What Are My Options If My ALS 2 Certificate Is About To Expire?
What Are My Options If My ALS 2 Certificate Is About To Expire?
If your ALS 2 certificate is expiring, you have two clear paths and one hard deadline. You can sit the one day ALS 2 Recertification course while your certificate is still current, or you can repeat the full two day ALS 2 course. Both certify you for another four years. Once your certificate lapses, only the full two day course remains open to you.
That is the whole answer, and the timing is the part that catches people out. The Australian Resuscitation Council sets a four year validity period on ALS provider certificates and allows no leniency on it. Course centres are required to verify your certificate status before they accept your registration, so a booking made in good faith can still be refused if your expiry date falls before the course date.
This article explains how to find your exact expiry date, what each option involves, what it costs, and the order to do things in so you stay continuously certified.
How Long an ALS 2 Certificate Lasts?
According to the Australian Resuscitation Council, ALS 1 and ALS 2 provider certificates are valid for four years. Recertification courses are available for both, and the face to face component of a recertification course runs at roughly half the length of the initial course.
The four years run from the last day of your original course. Not the day you enrolled, not the day the certificate landed in your inbox, and not the anniversary of the first day of a two day course. If your ALS 2 course finished on 14 March 2023, your certificate is no longer current after 14 March 2027.
Check the date printed on the certificate itself rather than relying on memory or a diary entry. If you cannot find it, ask the course centre that issued it. That single piece of admin decides which of the options below is actually available to you.
BOOK ALS COURSESOption One: The One Day ALS 2 Recertification Course
This is the shorter and less expensive path, and it is the one most clinicians want. The ARC recertification requirements state that candidates must hold a current ARC ALS 2 certificate, within four years of the issue date, to attend the one day course. Course centres are required to verify that status before accepting a registration.
What the Day Involves
- One day of face to face teaching, built around practical stations and scenarios rather than lectures.
- Pre course material and a multiple choice paper to complete beforehand and bring with you.
- Continuous assessment through clinical simulations covering airway management, initial assessment and resuscitation, and cardiac arrest scenarios.
- A new ARC provider certificate, valid for a further four years, on successful completion.
The Timing Trap Worth Knowing About
Holding a valid certificate on the day you book is not enough. The ALS recertification must be completed before your existing certificate expires. If your certificate is current when you register but lapses two weeks before the course runs, you are not eligible for that course and will need the full two day ALS 2 course instead.
This is the single most common and most expensive mistake in ALS renewal. Work backwards from your expiry date and choose a course date with room to spare, rather than the last available session before the deadline.
Option Two: The Full Two Day ALS 2 Course
The ARC allows you to recertify at ALS 2 level either through the one day recertification course or by completing a full two day ALS 2 course. Repeating the full course is always available to you, whether your certificate is current or not.
It is the right choice in three situations. Your certificate has already lapsed. Your certificate will lapse before any suitable recertification date is available. Or you have been away from resuscitation practice for long enough that a full refresh would serve you better than a fast paced update day.
The full course covers rhythm recognition, manual defibrillation, arrest pharmacology, reversible causes, special circumstances such as anaphylaxis and pregnancy, post resuscitation care and leading a team under pressure. Candidates receive the manual about a month ahead and complete a pre course paper before arriving.
Option Three: Letting It Lapse
Some clinicians decide their role no longer requires ALS 2. That is a legitimate decision, but make it deliberately rather than by default, because the cost of drifting past the date is real.
- The one day recertification pathway closes permanently for that certificate. There is no reinstatement process and no grace period.
- Recertifying later means the two day course and the higher fee, so the delay usually costs more than acting early would have.
- Credentialing, rostering and college requirements may pause while you are uncertified. Requirements vary by employer, college, state and role, so check your own position with your credentialing team or professional body.
Comparing Your Two Real Options
| Point of Difference | ALS 2 Recertification | Full ALS 2 Course |
|---|---|---|
| Length | One day, face to face | Two days, face to face |
| Who can enrol | Clinicians holding a current ARC ALS 2 certificate that is still valid on the course date | Clinicians whose certificate has lapsed, and those certifying at ALS 2 level for the first time |
| Preparation | Course material and current manual, plus a pre course paper | Manual sent about a month ahead, plus a pre course paper |
| Certifies you for | A further four years | Four years |
| Price at Intouch Healthcare | $799 incl. GST | $1,750 incl. GST |
| Best suited to | Renewing comfortably before your expiry date | A lapsed certificate, or a first ALS 2 certification |
Make Sure the Course You Book Is Genuinely ARC Accredited
This matters more than price. The Australian Resuscitation Council specifically cautions that some providers offer alternative courses that the ARC does not endorse, and that those courses may not meet your credentialing requirements. The words advanced life support in a course title are not a guarantee of anything.
