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Maintaining CGFM Certification

To retain the CGFM certification, all CGFMs must adhere to the AGA’s Code of Ethics. In addition, to continue using the CGFM designation after their name, CGFMs must be in an active status.

Active Status

To maintain the CGFM certification in an active status, CGFMs are required to:

  • Pay the applicable CGFM renewal fee by the due date every year.
  • Complete at least 80 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) in government financial management topics or related technical subjects within each designated two-year cycle (including 4 hours in ethics per cycle).
  • Maintain and, if requested by AGA, provide detailed information on CPE hours completed.

Annual Renewal Requirement

All active CGFMs must renew their certification annually. At the beginning of each year, invoices will be sent to all active CGFMs. CGFMs must promptly notify AGA of any change in contact information (email and mailing address). It is the responsibility of each CGFM to pay the annual CGFM renewal fee, even if that individual did not receive an invoice from AGA.

Annual CGFM renewal payments are due by March 31. Current renewal fees are: $40 for AGA members or $85 for nonmembers. AGA membership is not required for the CGFM certification; however, AGA members who do not wish to renew their AGA membership must pay the nonmember CGFM renewal fee of $85.

By submitting their annual renewal payment, CGFMs affirm that they have and will continue to abide by AGA’s Code of Ethics and that they have fulfilled the minimum CPE requirements.

Renew Now CPE Requirements

Retired Status

Individuals who have permanently retired from AND are not working in the field of financial management can request an adjustment of their status to “retired” by contacting us. Individuals should include their date of retirement and confirm that they are not working in the field of financial management.

CGFMs must be active at the time of retirement in order for their status to be changed to “retired”; if the CGFM first becomes inactive, the individual must reactivate the designation before being able to change the CGFM status to “retired.” Therefore, CGFMs retiring in the second half of the year should renew their designation that year—to avoid their CGFM become inactive and not being able to adjust it to “retired” status.

Additional clarifications for the retired status definition:

  • Individuals must be fully retired, not just stop working or change fields.
  • Individuals must be fully retired AND not working in the field. Individuals who have retired but continue working part-time, consulting, teaching or working as a contractor in the field of financial management are NOT considered retired.
  • The field of financial management includes not-for-profit and private sectors (for example, CPA firms)—individuals working in these sectors are NOT considered retired.
  • If an individual retires and then starts working in another field with no responsibilities for financial management (for example, working as a florist), that individual is considered retired.
  • Volunteering does not count as “working in the field”—individuals can volunteer and qualify for retired status; however, AGA members/CGFMs are encouraged to maintain the active status if the nature of the volunteer work requires current expertise in government financial management.
  • The election of the retired status is voluntary—individuals who are retired, but want to maintain their AGA membership/CGFM in the active status, may do so by fulfilling the active status requirements.
  • Individuals who are both AGA members and CGFMs, and who want to change their status to retired, must do so for both membership and certification.

CGFMs in retired status are not required to remit the CGFM renewal fee or earn the 80 CPE hours. They may continue to use the CGFM designation, but must clearly indicate their retired status by using “CGFM-Retired” after their name and using “Retired” or “Retired status” on a resume, bio or other statements of qualification. 

If retired CGFMs return to work in the financial management field, they must notify the Office of Professional Certification and change their status within 90 days of returning to work. NOTE: CGFMs who want to change their status from retired to active would need to follow the same reactivation requirements as inactive CGFMs (see Inactive Status below).

Inactive Status

If a CGFM fails to meet the requirements to maintain the CGFM in an active or retired status, the CGFM becomes inactive.

Inactive CGFMs may not present themselves as CGFMs, either in writing or orally, or display the CGFM certificate. Any reference to the CGFM designation on a resume, bio or other statements of qualification must clearly indicate that the CGFM is inactive.

Inactive CGFMs may request a reactivation by complying with current reactivation requirements, but may not use the “CGFM” after their name until after they receive a written confirmation from the AGA’s Office of Professional Certification that their reactivation submission has been approved.

Current reactivation requirements:

  • Submitting a completed CPE report listing at least 40 CPE hours earned within the last 12 months with required back-up documentation.
    • The report will not be accepted without required back-up documentation. See guidelines document for more details.
    • The report and the documentation must be submitted no later than 30 calendar days after the end of the 12-month period.
  • Paying the applicable renewal fee and reactivation fee.
    • If the CPE documentation is approved, AGA will send you a link to pay your CGFM renewal fee ($40 for AGA members or $85 for nonmembers) and $100 reactivation fee. The payment must be made within two weeks of CPE report approval.

AGA's Professional Certification Board reserves the right to revise the reactivation policy without notice.

A CGFM can remain in inactive status for up to two consecutive years from the last renewal deadline (March 31) as an active CGFM. After that period, the CGFM is voided. 

Voided Status

The CGFM designation will be voided if the holder is inactive for longer than two consecutive years from the last renewal deadline (March 31) as an active CGFM.

Individuals who have had their CGFM certification voided may not present themselves as CGFMs, either in writing or orally, and must remove any reference to their CGFM designation on a resume, bio or other statement of qualifications. They must also destroy or return their CGFM certificate to AGA.

Individuals seeking reinstatement must reapply as new candidates.

Appeals: Any appeals to voided status must be submitted to the Office of Professional Certification within a 24-month period of CGFM being voided.  The individual submitting the request needs to fully describe the reasons for requesting an appeal, including any extenuating circumstances that prevented this individual from meeting the reactivation deadline, such as ill health, maternity or paternity leave, extended family leave, sabbaticals, leave without pay absences, foreign residency, military service or disasters.  The individual submitting an appeal must demonstrate that an effort was made to meet the reactivation deadline and satisfy the CPE requirements required for reactivation. Workload, budget or travel constraints, and not receiving invoices/correspondence from AGA are not considered valid reasons for an exception.  After two years of being voided, appeals will not be considered.

Certification Revocation

The Professional Certification Board reserves the right to revoke any certification for cause as determined by the PCB. Cause may include, but is not limited to a violation of AGA's Code of Ethics, repeated violations of the CGFM policies, or actions discreditable to the CGFM Program.

Individuals who have had their CGFM certification revoked may not present themselves as CGFMs, either in writing or orally, and must remove any reference to their CGFM designation on a resume, bio or other statement of qualifications. They must also destroy or return their CGFM certificate to AGA.

Use of CGFM

Only active CGFMs may use the “CGFM” after their names. Inactive CGFMs may not present themselves as CGFMs, either in writing or orally, and any reference to the CGFM designation on a resume, bio or other statements of qualification must clearly indicate that the CGFM is inactive. Retired CGFMs must clearly indicate their retired status by using “CGFM-Retired” after their names and using “Retired” or “Retired status” on a resume, bio or other statements of qualification. Individuals who have had their CGFM certification voided may not present themselves as CGFMs, either in writing or orally, and must remove any reference to their CGFM designation on a resume, bio or other statement of qualifications. CGFM candidates may not use the CGFM designation after their names until after they receive an official award letter from AGA. The CGFM designation may not be used after the name of those who have not earned the CGFM.

Misuse of the CGFM designation must be reported to AGA’s Office of Professional Certification at cgfmdirector@agacgfm.org or 800.AGA.7211 and may be referred to AGA’s Professional Ethics Board as a potential ethics violation, or to AGA legal counsel, as appropriate.