Credentials / American Council on Exercise

ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor

ACE-GFIcertificationverifiedby American Council on Exercise· Compare

Verified: this record was checked against its official source and the accreditor’s directory. Last verified 2026-09-03.

At a glance

Credential type

certification

Status

active

Target professional

Group fitness instructors

Country

Official page

https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/group-fitness-certification/default.aspx

Recertification page

unknown

Accreditation

accreditedNCCAaccredited through 2029-03-31

Confirmed against NCCA Accredited Program Directory (full listing) on 2026-09-03: American Council on Exercise | ACE-GFI | Group Fitness Instructor | NCCA | Accredited through 3/31/2029

Renewal & CEU requirements

2 yr

renewal cycle

CEUs per cycle

$129

renewal

Recertification required

yes

CEU unit system

ACE CEC (0.1 CEC = 1 hour of structured learning; 2.0 CECs = 20 hours)

Ethics requirement

yes

CPR/AED at renewal

yes

Deadline rule

Credential must be renewed every two years; CECs must be completed between the start and end dates of the renewal cycle shown in the My ACE profile. Late renewal permitted up to 3 months and up to 6 months past expiration at higher fees; more than 6 months past expiration requires contacting ACE support. If 2.0 CECs are not completed and the certification expires, the exam must be retaken.

Renewal requires 20 hours (2.0 CECs) of ACE-Approved continuing education per two-year cycle, including at least 1 hour (0.1 CEC) in the Professional Conduct & Ethics category (effective 9/13/23), a current adult CPR/AED certificate (AED required in US/Canada), and payment of a renewal fee submitted via My ACE Account. Excess CECs do not roll over; the same course cannot be repeated for credit. CECs may be applied across multiple ACE credentials if completed while each credential's cycle is current, but each credential requires its own renewal fee. CPR/AED/First Aid renewal earns 0.2 CEC each (up to 0.4 CECs noted on renewal page). CEC Power Pass advertised as including unlimited CECs and free credential renewal.

CEU recognition

American Council on Exercise (ACE) — petition accepted
Courses not yet ACE-Approved can be petitioned for CECs ($25 non-refundable fee per course, submitted via My ACE Account); must be within ACE Scope of Practice, taken within the current renewal cycle, and taught by instructors meeting credential qualifications. Accredited college/university courses may be petitioned (grade of 'C' or higher; max 2.0 CECs; cert-prep college course max 0.5 CEC). Petitions also accepted to satisfy the Professional Conduct & Ethics requirement.
ACE-Approved Continuing Education Providers (ACE Pre-Approved Course Directory) — approved ceu provider
Pre-approved courses carry an ACE course number (CEP/CP/CA/CS/CL format) entered in My ACE Account; provider approval is voluntary and valid Jan 1–Dec 31 of the reviewed year.

Sources (6)

Schedule Your ACE Certification Examtier 1 primary
official provider page · retrieved 2026-09-02
Group Fitness Instructor Certificationtier 1 primary
official provider page · retrieved 2026-09-02
https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/recertification/tier 1 primary
official recertification handbook · retrieved 2026-09-03
https://www.acefitness.org/faqs/tier 1 primary
official recertification handbook · retrieved 2026-09-03
https://www.acefitness.org/acestore/p-521-group-fitness-instructor-recertification.aspxtier 1 primary
official recertification handbook · retrieved 2026-09-03
NCCA Accredited Certification Programs Directory — full listing (311 programs), Institute for Credentialing Excellencetier 2 authoritative registry
accreditation directory · retrieved 2026-09-03

Latest verification activity: initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-03) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-03) · reverification → confirmed (2026-09-03) · initial verification → confirmed (2026-09-02)