American Institute of Certified Planners
The American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is the certification arm of the American Planning Association. It certifies planning professionals in the United States and supports ethics, professional development, planning education, and high standards in planning practice. AICP members promise to follow a Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. After earning certification, planners may put the letters AICP after their name to show they meet the organization’s standards.
To become certified, you need the right mix of education and experience, pass an exam, pay an annual fee, and be a member in good standing of the American Planning Association. The AICP exam is offered twice a year, in May and November, and has been computer-based since 2004.
To maintain certification, you must earn 32 continuing education credits every two years, including courses in planning law and ethics. Your required experience depends on your education: two years for an accredited master’s in planning; three years for a nonaccredited master’s in planning or a PAB-accredited bachelor’s in planning; four years for other degrees; and eight years if you have no undergraduate degree. You can gain experience before, during, or after taking the exam. If you pass the exam but don’t yet meet the experience requirement, you can use the title “AICP Candidate.”
In 2007, the AICP Commission introduced the Certification Maintenance (CM) program, replacing the voluntary Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program. Under CM, certified planners must earn 32 credits of eligible professional development every two years.
The Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) accredits planning programs. For context, international designations include Canada’s MCIP, Australia’s CPP, Nicaragua’s APP, and the United Kingdom’s MRTPI. The chair of the AICP Commission is Alexander Alvarado. There are many U.S. universities with accredited urban planning programs.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:45 (CET).