Frequently Asked Questions

Renewal applies to your credentials, such as Registered Art Therapist (ATR), Provisional Registered Art Therapist (ATR-P) and Art Therapy Credentialed Supervisors (ATCS) and must be completed annually to keep the credential active.

Recertification applies to your board certification and is required every five years. It involves meeting continuing education requirements to demonstrate ongoing professional competence.

While they may occur around the same time, renewal and recertification are separate processes with different requirements.

ATCB operates on a fixed annual renewal cycle that runs from July 1 through June 30, regardless of when a credential or certification is first awarded.

If you received your credential or board certification in February, it is still tied to the previous certification year, which ends June 30. The payment made during your application covers the cost of reviewing and processing of your initial application—it did not include the annual renewal fee.

This differs from a rolling renewal model often used by membership organizations. ATCB is a credentialing board, and all credential holders renew on the same annual timeline to ensure consistency in ethics/compliance attestation and reporting requirements.  

This separation is due to a limitation of the current MyATCB portal, which processes renewal and recertification as two distinct transactions.

The workflow was implemented for the 2024 renewal and recertification cycle, at the request of credential holders, to ensure that individuals recertifying their Board Certified also renew their Registered Art Therapist (ATR) credential. An active ATR is required for the board certification to be valid.

In addition, the attestations required for each credential and certification are different, which necessitates handling them separately. We are actively working to streamline this workflow in future cycles.

The Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) and the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) are separate organizations and are not affiliated.

If you renewed a Credentialed Professional membership with AATA, that payment supports membership. It does not cover or fulfill any credential renewal or board recertification requirements with ATCB.

To maintain your credentials or board certification, you must complete the required ATCB renewal or recertification process separately through the MyATCB portal.

ATCB offers options for individuals experiencing personal or professional hardship. Depending on your situation, you may be eligible to request Temporary Inactive Status (TIS).

Each option has different implications for maintaining your credentials or board certification, including rules around reinstatement and use of professional designations.

To learn more, visit: Inactive Status and TIS Overview

If there is an active ethics or compliance inquiry, your credential or certification will remain active during the investigation. Deadlines for renewal or recertification are suspended until the matter is resolved, and you may continue using your credential or certification during this time.

The Registered Art Therapist (ATR) is your foundational credential and must be renewed annually to remain active—even if you also hold the Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) designation. The ATR-BC is a certification that builds on the ATR but does not replace or include it. Both must be maintained separately.

You must complete your ethics/compliance attestation and pay the renewal fee by June 30 each year. If you miss the deadline, a grace period is available from July 1–31, with a $30 late fee. If you haven’t renewed by August 1, your credential becomes inactive.

See Inactive Status and TIS Overview to learn more.

If your credential is not renewed by July 31, it becomes inactive. You have one year (until June 30 of the following year) to complete the reinstatement process, which includes a $250 fee.

If reinstatement is not completed within that one-year window, the credential—and its number—becomes permanently inactive.

For details, visit the Reinstatement Process.

Note: Reinstatement is only for your credentials (ATR, ATR-P and ATCS). Board certification can not be reinstated.

The renewal fee supports the ongoing administration and integrity of your credential. This includes oversight of the ATCB Code Governing Standards of Practice, Eligibility for and Regulation of Credentials, and Disciplinary Procedures, compliance review, the international credential registry, and the MyATCB portal. It also helps cover communication, verification, and operational costs necessary to maintain a national credentialing program.

The Registered Art Therapist (ATR) is a credential that must be renewed annually to remain active. The Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) is an advanced certification that is held in addition to the ATR and requires recertification every five years.

Each has its own requirements, timeline, and associated fee. While renewal and recertification may happen around the same time, they are separate processes. We recognize the experience can be confusing and are working to improve it in future cycles.

No. The board certification separate certification, in addition to your Registered Art Therapist (ATR), that requires recertification every five years. Your ATR credential must still be renewed annually. Both must be active for your board certification to remain valid.

To submit or track CE hours for your board certification recertification:

1. Log in to your account at MyATCB.org.
2. Click on the green Board Certified box to open your certification dashboard.
3. In the left-hand menu, select “Continuing Education” and follow the prompts to enter and manage your CE activities.

