Thank you for being an integral part of the CSEP community. Your membership and contributions play a vital role in advancing exercise science to improve the health and fitness of Canadians nationwide. Renewing your membership is not just about maintaining your membership benefits—it’s about staying connected with a network of dedicated professionals and researchers who share your passion for health and fitness.

The membership year for all CSEP memberships runs from April 1 to March 31. Renewing your membership annually ensures uninterrupted access to your membership benefits, including professional liability insurance for professional members. Membership renewals open annually during the second full week of February and run until March 31.

Why Renew Your Membership?

Renewing your membership ensures:

  • Uninterrupted Access to your membership benefits, including exclusive discounts, professional development opportunities.

  • Continuity of Coverage of Individual Professional Liability Insurance & Individual Commercial General Liability Insurance, brokered by BMS Canada Risk Services Ltd (for professional members).

  • Continued Recognition and Advocacy as part of a professional organization setting the gold standard in exercise physiology and personal training.

  • Opportunities to grow your career, network, and stay informed with the latest research and advancements in exercise science.

Professional Members 

CSEP Certified Personal Trainer® (CSEP-CPT) and CSEP Clinical Exercise Physiologist™ (CSEP-CEP)

As a professional member, renewing your membership before the March 31 deadline is essential to maintain your professional liability insurance coverage and access to membership benefits. Please note that professional liability insurance coverage ends on March 31 and will not resume until your membership has been renewed. 

Late renewals processed through May 31 will incur incremental late fees and result in interruptions to both insurance and membership benefits until completed.

As of 2025, additional insurance coverage (including professional liability insurance for Kinesiology, Business Professional Liability, and Additional Insureds for Commercial General Liability) is administered directly through BMS Canada Risk Services, Ltd. (BMS). For details on obtaining additional coverage, please refer to the “insurance” section of your CSEP Store Account page.

Specializations for professional members automatically renew when you renew your professional membership.

Professional Membership Renewal Fees:

Includes Professional Liability & Commercial General Liability Insurance, brokered by BMS

  • CSEP-CPT: $260 + tax*
  • CSEP-CPT with CSEP High Performance Specialization™: $290 + tax*
  • CSEP-CEP: $295 + tax*

*Fees are for the 2025-2026 membership year. Fees are subject to change.
*Please refer to the section titled Specialization for details regarding the increased fees for CSEP-CPTs with a CSEP High Performance Specialization™

Payment Options

Pay in full or split your professional membership renewal into three monthly payments

Members have the option to pay for their annual membership fee in full or take advantage of CSEP’s flexible payment option to stay on track with your membership. Renew your professional membership with the convenience of three equal monthly payments. When you choose this option, the first payment, which includes the full cost of your Professional Liability & Commercial General Liability Insurance, will be charged when you submit your renewal. The remaining two payments will be automatically charged to your credit card 30 and 60 days later. You may also pay the remaining balance early through your Order History on your CSEP Store Account page. 

Your membership will only be considered active once all three payments have been successfully processed. Missed payments may result in penalties, and partial payments are non-refundable. This payment option is available exclusively to CSEP-CPTs and CSEP-CEPs renewing their membership through the CSEP Store.

Individual Professional Liability Insurance & Individual Commercial General Liability Insurance

Individual Professional Liability Insurance & Individual Commercial General Liability Insurance, brokered by BMS Canada Risk Services Ltd. (BMS), is included in the membership fees for CSEP Certified Personal Trainer® and CSEP Clinical Exercise Physiologist™ certifications. This industry-leading program provides coverage for acts carried out within your Scope of Practice. The Scope of Practice defines the actions and activities that professional members are qualified and insured to perform under their defined certification.

Please log into your CSEP Store Account to view more information about insurance.

Leave of Absence 

CSEP-CEPs and CSEP-CPTs may apply for a Leave of Absence (LOA). Once your LOA is approved by CSEP, it is effective for the current membership year (April 1 to March 31).

Reinstatement Policy 

All professional memberships, including Professional Liability Insurance, expire annually on March 31. Professional members who do not renew by this date have a grace period to renew between April 1 and May 31, and the effective date of your Professional Liability Insurance will be the date your membership is reinstated. If renewal is not completed by the final deadline of May 31, the membership will be considered lapsed.

