General Information
Certification Maintenance (CM)
After an individual has passed the certification examination, he/she will be sent a certificate, a wallet card and a lapel pin. Maintaining certification is an important and vital part of becoming certified. As the industry changes and technology grows, so must the knowledge of the CLSO and CMLSO.
Reviewing Certification Maintenance
It is the responsibility of the CLSO/CMLSO to submit the completed CM worksheet and recertification fee on time. Notices will
be sent out via email and/or mail only as a reminder to turn them in.
All worksheets must be postmarked by January 31st after the third year. Failure to recertify by January 31st will result in INACTIVE
STATUS. To restore status, submission of the CM worksheet accompanied with the recertification fee and a late fee of $50 will be accepted up to and
including May 31st. After that time, it will be necessary to retake the exam to become active again, which includes reapplying, resubmission of reference letters and payment of the $50
application fee in addition to payment of the examination fee.
CM worksheets should include all supporting documentation. The BLS may or may not ask for additional supporting documentation when reviewing the CM worksheet. Once a CM worksheet has been
reviewed and accepted by the BLS, a letter stating certification has been maintained will be sent to the CLSO/CMLSO.
If there are any questions with the CM worksheet, a letter will be sent to the CLSO/CMLSO requesting clarification and/or resolution. The CLSO/CMLSO then has 60 days to resolve the situation
with the BLS. If the situation is not resolved, the individual will go to inactive status.
Applying for CM Credit
Organizations or individuals may apply for CM credits.
If an organization believes it offers products and services that are beneficial to the continuing education of CLSOs or CMLSOs, it may submit its offerings to the BLS for consideration.
If an individual attends a training course, or participates in an activity that is currently not approved for CM points, the information may be submitted to the BLS for consideration.
The completed CM Point Request Form should be sent directly to the BLS with supporting
documentation for consideration. The CM point approval process takes approximately one month. Only activities that contribute to continuing education in the area of lasers and laser safety will be
considered. If an activity is approved by the BLS for CM points, a unique BLS approval code along with the number of CM points to be awarded will be assigned.
