• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • About
    • Leadership
    • Code of Ethics
    • Privacy Commitment
    • PACC Fellows
    • Speaking Invitations & Media Requests
  • Get Involved
    • Join the PACC
      • Advancing the Profession
      • Member Benefits
      • Why Join the PACC
        • Sponsors and Partners
      • Member Contact Update
    • Subscribe
    • Donate
      • Donor Bill of Rights
    • Speak Out
    • Volunteer
  • Certification
    • Guiding the Profession
    • Why Pursue Certification?
    • Benefits of Certification
    • Certificate or Certification?
    • Recertification
    • Certification FAQ
    • Accreditation
  • Careers
    • Current Opportunities
  • Resources
    • Strategic Privacy and Access Resource Center
      • Parents & Teachers
      • Standards
      • International Data Flows
      • SPARC Contribution Guidelines
      • Commissioners & Legislation
    • Reports
    • Recommended Reading
    • Media
    • Reports
  • News & Views
  • Training
    • Events Calendar
    • Privacy & Data Governance Congress 2026
    • Congress 2025 Presentation Resources
    • Past Events
    • Professional Development
    • Suggest a Speaker
  • Bill C-2
  • Login

Privacy and Access Council of Canada

The voice for privacy and access

Recertification

The world of Information Privacy, Data Protection, and Access-to-Information is changing quickly with new technologies, laws, and expectations.

Having a PACC Associate, Chartered or Master designation after your name signals that your skill, education, and experience meet or exceed the National Standard of Competency.

All PACC-certified professionals must recertify every three years to maintain their designation and show their commitment to continuous competence and knowledge development.

DesignationRecertification RequiredObtained or Recertified InRenew In
AAPPEvery 3 years20222025
CAPPEvery 3 years20222025
MAPPEvery 3 years20222025

Why Recertify?

Maintain your PACC Professional Certification to:

  • Demonstrate that you have met your commitment to keeping current on access and privacy-related laws, practices, standards, methodologies, terminology and technologies
  • Show that you are committed to continually acquiring new knowledge relevant to Information Privacy and Access-to-Information
  • Indicate that you continually build familiarity with current and emerging topics, issues and regulatory requirements relevant to Information Privacy and Access-to-Information
  • Stay part of the PACC community

The Certification Handbook explains what’s needed and how to go about renewing and upgrading AAPP, CAPP and MAPP credentials.

Log in to download the current Certification Handbook.

The Recertification Process

Recertification is a straightforward process that includes demonstrating that:

  • You are actively practicing in the profession
  • Your Continuing Professional Development activities have met or surpassed the required minimums
  • You continue to be a PACC member in good standing
  • You have met the other requirements outlined in the Certification Handbook

To start the recertification process, members can download, complete and submit a Recertification Reporting Form together with the required certification renewal fee.

If you cannot log in to download the form, your membership might have lapsed. Contact us to verify your membership status.

Inactive Status

If you are unable to renew due to personal or professional reasons, you may request (before your certification expires) that your certification be declared inactive, which would give you a three-year window in which to pursue your certification renewal.

The (non-refundable) fee to apply for inactive status is $150.

Conditions of inactive status:

  • available for one three-year term only
  • becomes active the day after your certification term ends
  • means you may not use your credential or hold yourself out as PACC-certified until your certification is reactivated
  • requires maintaining membership in good standing throughout the Inactive Status period

PACC holds records of every certified member, so employers can confirm the credentials of future employees. To verify if a person’s AAPP, CAPP, or MAPP designation is valid and current, contact us. 

Reactivating Your Credential

You can reinstate your certification status at any time during the three-year inactive term by meeting the renewal eligibility requirements in effect at the time you apply for reinstatement. (You must meet any requirements that change during your inactive period.) To reactivate, submit an online certification renewal application along with the required recertification fee.

Note: When you apply for reinstatement, the renewal eligibility requirements in your application must be from the three-year period before your reactivation date.

To avoid your certification credential lapsing, be sure to request inactive status and reactivate before the end of the three-year inactive term. If extenuating circumstances hamper reactivation, please contact the PACC certification team at certification_at_pacc-ccap_dot_ca or 877.746.PACC (877.746.7222) before your inactive period ends.

If your credential lapses, you will have to reapply for certification and meet all eligibility criteria in effect at that time.

If you have questions about the PACC recertification cost, process, or requirements, please contact us

Footer

PACC is THE voice for privacy and access.

PACC is Independent  •  Non-profit  •  Non-partisan  •  Non-government

PACC is dedicated to the development and promotion of the access-to-information, information privacy, and data governance profession across the private, non-profit and public sectors.

PACC is the certifying body for access and privacy professionals, and engages in outreach efforts to advance awareness about access, privacy, and data protection.

None of the content herein may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training AI technologies or systems.

Recent Posts

  • Global Comparative Testing of Responses to FOI Requests
  • PACC Joins the Call to Withdraw Bill C-2
  • Transparency Performance Indicators
  • Canada’s Children’s Privacy Code
  • International Day for Universal Access to Information 2025
  • Boundless boundaries of the Strong Borders Act

ABOUT

MEMBERSHIP

CERTIFICATION

CAREERS

RESOURCES

BLOG

CONTACT

PRIVACY

 

Thanks to QuestionPro’s wide range of free survey templates designed by industry experts. We now know exactly where to improve
…………

© 2025 · Privacy and Access Council of Canada · Maintained by SLIcore Design.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.