Originally published on academies.ai: https://academies.ai/guides/ai-certifications-expire/

After You Pass: Which AI Certifications Expire and What Renewal Costs

Across the table below, 6 certifications carry a stated validity period of 1, 2, or 3 years, while 1 certification, Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901), does not expire, as shown in the United States on 21 October 2026. AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01) and AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate (MLA-C01) are each valid for 3 years, with initial exam fees of 100 USD and 150 USD, as shown in the United States on 21 October 2026. Google Cloud Generative AI Leader costs $99 plus tax where applicable for a 90-minute exam and remains valid for 3 years, as shown in the United States on 21 October 2026.

Microsoft role-based associate, expert, and specialty certifications are valid for 1 year, whereas Microsoft fundamentals certifications do not expire, as shown in the United States on 21 October 2026. Both NVIDIA-Certified Associate Generative AI LLMs (NCA-GENL), priced at $125, and Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate, priced at $200, are valid for 2 years, as shown in the United States on 21 October 2026. For both, holders recertify by taking the exam again.

Certification	US exam fee (21 Oct 2026)	Validity	Renewal route	What renewal costs
AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01)	100 USD	3 years	Pass the latest exam, or earn MLA	Exam fee per attempt; 50% voucher for holders
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate (MLA-C01)	150 USD	3 years	Pass the latest exam	Exam fee per attempt; 50% voucher
Google Cloud Generative AI Leader	$99 plus tax where applicable	3 years	Renewal exam or standard exam	Varies by exam; 50% renewal code
Microsoft AI-901 (Azure AI Fundamentals)	Price by country or region	Does not expire	Not applicable	None needed
Microsoft AI-103 (Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate)	Price by country or region	1 year	Free online renewal assessment	Free
NVIDIA-Certified Associate Generative AI LLMs (NCA-GENL)	$125	2 years	Retake the exam	The exam again, at its listed price of $125
Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate	$200	2 years	Take the current exam	The exam again, at its listed registration fee of $200

Read the full guide, with every source, on academies.ai: https://academies.ai/guides/ai-certifications-expire/