Continuing Education Requirement

A Licensed Tree Expert or Licensed Tree Care Operator shall earn 32 credits or more of continuing education during the first two-year license period in which the individual obtains licensure and each succeeding two-year license period.

A Licensed Tree Expert or Licensed Tree Care Operator may earn continuing education credit for seminars, courses, programs, presentations, continuing education quizzes, or lectures administered by approved arboricultural organizations successfully completed during the biennial licensure period in which the continuing education was completed as set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:3A-7.5. No continuing education credits may be carried over into a succeeding biennial period.

Participants will receive one continuing education credit for each hour of attendance or teaching that includes at least 50 minutes of instructional content.

A licensee may obtain continuing education credit for the following types of educational activities:

• Attendance at or teaching of courses or programs approved by the Board.
• Attendance at or teaching of seminars, courses, conferences, or other programs, if the Board is satisfied that it is appropriate for the purpose of keeping the licensee apprised of advancements and new developments in the profession.
• Attendance or teaching and successful completion of undergraduate or graduate course work relevant to arboriculture or urban forestry beyond that required for professional licensure and approved by the Board, at an accredited university with a maximum of nine credits allowed for each course.
• Attendance at or teaching of courses, programs, or seminars offered by universities that are directly related to the practice of arboriculture.
• Completion of a continuing education quiz published by an arboricultural organization approved by the Board as a provider of quizzes. A participant who completes the quiz with a minimum score of 70 percent may receive the number of credits assigned to the quiz by the organization that offers the quiz.
• Preparation of a paper, publication or presentation, provided the subject matter of the paper, publication, or presentation is directly related to the practice or theory of arboriculture or urban forestry, as determined by the Board.

A licensee applying for license renewal shall confirm on the renewal application that he or she has earned 32 continuing education credits as required during the preceding biennial period as set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:3A-7.1(a).

A licensee's confirmation of fulfillment of the continuing education requirement shall be subject to audit by the Board. A licensee shall upon request of the Board, submit documentation, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:3A-7.4, of his or her completion of the continuing education activities as claimed. Failure to provide, or falsification of, the documentation submitted to the Board may result in immediate suspension of the individual's license and/or civil administrative penalties as set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:3A-9.6(a), and may result in the denial of the application for license renewal until the submitted documentation has been corrected to the satisfaction of the Board.

Procedures for Pre-qualification of Continuing Education Offerings

The New Jersey Board of Tree Experts may review an educational offering, such as a seminar, course, program, presentation, lecture, or quiz to be offered by a college, university, and other institution or organization, to determine whether a licensee may utilize completion of the offering as a basis for earning continuing education credits.

If a provider wants to have a seminar, course, program, presentation, lecture, quiz, or other offering be considered for pre-qualification by the Board as eligible to be used by a licensee to earn continuing education credits, the provider shall, at least 45 days prior to the date of the offering, submit a request for pre-qualification by submitting to the Board an LTE/LTCO Training Course CEU Application.

Upon receipt of a request for pre-qualification of an educational offering, the Board will review the material submitted and determine whether the offering is eligible for use by licensees as a basis for earning continuing education credits.

The provider of the continuing education offerings can download and use as evidence of Licensee attendance the Board of Tree Experts' CEU Course Roster Sign-in Form and the Training Course Information Form (Attendance Receipt). Direction for use is on the form for both the CEU Provider and the Licensee.