Before you pay, confirm that the provider is listed as an approved ARC course centre and that the course you are booking is the ARC ALS 2 or ALS 2 Recertification course. The ARC publishes current course dates and approved course centres by state and territory, which is the simplest way to check.
A good course centre will also verify your certificate status before taking your registration, rather than after. If nobody asks to see your existing certificate before enrolling you in a recertification course, treat that as a warning sign.
If You Certified Overseas
Australian adult advanced life support courses are co-badged, which means the credentials travel. ARC certification is cross-recognised by the Resuscitation Council UK, the New Zealand Resuscitation Council and the European Resuscitation Council, and certificates issued by those councils are recognised by the ARC in turn.
In practice, many Australian course centres accept a current RC UK ALS provider certificate as the basis for recertification eligibility. Because the centre carries the verification obligation, send them a copy of your certificate before you book so they can confirm your position rather than assume it.
CPD and Credentialing
The ARC notes that its advanced life support courses are recognised for continuing professional development by many colleges and organisations, and that recognition systems vary between professional colleges, states and individual employers. That variation is the important part.
Before you book, check the current requirements with your own college or professional body, and check what your employer’s credentialing policy asks for. Two clinicians in the same hospital can face different requirements depending on their college and their role.
A Simple Timeline to Follow
If you want one practical takeaway, it is this sequence.
- Six months out: find your certificate and write the exact expiry date somewhere you will see it.
- Five months out: check available recertification dates in your state and choose one that sits comfortably before your expiry, not on top of it.
- At booking: send the course centre a copy of your certificate so eligibility is confirmed in writing before you pay.
- One month out: work through the pre course material properly and complete the pre course paper.
- After the course: record your new certificate against your CPD and credentialing requirements, and diarise the new four year date immediately.
Recertifying With Intouch Healthcare
Intouch Healthcare is a course centre accredited by the Australian Resuscitation Council, and every course is delivered by ARC accredited instructors. We run ALS 1, ALS 2 and ALS 2 Recertification courses face to face in Brisbane, on the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, with onsite delivery available for hospitals, general practices, aged care providers and workplace response teams across southeast Queensland.
- ALS 1: $749 incl. GST, one day, ARC provider certificate valid four years.
- ALS 2: $1,750 incl. GST, two days, manual sent about a month ahead.
- ALS 2 Recertification: $799 incl. GST, one day, current ARC ALS 2 or RC UK ALS certificate required.
We check your certificate status before accepting a recertification registration, so you will know where you stand before you pay rather than on the morning of the course.
If you are unsure which course you need, or you are not certain your certificate is still current, send us your role and your certificate date by contacting us and we will tell you honestly which option applies to you.
BOOK ALS COURSESFrequently Asked Questions
Q: Exactly when does my ALS 2 certificate expire?
ARC ALS 1 and ALS 2 provider certificates are valid for four years, and the four years run from the last day of your original course. A course that finished on 14 March 2023 produces a certificate that is no longer current after 14 March 2027. Your certificate is the authoritative record, so check the date printed on it rather than working from memory.
Q: Can I book the one day recertification if my certificate expires before the course date?
No. Eligibility depends on holding a current certificate, and the recertification must be completed before your existing certificate expires. Being current on the day you book is not enough if the certificate lapses before the course runs. Course centres are required by the ARC to verify certificate status before accepting a registration.
Q: My ALS 2 certificate has already expired. Is there a grace period?
No. The ARC allows no leniency on the four year rule. Once a certificate has lapsed, the one day recertification course is no longer open to you and you will need the full two day ALS 2 course to certify again.
Q: Does a Resuscitation Council UK ALS certificate count in Australia?
Australian adult advanced life support courses are co-badged, so ARC credentials are cross recognised by the Resuscitation Council UK, the New Zealand Resuscitation Council and the European Resuscitation Council, and certificates from those councils are recognised by the ARC. Many course centres accept a current RC UK ALS provider certificate as the basis for recertification eligibility. Confirm your specific certificate with the course centre before booking, because the centre must verify your status.
Q: How much does ALS 2 recertification cost?
Fees are set by each ARC course centre and vary between locations. At Intouch Healthcare, the one day ALS 2 Recertification course is $799 including GST and the full two day ALS 2 course is $1,750 including GST.
Q: Do I have to complete ALS 1 before ALS 2?
It is not essential. The ARC notes that ALS 2 assumes a higher level of expected knowledge and recent clinical exposure to critical or crisis events at the start of the course, so ALS 1 is a sensible starting point for clinicians who are not regularly involved in resuscitation.
