Course and Completion Documentation
Online-PDH maintains course, completion, and purchase records to support certificates, customer service, provider obligations, and continuing education audits across multiple licensing jurisdictions.
Effective date: July 20, 2026
Online-PDH retains records as described below, but each licensee remains responsible for downloading certificates, retaining receipts and supporting documentation, reporting credit accurately, and following the current requirements of every board where the licensee is registered.
Online-PDH Standard
State engineering boards do not use one national retention period. Some establish detailed sponsor duties, while others require the individual licensee—not the provider—to preserve proof. Among the provider-specific requirements reviewed, Florida uses four years and New York and New Jersey use six years.
Online-PDH therefore uses a seven-year baseline for core course and completion documentation. The additional year provides an administrative margin beyond the six-year sponsor requirements identified in this review. A longer period may apply when required by a board, provider approval, contract, tax or accounting rule, pending refund or payment dispute, complaint, audit, investigation, litigation hold, or other legal obligation.
What We Preserve
The exact record available may depend on course format, completion date, board requirements, system changes, and whether the record originated with Online-PDH or a payment provider.
Retention Schedule
| Record category | Online-PDH baseline | Starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Completion, assessment, and certificate record | At least 7 years | Course completion date |
| Attendance or participation record | At least 7 years | Course completion or participation date |
| Course content, objectives, assessment method, and instructor qualifications | At least 7 years | Last completion using that course version |
| Purchase, receipt, refund, and plan records | At least 7 years, subject to financial requirements | Transaction or final resolution date |
| Support, audit, complaint, and board correspondence | At least 7 years when material to completion or compliance | Final communication or resolution date |
| Security and routine technical logs | For a shorter operational period when appropriate | Log or event date |
| Records subject to an audit, dispute, investigation, or legal hold | Until the matter and required preservation period end | Normal deletion is suspended |
The seven-year baseline is an internal minimum for the listed core records, not a promise that every item will remain in the same system, file format, or visual layout.
Representative Board Requirements
These official examples illustrate the range reviewed. “Provider” means the rule expressly addresses a sponsor or course provider; “licensee” means the board places the duty on the individual professional.
| Jurisdiction | Who must retain | Period | Representative requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Provider and licensee | 4 years | Providers maintain attendance records available for board inspection; licensees retain completion documentation. |
| New York | Approved sponsor | At least 6 years | Broad course, faculty, participation, assessment, evaluation, promotional, and attendance records. |
| New Jersey | Approved provider | 6 years | Accurate attendance and completion records plus a written outline of course materials. |
| Louisiana | Licensee | At least 6 calendar years | Activity log and supporting documentation; the board may request copies. |
| Oregon | Licensee | 5 years | Supporting records may include certificates, paid receipts, attendance logs, and other proof. |
| Georgia | Licensee | 4 years | Professional-development log and supporting records must be available for audit verification. |
| Minnesota | Licensee | 4 years after the applicable licensure period | Supporting records may be requested for renewal verification, random audit, or complaint review. |
| Ohio | Licensee | 4 calendar years beyond receipt of credit | Attendance and supporting documentation must be available to the board. |
| North Carolina | Licensee | 3 years | CPC logs and documentation are retained in case of audit. |
Board rules, approvals, reporting systems, and retention periods can change. This table is a representative compliance explanation, not a substitute for the current rule of every jurisdiction.
Record Integrity and Protection
Licensee Checklist
Do not depend exclusively on continued access to any provider website. After completing a course, save your own audit-ready file.
Download and verify your name, course, date, provider, and PDH value.
Keep the payment confirmation associated with the course or active plan.
Save the title, description, objectives, study materials, and completion requirements.
Record the activity in the format and retention period required by each jurisdiction.
Replacement and Audit Requests
Use the email address associated with your account when possible.
Provide your name, course title, approximate completion date, and the board request if applicable.
We may verify identity, payment status, intended recipient, and the scope of the requested disclosure.
Record retention does not guarantee that a board will accept a course, that every historical item can be reproduced in its original format, or that Online-PDH can correct a missed renewal or audit deadline. A board’s current rules and audit instructions control, and the licensee remains responsible for compliance.