No. LPI certification and LPI Membership are separate.

Earning an LPI certification demonstrates that you have met the requirements for that certification. It does not automatically enroll you as an LPI Member.

Membership is an optional program for eligible certification holders. Members pay membership dues, agree to the LPI Membership Agreement and Code of Conduct, and receive additional benefits including the ability to maintain professional certifications through Professional Development Units (PDUs).

You are eligible to apply for membership if you hold one of the following professional-level LPI certifications:

• LPIC-1
• LPIC-2
• LPIC-3
• DevOps Tools Engineer
• BSD Specialist

If your eligible certification is active, you can apply without submitting PDUs first.

Essentials certifications do not qualify for membership on their own.

Yes.

If your eligible professional certification is inactive, you must first submit 20 PDUs earned within the previous 12 months.

Once those PDUs are accepted and you meet the other membership requirements, you can become a member and your eligible certification can be returned to active status.

It depends on the status of your certification.

If you have an active eligible certification: No. You can apply for membership without submitting PDUs.

If your eligible certification is inactive: Yes. You must submit 20 PDUs from qualifying activities completed within the previous 12 months.

Sign in to the LPI People Portal and request membership.

Your application will be reviewed by LPI. You will also be required to agree to the LPI Code of Conduct and applicable membership terms.

Once your application is approved, you will receive instructions to pay your membership dues. Your membership becomes active once the membership process has been completed.

The membership benefits and PDU requirements are the same. The difference is the length of the membership term and how often you pay your membership dues.

With a one-year membership, you renew and pay your membership dues each year.

With a three-year membership, you pay for a three-year term at once.

Both options operate within the same three-year PDU cycle.

They are two different things.

A membership term is the period for which you have paid to be an LPI Member. You can choose a one-year or three-year membership term.

A PDU cycle is the three-year period during which your professional development is tracked.

For example, a member choosing one-year terms can complete three consecutive one-year membership terms during a single three-year PDU cycle. A member choosing a three-year term covers the entire PDU cycle with one membership term.

In both cases, 60 PDUs are required by the end of the three-year PDU cycle to begin another PDU cycle.

Your first three-year PDU cycle begins on the date your membership is activated.

You then have three years to meet the PDU requirements needed to begin another membership cycle.

Yes.

There is no limit to the number of times you can renew your membership, provided you continue to meet the membership and PDU requirements.

Maintaining your membership in this way also allows you to keep your eligible professional certifications active without having to retake the certification exams.

If your membership ends, the certification extension provided through membership also ends.

If you have not completed the PDU requirements by the end of your three-year PDU cycle, LPI provides a three-month grace period. If you still do not meet the requirements, your membership terminates and you will need to reapply if you want to become a member again.

Your underlying LPI certification remains subject to LPI’s normal certification status rules.

Yes, provided you meet the eligibility requirements in effect when you reapply.

If your qualifying professional certification is inactive when you reapply, you will need to meet the requirements for applicants with inactive certifications, including submitting 20 PDUs earned during the previous 12 months.

A Professional Development Unit (PDU) recognizes professional development activities that help you maintain and expand your Linux, open source, and related technology skills.

PDUs allow LPI Members to demonstrate that they remain professionally active and continue developing their knowledge instead of having to maintain their certification solely by retaking certification exams.

Technology changes continuously. PDUs provide a way for members to demonstrate that they continue to use, develop, and share their professional skills after becoming certified.

They recognize ongoing professional development through education, work experience, and participation in the open source community.

Members need to submit 60 PDUs during each three-year PDU cycle to remain eligible to begin another membership cycle.

The 60 PDUs are subject to category requirements. Currently:

• Education: minimum 30 / maximum 50 PDUs
• Community Participation: minimum 0 / maximum 20 PDUs
• Experience: minimum 0 / maximum 30 PDUs

This means that simply earning 60 PDUs in any combination is not necessarily sufficient. At least 30 must come from qualifying Education activities.

No.

The standard requirement is 60 PDUs over a three-year PDU cycle, not 20 PDUs every year.

You can accumulate the required PDUs throughout the three-year period, subject to LPI’s PDU category requirements.

The separate 20-PDU requirement applies to people with inactive professional certifications who want to become eligible for membership. Those 20 PDUs must have been earned within the previous 12 months.

If you do not meet the 60-PDU requirement by the end of your three-year PDU cycle, you cannot begin another three-year membership cycle based on PDUs.

LPI provides a three-month grace period after membership expiration to complete the PDU requirement.

