CCS Designation

By maintaining your CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) designation on an annual basis, you demonstrate your ongoing commitment to professional development and the high quality of service expected from those with the CCS designation. Timely, complete information is critical to the CCS and the CSCB will provide you with the means by which you can receive information on new customs policies, administrative programs and fast changing international trade agreements, giving you the knowledge you need to stay current.

Eligibility Status

Certified Customs Specialist designation status is limited to:

1. persons who successfully completed the Certified Customs Specialist course and who maintain their CCS status on an ongoing basis; OR
2. persons who successfully challenge the Certified Customs Specialist examination and who maintain their CCS status on an ongoing basis.

The CCS designation program has annual reporting and payment requirements. 

Annual Fee

In January of each year, CCS designates who attained the required number of points for the previous calendar year will be sent a notification advising them how to pay their fees. Currently, the renewal fee is CDN $105 (plus applicable taxes) per year.

Payment must be made online by February 28 of the same year. Designates will receive one overdue reminder notice in March. Any designates who have not paid their annual fee by the end of May of that year will be converted to “expired” status, and their access to CSCB resources will be removed.

The CSCB will consider requests to reinstate designate status until end of calendar year.

Candidates who miss the payment deadlines due to extended absence (six months or longer) from work that is attributable to illness, parental leave, or other exceptional circumstances should contact the CSCB as soon as possible to advise of the circumstances. In some cases, the CSCB will allow a designate’s status to be reinstated if their employer attests to the reason for a prolonged absence from work. The annual renewal fee will still apply and will not be prorated.

CSCB member firms are offered a rebate of CDN $20 per CCS designate on their membership dues. To facilitate the application of the rebate on their membership dues invoice to be prepared on July 1st, the MOU employer must pay the renewal fee for all of their CCS designates by April 30. The CSCB will consider requests for extension on a case-by-case basis in May and June.

Obtaining CCS Points

20 professional development points are required per calendar year to maintain the CCS designation. Points in excess of the required 20 cannot be “banked” for allocation in a future year.

NOTE: CCS program graduates must start collecting points in the year following graduation. For e.g. if you graduated in September 2025, you need to obtain 20 points in 2026.

Points may be obtained in several ways, including:

CCS Points Approved Activities

Please refer to a list of all CCS Points Approved Activities. This list is updated regularly.

Please do not assume that an event approved for points in one year will be approved, or that the same number of points will be assigned, in the following year.

Event Eligibility and Approval

To be deemed as eligible for CCS points, an event must be approved by the CSCB. To do this in advance of the event, please log in to your CSCB account and complete the External Event Approval form.

Proof of attendance at any non-CSCB event is required. Any valid proof of attendance will be accepted, as outlined in the table above.

General Requirements for Event Eligibility for CCS

• The event must be educational in nature and directly related to customs, trade, or border management topics.
• The duration and content of the session will determine the number of CCS points awarded.
• The content must have Canadian relevance — it should expand upon or complement topics covered in the CCS program such as:
  • CBSA programs and procedures
  • Canadian trade compliance and regulations
  • Tariff classification, valuation, or release and accounting processes
  • Rules of origin and trade agreements
  • Canadian trade policy or legislative updates
  • Other government department (OGD) requirements for import/export
• International or general trade content may be accepted only if it is directly applicable to Canadian customs operations or compliance.

Examples of Non-Acceptable Topics

• Sessions unrelated to trade, customs, or compliance (e.g., generic business development)
• Events focused primarily on product promotion or sales
• Unverifiable or informal training without proof of participation
• Participation in working groups or committees of other organizations

Recording Points

Here's what you can do to ensure that the CSCB has a record of your points:

For CSCB activities:

• For CSCB events, CCS points will be added automatically based on attendance lists.
• For CSCB courses or CCS Designate quizzes, points will be added automatically upon successful completion.
• For CCS designates who sit on national or regional boards or committees, points will be added automatically.

For non-CSCB activities pre-approved for points:

• For non-CSCB activities, you must provide evidence of participation, as outlined in the table above. Points will then be added to your account. Please log into your CSCB account and access the Activities Approved for Points/Credits page to submit your proof of attendance.
• For in-house training offered by CSCB member firms, please have the training facilitator provide the CSCB with a list of CCS designates who completed the in-house training. Points will be added based on the provided attendance list.
   

If you do not submit evidence of attendance for events hosted by organizations other than the CSCB, CCS points will not be awarded to you.

Checking Your CCS Points Status

You should access your CSCB account on a regular basis to check your points status. If you think your record is incomplete, please provide us with proof of attendance in a relevant industry activity by December 31. You must acquire 20 points by December 31 to maintain the CCS designation.

Regaining the CCS Designation

Former CCS designates who wish to regain their designation may do so by challenging the CCS exam, as long as their designation has not lapsed for more than 5 years. For further details on fees and deadline, please refer to the Challenging the CCS Examination policy. 

Former CCS designates may also enrol in the CCS course at a discounted rate. Contact [email protected] for details.

Individuals seizing this opportunity may do so only once.

Leave of Absence

If a designate is away from the workplace for three consecutive months within a calendar year due to employer-authorized leave, 10 CCS points will be waived from the designation maintenance requirements. This waiver process can be accessed twice within a calendar year, for a maximum waiver of 20 CCS points.

Proof of authorized leave from the employer is required.

Please note, the annual renewal fee will still apply.

Replacement of Certificate

If for any reason you would like a new certificate, please fill out the Request for Reproduction of a Certificate form and email it to [email protected] accompanied by a fee of $25.00 + applicable taxes.

CCS Retired Status

The "CCS Retired Status" is available for individuals who are no longer working in international trade.

Retired designates can still engage in professional development activities but are not required to earn points. For more details, visit CCS/CTCS Retired Status.