How to Renew Security+

If your Security+ certification is about to expire, you shouldn’t guess. You just need to choose the renewal option that fits how you already work: earn 50 CEUs, use CompTIA CertMaster CE, earn a higher-level certification, or (when it’s available) take the latest full Security+ exam again. Each option has its own timeline, paperwork, and effort level.

How Security+ renewal works over the three-year certification period

Security+ runs on a three-year certification period. During that window, you renew by completing one of the approved paths.

Also, renewal usually isn’t something you do at the very last minute. Most people plan across the whole three years, based on what they can realistically do—work experience, training, or platform-based learning—then submit proof on time.

Here’s the decision you’re actually making:

• Do you want to track and submit CEUs over time?
• Do you want a more guided option like CompTIA CertMaster CE?
• Do you already plan to move to another certification anyway (a higher-level certification)?
• Or do you prefer the simpler “reset” approach—take the latest full exam (if it’s available as a renewal option)?

The main ways to renew Security+

Based on commonly listed renewal routes for Security+, you can renew in these main ways:

1. Complete 50 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) during the three-year period
2. Use CompTIA CertMaster CE (it’s listed as a renewal option)
3. Earn a higher-level certification
4. Pass the latest version of the full Security+ exam (a newer exam release may be accepted for renewal)

A lot of guides skim the options and move on. Don’t do that. The “best” choice depends on what you can document and what deadline you’re working with.

Quick reality check about “what counts”

CompTIA’s renewal process involves submitting qualifying activities and uploading supporting documentation. So even if something sounds relevant, your goal is to make sure it qualifies in the way CompTIA requires.

Also, the information here doesn’t confirm every detail you might care about, like what happens after expiration or the exact pricing for every route. If you’re comparing costs or planning right up to a deadline, verify those points before you commit.

Renewing with 50 CEUs

This is the most straightforward option: you earn 50 CEUs during your three-year certification period, then submit them with the required proof.

Practical steps (so you don’t get stuck at the end)

• Track your activities from day one

Don’t wait until month 34. Keep notes as you go.

• Collect proof early

If you teach, complete training, or do other qualifying activities, save the evidence you’ll need later.

• Match your activities to CEU categories (based on what CompTIA allows)

The activity has to qualify, not just be “security-related” in general.

• Submit your CEUs using CompTIA’s process

CompTIA provides a submission method and documentation upload steps. Plan time for it.

How many CEUs to renew Security+?

To renew using CEUs, the target is 50 CEUs over the three-year certification period.

What to watch for

• If you’re near the end, CEU renewal can be stressful because you still need enough qualifying time/activities and enough documentation to support them.
• The information here doesn’t confirm what happens if you miss the deadline or how reinstatement works. If your date is close, check your status and options before you plan around anything.

Renewing online with CompTIA CertMaster CE

If you don’t want to manage a bunch of separate CEU activities, CompTIA CertMaster CE is listed as a renewal option.

Think of CertMaster CE as a more guided route than building your own CEU plan. In the material available here, it isn’t framed as “earning CEUs by stacking multiple activities” the way a traditional CEU mix works, but it is included among the renewal methods you can use.

When CertMaster CE tends to be the right fit

• You want an online option tied to CompTIA’s renewal tools.
• You’d rather follow a structured program than figure out which activities qualify on your own.
• You prefer working through a platform-based approach, then submitting whatever documentation/credit that process provides.

What you still need to do

Even with an online option, don’t skip the submission piece. CompTIA still uses a process for submitting qualifying activities and uploading supporting documentation. So the work isn’t only completing the program, it’s also making sure your renewal submission is complete.

Renewing by passing the latest Security+ exam

Another renewal route is taking the latest full Security+ exam when a newer version is available for renewal.

Instead of collecting CEUs, this option renews your certification by getting a passing score on the current exam release.

The main “decision points” here

• Is the latest version available for renewal in your situation?

The information you have says a newer version *may* be used, but it doesn’t spell out the exact timing rules.

• Are you willing to retest?

This can be heavier than doing CEUs, but it can make sense if you’d rather study for one exam than track and submit multiple activities.

A note on “online renewal”

People often ask “how to renew Security+ online,” and the exam option gets mixed into that question. Taking the exam is still taking an exam. The “online” part usually refers to how the exam is delivered or whether you have access, not that you can renew without studying. If you want something truly “online and lighter on paperwork,” you’ll likely look more closely at CertMaster CE.

Renewing by earning a higher-level certification

If you’re already working toward another certification, this can be a clean option.

The information you have lists a higher-level certification as one way to renew Security+. In other words, instead of earning CEUs, you can renew by moving up to a higher credential.

When this is usually the simplest route

• You already plan to upgrade your skills and credentials.
• You don’t want CEU tracking on top of studying for your next certification.
• You’d rather make one bigger step that could support your career longer term.

Important caveat

The material here doesn’t confirm which specific “higher-level certification” options qualify or how they map to Security+. So don’t assume every upgrade will work. Check the renewal-qualifying list so you don’t pick a credential that won’t count.

Renewal fees, documentation, and submitting CEUs

Let’s separate what’s actually mentioned from what isn’t.

The one fee that’s specifically mentioned

One renewal guide lists a $150 renewal fee. That suggests at least one guide source names a stated renewal fee, but the information here doesn’t confirm pricing details for every route.

So if you’re trying to compare costs across CEUs, CertMaster CE, and exams, treat $150 as a starting point, not a complete price sheet for all options.

Documentation and submissions

CompTIA provides a process where you can:

• submit qualifying CEUs, and
• upload supporting documentation

Even if you choose CertMaster CE (or another renewal route), keep records. CompTIA may ask you to verify what you completed.

What the available research does *not* establish

Based on what’s available here, it’s not possible to confirm:

• the exact cost of every renewal route,
• what outcomes apply if your Security+ expires,
• which option is universally “easiest,”
• the exact rules for how close to expiration you can still renew (beyond the general idea of the three-year certification period).

The safest approach is to use the requirements you can verify, then build your plan around your real deadline.

What to check if your Security+ certification is close to expiring

Near the end, small misunderstandings turn into big problems. Before you choose a route, check these things in this order:

1) Your exact status and end date

Make sure you’re looking at the right certification and the right expiration date. If you’re already close, don’t wait on “later this month.”

2) Which renewal routes still fit your timeline

• If you’re going for 50 CEUs, you need enough qualifying activities and enough time to submit and upload proof.
• If you’re considering CertMaster CE, confirm that it fits your schedule.
• If you want to use the latest exam option, confirm it’s eligible for your situation.
• If you’re moving to a higher-level certification, confirm it’s the type of upgrade that counts for renewal.

3) Your ability to document what you’ve done

A lot of renewal stress is paperwork. Before you decide, ask whether you already have the proof, or whether you’d need to rebuild it.

4) Costs and deadlines

You have at least one stated number ($150 renewal fee) from a guide, but not full pricing for every route. Look up the current fees for the option you choose, and then confirm you can finish everything before your window closes.

5) Don’t guess about expired certifications

The information you have doesn’t explain what happens after expiration. So if your certification is already expired (or very close), verify the reinstatement and renewal rules directly through CompTIA before you plan around assumptions.

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If you want the cleanest plan, start by checking your CompTIA Security+ certification status, then pick the renewal route that matches both your deadline and your documentation needs (50 CEUs, CertMaster CE, a higher-level certification, or the latest full exam when eligible).