If the requirement is still not met, your membership terminates and you will need to reapply if you want to become a member again.

PDUs can be earned through a wide range of professional development activities. They fall into three main categories:

Education — learning and teaching activities such as completing certifications, attending courses or conferences, mentoring, speaking, publishing educational content, or undertaking self-directed learning.

Community Participation — activities such as contributing to open source projects, open source advocacy, participating in professional associations, translating for LPI, organizing study groups, serving on committees, or volunteering with LPI.

Experience — professional or volunteer work where you use skills related to your LPI certification.

Yes.

Work experience can qualify for PDUs when your regular duties involve skills related to your LPI certification.

Experience PDUs can also come from qualifying entrepreneurial activities and relevant volunteer work.

There is a maximum of 30 Experience PDUs that can be counted toward the 60 PDUs required during a three-year cycle.

Yes, qualifying conferences, seminars, courses, educational events, and similar learning activities can earn Education PDUs.

Speaking at a conference can also qualify as a Teaching activity.

Yes. Qualifying certifications, digital badges, and micro-credentials from LPI, LPI partners, and third-party organizations may earn Education PDUs.

The activity must meet LPI’s PDU requirements and be relevant to your professional development.

Yes.

Contributions to open source projects can qualify under Community Participation. Contributions can include activities such as code, documentation, testing, and advocacy.

PDU claims are submitted through the LPI People Portal.

For each claim, provide the required information about the activity and retain appropriate evidence or documentation.

Depending on the activity, evidence could include a certificate of attendance, invoice, digital badge, link to published work, photograph, attachment, employment information, or verification of the work performed.

PDU claims can be reviewed by LPI at any time.

Claims may also be randomly selected for verification. If additional evidence or information is required, LPI may ask you to provide it.

Claims may be deferred or rejected if the requested supporting information is not provided.

You need to demonstrate that you work in a role relevant to your certification.

Evidence can include information about your job title and responsibilities supported by documentation such as a LinkedIn profile or a letter from your employer.

LPI’s current policy states that it will not contact your employer to confirm your Experience PDU claims.

Yes.

The list of qualifying activities is intended to be flexible. If you have completed a relevant professional development activity that isn’t specifically listed, you may submit it for consideration.

LPI evaluates such activities on a case-by-case basis.

Yes.

If you disagree with a decision concerning your PDU claim, you can contact LPI Membership or submit a service request through the portal. Disputes and appeals can be reviewed by LPI.

Yes, and you should.

You can submit eligible PDU claims throughout your three-year cycle rather than waiting until the end.

This makes it easier to track your progress and ensures you still have time to earn additional PDUs if necessary.

Yes, although category limits determine how many PDUs can count toward your requirement.

Up to 20 unused PDUs can be carried forward into your next PDU cycle, provided those PDUs were earned during the final year of your current cycle.

PDUs are associated with the cycle in which they are earned and claimed.

Normally, PDUs are used toward the requirements for the current three-year cycle. However, up to 20 unused PDUs earned during the final year of a cycle can be carried forward into the next cycle.

Yes.

While you are an active LPI Member, your professional-level certifications are extended for the duration of your membership.

By successfully completing each three-year PDU cycle and continuing your membership, you can continue maintaining the active status of your eligible certifications.

Not necessarily.

Certification holders who are not members can continue using LPI’s regular certification process, including retaking exams or achieving higher-level certifications where applicable.

Membership provides an alternative: maintain your certification status through ongoing membership and Professional Development Units.

No.

Membership is optional.

Certification holders can continue to maintain their certification status through LPI’s regular certification renewal options without becoming members.

Membership provides an additional path that allows eligible certification holders to maintain active certification status through professional development and PDUs.

No.

Essentials certifications do not meet the professional-level certification requirement for membership.

To qualify, you need an eligible professional-level certification such as LPIC-1, LPIC-2, LPIC-3, DevOps Tools Engineer, or BSD Specialist.

Membership requests are reviewed by LPI staff.

Rather than promising a specific processing time, LPI will notify you once your request has been reviewed. If your request is approved, you will receive instructions for completing payment of your membership dues.

You can manage your membership and related activities through the LPI People Portal.

Your LPI account and credential information can be managed through LPI’s account systems. If you need assistance with information you cannot change yourself, contact LPI support.

Sign in to the LPI People Portal to submit and review PDU claims, manage your membership, and access member benefits.

Questions about membership and PDUs can be directed to the LPI Membership team.

You can also connect with LPI staff and other members through LPI’s community discussion forums.