American Institute of Certified Planners

To become certified, a planner must have a specified combination of relevant education and professional experience, must pass an examination that tests skills and knowledge, must pay an annual fee, and must be a member of the American Planning Association in good standing.

To maintain membership in the AICP, a certified planner must earn a specified number of continuing education credit hours that include courses in planning law and ethics every two years.

Combined with education, a potential candidate for the AICP exam must have a required number of years of professional planning experience.

As a result, AICP certified planners must earn and report 32 credits of eligible professional development activities every two years as part of this new CM requirement.

In the United Kingdom, the recognized accreditation for planners is "MRTPI", which indicates a member's chartered status in the Royal Town Planning Institute.