validity by one year from your original expiration date, not from the day you renew.
Not every Microsoft certification works the same way when it comes to expiration, so this page states exactly what Microsoft publishes about az 400 renewal, sourced from Microsoft's general certification renewal policy and the AZ-400 exam page.
Does AZ 400 expire?
Yes. AZ-400 is not one of the fundamentals-level certifications that Microsoft allows to remain valid indefinitely — this page does not make that claim because Microsoft's policy does not support it for AZ-400. Your certification has a defined validity period and needs periodic renewal to stay current.
AZ 400 validity period
Microsoft's certification validity period is one year from the date you earn (or last renew) the credential. Mark that date, since Microsoft opens the renewal window before expiration rather than after, and missing it means the credential lapses.
How AZ 400 renewal works
Renewal happens through a free, unproctored, open-book online assessment on Microsoft Learn — not a repeat of the full AZ-400 exam. Microsoft opens this assessment during a window in the months leading up to your expiration date, so you do not need to wait until the last moment, but you also cannot renew arbitrarily early. Passing the renewal assessment extends your certification's validity by one year, counted from your original expiration date rather than from the day you actually completed the renewal — so renewing early does not cost you any validity time.
What renewal is not
Renewal is not a retake of the original proctored AZ-400 exam, and it is not identical in format to your first attempt. It is unproctored and open-book, which reflects that its purpose is confirming your knowledge is current, not re-testing you under original exam conditions. Do not confuse the renewal assessment's rules with the retake policy that applies if you fail the original proctored exam — those are separate processes with separate rules.
If you miss the renewal window
Microsoft's general renewal policy is built around renewing before expiration; this page does not state what happens if you let AZ-400 lapse entirely, because that detail is not part of the facts this hub verified for this exam. If your certification has already expired or is close to it, go directly to Microsoft's renewal policy page or your Microsoft Learn profile for the current, authoritative answer rather than relying on a secondary source.
Why renewal exists at all
DevOps tooling changes quickly: Azure Pipelines, GitHub Actions, and the security and monitoring services layered around them all get new features and deprecate old ones on a regular basis. A certification earned several years ago on a syllabus that has since moved on is a weaker signal of current skill than one kept active through renewal. That is the practical reason Microsoft ties AZ-400 to a validity period rather than issuing it as a one-time, permanent credential, and it is also why the renewal assessment reflects the current exam objectives rather than the version you originally studied.
Renewal and your broader certification path
AZ-400 is part of the path toward Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert. Keeping it current through renewal matters if that expert-level credential, or any role that lists AZ-400 as a requirement, depends on an active certification rather than a one-time achievement. See the career path page for where AZ-400 leads next.
Before your renewal window opens
Review the exam objectives periodically even after you pass, since Microsoft updates exam content over time and the renewal assessment reflects the current syllabus, not the one you originally studied. If you are still working toward your first AZ-400 attempt, none of this applies yet — check prerequisites and cost and booking instead.
Exam facts on this page come from Microsoft’s own pages (official exam page). Prices, versions and policies change — confirm there before you book.