AANPCB Audit Requirements: What CE Documentation Should You Keep?
Reviewed August 2026 · 3 min read
The current AANPCB/NPCB renewal process doesn't generally require you to upload all of your CE documentation when you submit your renewal application.
Instead, you attest that you've completed the requirements.
But there's an important second half to that process: your documentation can still be requested if you're selected for audit.
That makes keeping an organized CE record just as important—even when you don't submit the record at renewal.
How does the renewal audit process work?
NPCB says it conducts audits of renewal applications to verify that certification-maintenance requirements have been met.
If your application is selected for audit, NPCB will provide instructions for submitting documentation that verifies the information included in your renewal application.
Applicants generally should not submit supporting documentation unless NPCB requests it.
How long should you keep your CE records?
NPCB's current guidance says applicants should retain verification of continuing education and other renewal activities for two years following the renewal deadline.
That means finishing your renewal isn't necessarily the point when you want to clean out your CE folder.
What should you keep?
Start with documentation that supports what you're counting toward your renewal.
For continuing education, that means maintaining the documentation associated with the CE you've completed rather than relying solely on your own list of course names and hours.
If you're counting academic coursework, NPCB says a university transcript showing course completion may be requested. Documentation may also be requested for qualifying preceptorship used toward renewal.
The exact documentation needed can depend on the activity and certification pathway, so the current renewal handbook should remain your authoritative reference.
A certificate folder is helpful. A record is better.
Saving every certificate is a good start.
But five years later, a folder full of PDFs with names like certificate_48372.pdf isn't especially helpful.
For each CE activity, consider keeping the certificate together with a simple record of:
- Course or activity name
- Date completed
- CE provider
- Total contact hours
- Pharmacology hours, when applicable
- The certificate or supporting documentation
For other renewal activities, keep the information and documentation relevant to how you're counting them.
The point is to preserve the connection between what you're claiming and the document that supports it.
Don't wait until renewal to organize five years of CE
There's nothing sophisticated about the best CE-recordkeeping system.
It works because you use it.
Add an activity when you finish it. Attach the certificate while it's still sitting in your downloads folder or email. Check your totals occasionally.
A minute today is easier than searching through five years of email later.
Keep your own record
Your certification organization is the authority on what counts toward certification.
But maintaining the record doesn't have to depend entirely on someone else's portal.
An independent CE record gives you one place to see what you've earned, where your documentation is, and what you may still need.
Keep it as you go. Have it when you need it.
This article provides general information and is not certification or legal advice. Audit procedures and renewal requirements can change. Always consult NPCB/AANPCB's current renewal materials for requirements applicable to your certification.