For detailed, step-by-step instructions, visit the MyATCB FAQ section on the ATCB website.

Note: The Continuing Education tracker is available year-round and populate into your recertification process.

If you are unable to complete your required Continuing Education (CE) hours by the recertification deadline, you may request a recertification extension through your MyATCB portal.

If approved, the extension grants you an additional 90 days, starting after the July 31 grace period ends. The extension request must be submitted before your board certification lapses, and no more than two extensions will be granted per recertification cycle.

If you do not complete your Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) recertification by June 30, you have a grace period through July 31 to submit your application with a $30 late fee.

If no recertification is submitted by August 1, your board certification will no longer be valid. To regain board certification, you must either appeal to reopen your recertification or retake the ATCB Exam.

Learn more about the appeals process.

ATCB is required by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) to audit 10% of all recertification applications each year. The audit group is selected randomly, and ATCB staff conduct all audit reviews.

If your application is selected, you’ll be notified through the MyATCB system and asked to upload documentation that supports your reported Continuing Education Credits (CECs). This may include certificates of attendance, event programs, course syllabi, transcripts, or documentation for juried shows. All materials must be submitted within the recertification application.

Audit candidates are selected randomly by the MyATCB system. ATCB staff and board members do not select or influence who is chosen for audit.

ATCB is only made aware of audit selections once the audited recertification application is submitted for review. At that point, ATCB staff conduct the audit in accordance with established procedures.

The recertification fee helps sustain the board certification program, including continuing education review, compliance processes, certification audits, and the development and maintenance of the ATCB Exam. It also supports policy and advocacy work, as well as the operational infrastructure required to manage a national board certification.

To complete your renewal and recertification, log in to your account at MyATCB.org and follow these steps:

To renew your credential (ATR, ATR-P, or ATCS):

1. After logging in, locate the green credential box labeled Registered Art Therapist, Provisional Registered Art Therapist, or Credentialed Supervisor (if applicable).
2. Click on the green box to access your credential dashboard.
3. In the left menu, select “Renewal” to begin the process.
4. Follow the steps and submit your renewal, including payment and attestations.

To recertify your ATR-BC (if applicable):

1. After completing your ATR renewal, return to your main dashboard.
2. Click on the green Board Certified box to access your certification dashboard.
3. In the left menu, select “Recertification” to begin the process.
4. Follow the steps to complete and submit your recertification application.

Note: Renewal of your ATR is required before you can access the ATR-BC recertification process. If it is your recertification year, and you carry an ATCS, you can not renew your ATCS until you complete you board recertification.

To submit or track CE hours for your board certification recertification:

1. Log in to your account at MyATCB.org.
2. Click on the green Board Certified box to open your certification dashboard.
3. In the left-hand menu, select “Continuing Education” and follow the prompts to enter and manage your CE activities.

For detailed, step-by-step instructions, visit the MyATCB FAQ section on the ATCB website.

Note: The Continuing Education tracker is available year-round and populate into your recertification process.

There are two common reasons the MyATCB system may reject your signature:

1. The signature must exactly match the name on your account, including spelling, punctuation, and spacing.
2. Extra spaces—either at the beginning or end—can cause an error. If your name was originally entered with an extra space, the signature must include that space to be accepted.

This is a known issue, and we are actively working with our vendor to improve the signature field in future updates.

If the above do not resolve your signature issue, please contact ATCB via the Contact Form. Select MyATCB Issues and Signature issues.

Log in to your MyATCB account and click on the green box for your credential or certification. In the Application History section, locate the entry labeled “Renewal” or “Recertification.” You’ll see a PDF icon labeled “Receipt,” which you can click to download your payment confirmation.

ATCB does not mail printed ID cards or certificates due to the costs associated with printing and shipping. Instead, both are available immediately in your MyATCB account. To access them, log in and click on the green box for the relevant credential or certification. In the left-hand menu, select “ID Card” to download your ID and “Print Certificate” to access a printable version of your certificate. This process can be repeated for each credential or certification you hold.