Network+ renewal: 30 CEUs, the $150 fee, and the shortcuts

Every figure below was read off CompTIA’s own continuing education pages on October 8, 2026, and each is linked to the page it came from. CompTIA publishes one set of tables for all its certifications, with a column per certification, so everything here is the Network+ column. Security+ and CySA+ have different numbers; see our Security+ renewal guide for those.

The three year clock and the 30 CEUs

Your renewal cycle is three years from the date you certified, not from January. CompTIA’s CEU tables set the Network+ requirement at 30 CEUs for the cycle, against 50 for Security+.

Two rules apply to every activity. It has to happen during the cycle, so nothing you did before you passed counts. And at least 50 percent of the content has to relate to the Network+ exam objectives. CompTIA says it looks at more than topic names when it judges that, including the cognitive level of the material.

What earns CEUs toward Network+, and the caps

The caps decide how you plan. Training, college courses, and CompTIA exam workshops can carry the whole 30 on their own. Webinars and conferences top out at 6 each for the whole cycle, so they are filler, not a plan. Work experience is worth 9 at most across three years, even in a full time network job.

Training needs a course outline and a completion certificate showing your name, the course, the provider, the date, and the hours. Work experience needs a letter from your employer on company letterhead; CompTIA says work orders, performance reports, and resumes do not count. On-demand webinars and YouTube videos count only with proof of registration or a completion certificate.

If you work for or alongside the US Department of Defense, one item on CompTIA’s pre-approved training list is worth knowing: the DoD Cybersecurity Fundamentals (IAF) and Cyberspace Operations Fundamentals (CCFC) courses are worth 15 CEUs toward Network+, half the total.

The $150 fee

The CE fee for Network+ is $150 for the three year period, the same as Security+, and it is due by your expiration date. You pay it with CE tokens, sold at $25 and $50, which do not expire but are not refundable once uploaded.

No fee is due if you renew by passing the latest version of the exam, by earning a higher level CompTIA certification that fully renews Network+, or by completing CertMaster CE. The fee does still apply when you renew with a non-CompTIA certification.

The usual route: earn Security+ and Network+ renews itself

CompTIA’s higher level renewal table lists Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX, and Cloud+ V3 as fully renewing Network+. Cloud+ V4 does not. Its fee page adds that when you renew the higher level certification, the lower ones renew with it at no extra fee.

If Security+ is your next certification anyway, this route costs nothing extra. The condition is timing: CompTIA requires the higher level certification to be earned during your Network+ cycle, so a Security+ pass after Network+ has expired does not bring it back. Network+ then takes the Security+ expiration date, three years from the day you pass Security+, rather than three years added to its old date. Our Network+ vs Security+ guide covers how the two exams compare.

A few CompTIA certifications give partial credit instead. Per CompTIA’s partial CEU table, earning CloudNetX is worth 24, Cloud+ is worth 15, and SecAI+ is worth 5 CEUs toward Network+.

Passing the newest exam, or CertMaster CE

Passing a newer version of the Network+ exam than the one you hold, during your cycle, renews it with the CE fee waived. The current exam is N10-009, launched June 20, 2024, with retirement listed as usually three years after launch (estimated 2027). If you passed N10-008 or earlier, passing N10-009 renews you now. If you passed N10-009, the exam route waits for the next version.

CertMaster CE for Network+ is a self-paced course CompTIA estimates at 8 to 10 hours. Finishing it with 100 percent on every assessment renews Network+ automatically, with no CE fee for that cycle. The catch is eligibility: CompTIA limits it to people who earned Network+ by passing N10-008 or earlier. If you passed N10-009, it is not open to you on October 8, 2026.

The non-CompTIA certifications that renew Network+

CompTIA’s Network+ list runs to more than a hundred certifications from over twenty vendors. Each one counts if you earn or renew it during your Network+ cycle. You submit the certificate, transcript, or badge link; a score report or training certificate does not count. The $150 CE fee still applies on this route. A selection of the best known entries:

One absence matters for network people: on October 8, 2026 the list did not include CCNA. It included Cisco CyberOps Associate, DevNet Associate, and several CCNP and CCIE certifications, but not CCNA itself. If you were planning to renew Network+ by earning CCNA, earn Security+ or one of the listed certifications instead, or check the list again before you rely on it. Our CCNA vs Security+ guide covers that choice.

What happens if Network+ lapses

CompTIA’s certification renewal policy gives a 30 day grace period after the expiration date, only to pay outstanding fees or submit CEUs you already earned inside the original cycle. It is not 30 more days to go and earn them. After that, the only way back is passing the latest version of the exam.

FAQ

Renewing Network+ by earning Security+? The first module of our Security+ course, General security concepts, is free. The exam details are on our Network+ certification page.