Professional members whose memberships have lapsed within the past three membership years may appeal for reinstatement, subject to CSEP approval. Specific rules apply; please refer to the full policy details below.

CPR Certification Requirements (Applies to Professional Members Only)

All professional members must maintain valid CPR Level C with AED certification to ensure their membership remains in good standing. CPR certifications must be valid on the date of renewal. Accepted providers include:

  • The Canadian Red Cross
  • Heart & Stroke Foundation
  • St. John Ambulance (CSEP members receive preferred pricing)

For more details on acceptable CPR certifications, please refer to the FAQ’s below. 

CSEP SPECIALIZATIONS

When professional members renew their memberships, any specializations they hold will automatically renew as part of the process. Non-certified members with specializations must renew them annually by March 31 to maintain their validity. 

Specialization Renewal Fees:
  • CSEP Professional Members: included with annual renewal fee
  • Other Members and Non-Members: $119 + tax.

*Fees are for the 2025-2026 membership year. Fees are subject to change.

Important Update for CSEP-CPT Members with a CSEP High Performance Specialization®

NEW for 2025! Your individual Professional Liability/ Commercial General liability, brokered by BMS now includes coverage for your High Performance Specialization services with a limit of $3M per claim/$5M aggregate-all for an additional $30 per year. This coverage is designed to meet the unique needs and risks associated with your specialized services.

This adjustment reflects a higher insurance premium required to address the unique risks associated with the specialized scope of practice and clientele served by CSEP High Performance Specialists®.

To maintain your CSEP High Performance Specialization®, please ensure you select the CSEP-CPT with CSEP High Performance Specialization® option during renewal. Our team is here to answer any questions or provide additional information to help guide you through this process.

Thank you for your understanding and for the important work you do as part of the CSEP community. For more details or assistance, please contact the Member Services team at info@csep.ca.

Other Membership Categories

CSEP Academic, Postdoctoral Fellow & Research Staff, Supporter, and Industry & Allied Partner members are encouraged to renew by March 31 to avoid interruptions to their membership benefits. 

Membership Renewal Fees:
  • CSEP Academic Membership: $225 + tax* 
  • CSEP Postdoctoral Fellow & Research Staff Membership: $75 + tax*  
  • CSEP Supporter Membership: $100 + tax* 
  • CSEP Industry & Allied Partner Membership: $260 + tax* 
  • CSEP Certified Fitness Centre Membership: $225 + tax* 

*Fees are for the 2025-2026 membership year. Fees are subject to change.

Questions About Renewals?

If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact the CSEP Member Services team at info@csep.ca. We’re here to help!

You can also visit our FAQ section below for additional information. To stay informed about important updates regarding your membership and renewals, please ensure your contact information is accurate and up to date. Important updates will be shared via email communications, the CSEP monthly newsletter, and the CSEP website.

Renewals FAQs

Go to csep.ca/renew, or log into store.csep.ca and follow the renewal links on your Account page.

 log-in to your CSEP Member portal (csep.ca/login) and go to ‘My Account’ + ‘Membership’. 

Yes, to maintain your CSEP membership you need to renew annually by March 31st. If you became a member after October 1st, 2023, you registered at a prorated amount.

CSEP recognizes the economic difficulties some of our members may be facing so once again this year CSEP is NOT increasing the membership fees.

  • CSEP-CPT Membership fee: $260 +tax (late fees apply after March 31, 2024) 
  • CSEP-CEP Membership fee: $295 +tax (late fees apply after March 31, 2024) 
  • NEW CSEP Student Membership fee:  $0 for a limited time
  • CSEP Academic Membership fee: $225 + tax 
  • CSEP Supporter? fee: $100 + tax until March 31, 2024

*If you hold a CSEP High Performance Specialist® or CSEP Pre & Postnatal Exercise Specialist™ specialization, it will renew automatically with your CSEP-CPT or CSEP-CEP membership at no additional cost.

CSEP accepts major credit cards and e-transfers. In addition, CSEP offers members the option of renewing their membership in 3 monthly payments.

