CF and CCF Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements to qualify and maintain the Certified Forester® and/or Candidate Certified Forester® certification. Education and experience requirements must be met for eligibility to sit for the certification exam.

Standards of Professional Practice

Every Certified Forester or Candidate Certified Forester and applicant agrees to the Standards of Professional Practice.



Important: Please see the SAF Certification Handbook   pages 9-12 for specific details on determining eligibility.   




Continuing Education

Certified Forester and Certified Urban & Community Forester

Each CF must complete 45 CFE credit hours within a three-year period.

  • Cat 1-CF - 30 CFE credit hours, minimum
  • Category 2 - Not to exceed 15 CFE credit hours
  • Category 3 - Not to exceed 15 CFE credit hours

Candidate Certified Forester and Candidate Certified Urban & Community Forester

Each CCF must annually submit a total of 12 CFE credit hours.

  • Cat 1-CF - 8 credit hours, minimum
  • Category 2 - Not to exceed 4 CFE credit hours
  • Category 3 - Not to exceed 4 CFE credit hours

Fees

Certified Forester or Certified Urban & Community Forester

Application Fee 

  • SAF members - $280
  • Non-SAF members - $400

Recertification Fee (every three-years)

  • SAF members - $150
  • Non-SAF members - $240

Candidate Certified Forester and Candidate Certified Urban & Community Forester

Application Fee 

  • SAF members - $280
  • Non-SAF members - $400

Recertification Fee (annually)

  • SAF members - $50
  • Non-SAF members - $80

Additional Certification Information

For the outline of the Certified Forester exam, please see the CF Exam Domain and Knowledge Areas. 

For information on SAF's Certified Urban and Community Forester and Certified Forestry Technician certification programs, please visit our New Certifications page.