ACTAR
Post Office Box 5436
Hudson Florida 34674-5436
800 - 809 - 3818
Email ACTAR

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS INFORMATION

The Accreditation Commission For Traffic Accident Reconstruction requires that all accredited reconstructionists attain eighty (80) Continuing Education Units (CEUs) within a five-year period from passing the examination to renew their ACTAR accreditation.

List of Prior Approved Courses for ACTAR CEUs

A passing grade on the exam rewards the participant with a five-year accreditation time period. During the 5-year period an individual must attain a total of 80 CEUs (continuing education units). Upon attaining the required number of CEUs, the individual then submits a written request for reaccreditation along with a renewal fee of $120, plus any applicable CEU fees.. Individuals may submit a request for renewal at any time prior to the expiration of the 5-year period (i.e., renew early). Upon renewal, the 5-year clock restarts. One frequently asked question regarding accreditation renewal is "should I renew my accreditation early or wait until the end of the five-year accreditation period?" The answer may depend upon your propensity for acquiring CEUs. If you foresee attending any training courses for which CEUs are likely to be offered and you already possess the 80 CEUs required for reaccreditation, you may wish to renew early so that the upcoming course CEUs can be used for the next renewal period. CEUs, in excess of the required 80, are non-transferrable between renewal periods. Upon renewal the CEU count starts from zero.

Fee's for CEUs

If an accredited reconstructionist earned CEU credit through a pre-approved course, (example: IPTM's Motorcycle Crash Investigation equals 30 CEU's, SATAI Spring Meeting etc.), then upon request for renewal, a $1.00 per pre-approved CEU fee is required. Thus, the renewal amount is $120.00 plus the $80.00 for a total of $200.00. If CEUs were purchased for credit at $3.00 each (example: an SAE TopTEC), then no additional CEU fee is required at the time of renewal.

Obtaining CEUs -

Individuals can obtain CEUs by attending ACTAR-approved training courses and seminars or by purchasing individual CEUs for activities or programs not pre-approved. Generally, one CEU is awarded for each complete hour devoted to training or the lecture topic. If the sponsoring or presenting organization for the course or program submits an itemized curriculum which specifically denotes the hours spent in class or lecture, then CEUs will be awarded on an hour for hour basis; If only a general course or topic outline is submitted, then CEUs are calculated at .75 CEU for each hour of the entire course or seminar. CEU credit is not granted for courses or programs completed prior to the individual attaining accreditation. It is the responsibility of the organizer or presenter of the training course, seminar or program to request CEU approval, submit all applicable fees and forward a list of those in attendance who seek CEU credit. Organizers are encouraged to seek ACTAR CEU approval prior to presenting the course or program. This speeds the process of crediting the CEUs to the individual participants. The application fee for courses or programs which seek ACTAR CEU approval is $25.00. An additional fee of $5.00 is then required for each participant who successfully completes the course or program and desires the ACTAR CEUs. The $5.00 individual fee is waived, however, for programs which are sponsored or presented by an ACTAR participating organization. Educational institutions or other organization that present recurring courses may obtain continuous CEU approval. The presenter need only submit a course curriculum once and request continuing approval. CEUs will be calculated for that course and will remain in effect until such time that there may be a change in the curriculum. Institutions or organizations who obtain continuous CEU approval are required to submit a $25.00 processing fee plus a $5.00 per participant fee for each participant who seeks CEU credit. If no participants seek CEU credit, no fees are due.

Traditional Education and Field Related Training -

Accredited individuals may be awarded CEUs for successful completion of traditional college courses, accident investigation courses, seminars, or related subject matter not presented in connection with ACTAR pre-approval. Traditional education, college courses, etc., which include accident reconstruction or field-related topics can qualify for CEUs. One CEU may be awarded per semester hour or complete hour of instruction. Related courses will be evaluated by the ACTAR CEU coordinator on a case-by-case basis regarding the number of CEUs eligible. Acquiring CEUs outside of pre-approved methods requires that the individual submit a CEU application, course curriculum or detailed outline and a fee of $3 per CEU.

CEUs by Teaching -

Individuals teaching accident investigation or reconstruction related courses may acquire up to 25% of the required 80 CEUs (20 CEUs per 5-year period). CEUs for instructing are awarded at the rate of .10 per instructional hour. Teaching a 40-hour course can provide the instructor with a total of 4 CEUs. Individuals seeking CEU credit for instructing courses must submit a CEU application form, detailed course curriculum outline and a fee of $3.00 per CEU requested.

Reaccreditation without CEUs -

Individuals may waive the acquisition of CEUs and reaccredit by successfully retaking the complete ACTAR exam. The formal application process will not be required, however, the fee for taking the exam is $240.00.

CEUs Through Publication -

Research or technical papers applicable to accident investigation or reconstruction prepared by the accredited individual may be eligible for up to five (5) CEUs per paper. This provides the opportunity for the accredited reconstructionist to provide test data or other analysis to the field as well as being 'published' in the field. Some limiting conditions are:

• Maximum 20 CEUs awarded by this method (i.e. four papers per five-year accreditation period)


• Papers required to be submitted a minimum of 120 days before scheduled expiration date of accredited reconstructionist


• The author agrees to allow ACTAR rights to publish and/or distribute the paper

How Many CEUs Do I Have? -

CEU credit is typically recorded in an individual's file as soon as the ACTAR administrative office receives notification from the sponsoring/presenting organization that the individual successfully completed an approved course. As CEUs are credited to your file, a written notice from ACTAR is generated and mailed indicating the number of CEUs contained in your file. In the past, most delays dealing with the acquisition of CEUs have been associated with the submitting organization or entity. It is very important that organizers or presenters of programs or courses seeking CEU credit submit the required applications, fees and rosters in a timely manner. Individuals should consult with the program organizer or presenter if a delay is experienced with receiving CEU credit.

Confused? Have questions? -

If you have questions or need additional information regarding reaccreditation or the CEU process, call or write the ACTAR office and request the attention of the CEU Coordinator or send an e-mail message.