I JUST PASSED THE MCLP EXAM - WHEN IS MY FIRST TALLY SHEET DUE?Congratulations!  New MCLPs have a grace period before submitting their first tally sheet.  The year you pass the exam is your grace YEAR.  The next year is the year you start to complete the tally sheet.  You can include all credits earned from the date of your exam through the end of the current year.  Your first tally sheet is due by February of the FOLLOWING year.  

Example:  pass exam in March 2020.  Accumulate credits from March 2020 - December 31, 2021 (the remainder of 2020 and ALL of 2021).  First tally sheet is due by February 15, 2022. We recommend marking your calendar for February 15 when you receive your exam results - and make it an annual repeating calendar alert!

HOW DO I MAINTAIN MY CERTIFICATION?  
MCLPs are required to complete an annual Recertification Tally Sheet (RTS).  This recertification sheet is now entirely ONLINE.  MCLPs are required to obtain ten (10) recertification credits within a calendar year (January 1 – December 31).  Two credits must be safety credits and two must be in the education category.  Incomplete tally sheets will not be processed. Please make sure you have covered all minimum requirements (e.g safety, education, etc).  Accumulated credits do not carry over from year to year.  

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY ANNUAL RECERTIFICATION TALLY SHEET?
MCLPs may submit their RTS electronically via this website. The deadline for submission is February 15 of the following year.  Once the MALP office has received a completed tally sheet and required fees, an MCLP card is mailed.

HOW DO I KNOW IF YOU RECEIVED MY CREDITS?
When you submit your recertification credits through the online Google Form, you will immediately receive a confirmation email. You should be able to search “GOOGLE FORMS” in your emails for that confirmation. If you don't receive this confirmation email, go back and submit your form again.

WHAT ARE THE FEES FOR RECERTIFICATION?
Current MALP members and their employees pay nothing to recertify. Non-members pay an annual administrative fee of $75.00 when they submit their recertification.  All MCLPs are assessed a $50 late fee for RTS forms received after the February 15 deadline.

I NEED TO RE-CERTIFY.  CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY CREDITS HAVE I EARNED THIS YEAR?
MALP does not maintain these records for you.  We can verify events you attended with MALP, but to keep track of all your CEUs, you must maintain your own file (electronic or physical) of all CEU granting events. You may keep registration confirmations, badges or post-event emails.  If you’re missing information, you can try checking your email inbox for confirmations of webinar form submissions, registration receipts or similar from MAA / MLP.  

DO YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION WITH MY RECERTIFICATION FORM?
No.  The recertification program operates on the honor system. Proof of attendance is ot required at the time the RTS is submitted. The MCLP Examining Committee conducts audits on an ongoing basis. If you are audited, you may be required to provide proof of attendance or participation for some credit claimed on your RTS. Accurate record keeping is the responsibility of the individual MCLP.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS TO EARN CREDIT THAT I MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF?
There are a variety of ways to obtain recertification credit during the course of a year.  In addition to the organizations and events listed on the MCLP Recertification Tally Sheet, arboriculture seminars produced by the following Green Industry associations, organizations or institutions are approved for MCLP credit. Membership in any of the following is approved for 1 MCLP credit per year. Proof of attendance and/or membership may be requested at an annual MCLP audit.

Arboreta (i.e. Arnold Arboretum, Morton Arboretum, Morris Arboretum, etc.)

Botanical Societies

Horticultural Societies

Independent Tree Care Seminars (i.e. Shigo & Assoc., ACRT)

Land Grant Universities

State or Community Colleges

State/Regional/National Arboriculture Trade Associations

State/Regional Cooperative Extension Systems

State/Regional/National Allied Green Industry Trade Associations

I TOOK A CLASS / WEBINAR / ETC. CAN I GET CREDIT FOR IT?

If you take a course that falls into the general topics covered in the MCLP study guide, you can include that course on your recertification form (in the "other" category) and receive credit for that continuing education. The education or safety must relate directly to your industry expertise. We would not, for instance, grant credit for learning software to run your business. The general formula for credit awards is outlined in the chart found in the recertification form.

In the event that you are audited, you must be able to provide documentation of taking this course. Unlike a large scale conference, where proof of your attendance can typically be provided by the event organizer or via a group sign in sheet, YOU are responsible for producing proof of attendance for education you find on your own. This proof can take the form of a registration receipt, a screen shot of the webinar presentation, any follow up email or correspondence that thanks you for your participation. For a webinar, the easiest way to prove your attendance is to complete the Webinar Confirmation Form found on this page.

WHAT IF I MISS THE DEADLINES OR DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CREDITS?

After February 15th, an MCLP has until August 31 to re-certify, albeit with a late fee.  After August 31, if the annual recertification credits are not submitted, your MCLP designation may be revoked.   It is always best to submit an RTS form, even if you are short credits. ANY EARNED CREDITS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED along with a note of explanation in the recertification form.  In some cases, a grace period of a few weeks may be granted so that the MCLP can accumulate the necessary missing credits.  In cases of missing credits, an MCLP would be considered provisionally recertified and will be automatically subject to an audit the following year to ensure that all credits are being earned.

One of the best ways to stay current is to make sure the MALP office has a current, working email address for you.  We will send regular reminders of deadlines and upcoming credit-earning opportunities.  Don't let your hard-earned credential expire - and please let our office help you with any questions at all.

An individual whose certification has been revoked may elect to re-take the MCLP examination at the regular fee and may renew their certification status upon successful completion of the examination.  In certain circumstances, an expired MCLP may be reinstated without a re-exam, if the lapsed period is under three years, if missing credits can be documented or if extenuating circumstances (illness, extended time out of the country, for example) can be explained.  All reinstatements are at the discretion of the MCLP Committee and require a $250 reinstatement fee.