13  Maintenance of Certification

Members maintain their certified status through annual payment of membership dues and certification fees to the ASA. (See Section 4.1 for issues related to lapse of ASA membership. See Section 19.1 for issues related to effects of lapses on usage of the DSP or AdvDSP designations.)

13.1 Fee Lapses

Lapse Duration	Consequence
Less than 6 months	May be automatically reinstated through payment of lapsed fees
6 months or more	Permanent lapse—individual must reapply for certification

Failure to pay certification fees are grounds for loss of certified status. Exceptions may be granted by the executive director under special circumstances (for example, a prolonged illness).

Certified members may choose to terminate certification at any time, though membership dues and certification fees are nonrefundable.