PLEASE NOTE:  Missed payments may be subject to penalties.  No refunds are offered on partial payments. The deadline to enroll in the three monthly payments is March 31, 2024.

Should you change credit cards or wish to process a renewal payment using a different card, please visit the

Please contact BMS at 1-844-517-1370 or csep.insurance@bmsgroup.com to
secure additional products and services.

Please allow a few days after your membership is submitted on the CSEP Store for your renewal to be processed and updated on the CSEP Portal. Log into the CSEP Portal and then click on “My Account” + “Membership”. From there, you can download or print your certificate.

On your CSEP Store Account page, click on “Order History”, and find the transaction for your renewal. Click on the print icon at the right end of the list, or click on the transaction and click on the link to open a printable receipt.

Insurance policies will be updated 1-2 weeks after you have renewed. 2024-25 insurance policies will be emailed to the email address associated with your CSEP Portal Account. If you would like a physical copy of your insurance policy, please email memberships@csep.ca and include your full mailing address to request a copy via Canada Post. 

In an effort to reduce our environmental impact, CSEP no longer provides a printed annual certificate or annual member ID cards. If you require one for work, or because you have misplaced last year’s version, please contact us at memberships@csep.ca and we will be happy to send you a replacement.

If you are going on leave during this membership year and you will not be using your certification, you may be eligible for a leave of absence (LOA). Please review the policy details here: www.csep.ca/loa. To maintain your membership, you must submit a leave of absence application at www.csep.ca/LOAform. The fee to apply for an LOA is $137.50 + tax for both CSEP-CPT and CSEP-CEP Members.

Yes, the eligibility window has now been expanded from 1 year to 3 years. Currently, anyone that did not renew during 2021-2022, 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 can apply for reinstatement.

Requirements:
CSEP-CPTs: The reinstatement fee is $260 (membership fee) + $137.50 (administration fee) + tax 

CSEP-CEPs: The reinstatement fee is $295 (membership fee) + $137.50 (administration fee) + tax.

Proof of CSEP PDCs is no longer required for reinstatement, however reinstating members will be audited in the next audit cycle for their certification.

The CSEP-PDC Chart can be found at www.csep.ca/PDC.

No, this is a one-time reinstatement. Should your certified membership lapse again, you will have to follow the standard process for re-certification (application, approval and exams).

Yes, if you have retired or are no longer practicing in the field, but would like to remain connected, we encourage you to consider our Supporter or Academic memberships.

 No, you do not need to submit proof of your PDCs with your renewal. You are only required to submit proof if you have been contacted directly as part of the PDC audit. Members are selected at random for the PDC audit. You are responsible for maintaining all records of completed PDCs in the event you are selected. The focus of the audit alternates on a yearly basis between CSEP-CEP and CSEP-CPT certifications. Members contacted for the audit will have until December 31st of that year to submit proof of their completed PDC’s. This upcoming membership year (2024-2025) is a CSEP-CPT audit year.

If you are a current CSEP-CPT who is pursuing the CSEP-CEP certification at the time of renewal, you are encouraged to renew to maintain your certification and insurance to continue practicing. When you complete the process to become a CSEP-CEP you will need to pay an upgrade fee of $35, not the full certification fee.

CPR-C

No, you do not need to submit these documents. However, you are required to maintain proof that you have CPR-C.

Online and distance learning for CPR-C is only available for certification renewal.  New members and first-time candidates must obtain their CPR certification via an in-person session.

CSEP will accept CPR courses issued by:

  • An organization that adheres to the ILCOR standards, OR
  • An organization whose instructors are certified by and/or registered with an organization which adheres to the ILCOR standards, OR
  • An organization which adheres to the ILCOR standards for CPR courses/recertification delivered by an independent

See the Member Benefits tab of your CSEP Store Account page for special CPR offers for CSEP members.

You are required to hold current and valid CPR (not expired).

You can enter your employer’s credit card information during the checkout process. Otherwise, please contact us at memberships@csep.ca and we will be happy to make arrangements.


I have a question that is not covered in this FAQ

For any other questions, please contact memberships@csep.ca