Completion and Purchase Records
- Replacement certificate of completion
- Available receipt or transaction record
- Course title, identification code, completion date, and PDH value
- Available enrollment and completion history
Customer Documentation Support
Continuing Education Audit Assistance
If a licensing board asks you to document continuing education completed through Online-PDH, we will help you assemble the available course and purchase records needed for your response.
The instructions in your audit notice control
Audit procedures, response deadlines, acceptable course subjects, and record-retention periods vary by jurisdiction. Always follow the current instructions issued by your licensing board and contact the board directly when its request is unclear.
Random audits
are a common compliance method
Supporting records
must substantiate the hours claimed
Board deadlines
vary and should be addressed promptly
Understanding the Process
What is a continuing education audit?
Most licensing boards allow professionals to renew by certifying that they completed the required continuing education. The board may later select a group of licensees and require documentation supporting the professional development hours reported for that renewal period.
Selection may be random, part of the renewal process, associated with a prior deficiency, or connected with another licensing investigation. An audit is generally a verification process rather than an allegation of wrongdoing. Problems can arise, however, when records are missing, hours were earned outside the permitted period, course content is not acceptable, or a licensee reported more credit than the documentation supports.
Our Customer Commitment
Records we can help provide
Available documentation depends on the course, completion date, transaction history, and the particular board request. When records are available, Online-PDH can assist with the following materials.
Course Information
- Course description and learning objectives
- Study guide or representative course materials
- Method used to determine the awarded hours
- Delivery format and completion requirements
Assessment Records
- Evidence of the required final examination
- Available examination result and passing score
- Course completion criteria
- Additional assessment information requested by the board
Provider and Instructor Information
- Applicable provider approval information
- Instructor or subject-matter-expert qualifications
- Course development and review information
- Available explanation of instructor-to-student interaction procedures
Florida Provider Requirements
Why Florida is among the more prescriptive systems
Florida Board of Professional Engineers rules establish detailed obligations for approved providers. These include requiring full course completion before issuing credit, furnishing an individual certificate, maintaining attendance records for four years, identifying the provider in promotional material, and making course information available for review.
For correspondence study, Florida requires a written examination and a minimum passing grade of 70 percent. Current rules also require providers to electronically submit student rosters through the state reporting portal. These provider obligations make Florida a useful benchmark for maintaining defensible continuing education records.
Review Florida Rule Chapter 61G15Representative State Practices
Examples from official licensing-board sources
These examples illustrate why a single national deadline or retention period should not be stated. Requirements can change, and the current board rule and individual audit notice remain controlling.
| Jurisdiction | Audit approach | Representative documentation or retention rule |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Random audit during renewal | Selected licensees upload completion certificates and course information. |
| Florida | Board audit authority with follow-up review for prior deficiencies | Licensee documentation and provider attendance records are retained for four years. |
| Georgia | Random audit | PDH log and supporting records are maintained for four years. |
| Maryland | Random audit | Licensees submit proof supporting the hours claimed. |
| Minnesota | Random or complaint-related verification | Supporting documentation is retained for four years after the applicable reporting period. |
| North Carolina | Random CPC audit | Licensees provide documentation supporting completion and the PDH claimed. |
| New York | Random sample audit | Completion certificates and related records are retained for six years; self-reporting forms are not accepted. |
| Ohio | Random audit or other board verification | Supporting records are maintained for four years. |
| Oregon | Three percent randomly selected after renewal periods | Five-year retention; certificates, paid receipts, attendance logs, and other proof may be requested. |
| Texas | Records subject to board audit | Licensees retain activity records and supporting documentation for renewal verification. |
If You Receive an Audit Notice
A practical response sequence
1
Read the Notice
Identify the reporting period, required documents, submission method, and deadline.
2
Gather Your Records
Organize certificates, receipts, course details, and the board’s audit form or activity log.
3
Contact Online-PDH
Tell us the state, courses involved, completion dates, and documentation requested.
4
Respond on Time
Submit the requested material as directed and retain a complete copy of your response.
What audit assistance does not mean
Online-PDH cannot guarantee that a board will accept a particular course, extend a board deadline, correct a deficiency after the reporting period, backdate a purchase or certificate, provide legal representation, or make compliance decisions for a licensee. The licensee remains responsible for selecting qualifying activities, meeting renewal requirements, retaining records, and responding to the licensing board.