How long does ITIL certification last if I passed it before ITIL 5 launched?

Still three years. The ITIL Version 5 rollout does not reset your clock, because ITIL 4 stays available during the phased release and ITIL 4 qualifications remain recognised as prerequisites for higher-level Version 5 certifications. What changes is what you renew with. Every ITIL 4 module is planned to sunset on 31 December 2027, so a renewal date after that day needs a Version 5 exam or the CPD route.

Does an ITIL v3 certification ever expire?

No. ITIL v2 and v3 certifications are lifetime credentials that require no renewal, and ITIL v3 certifications never expired and still do not. The v3 exams themselves are closed to new candidates, so this applies only to people who already hold the credential. Those holders can keep it on their record without any renewal work.

Is the CPD route cheaper than retaking the ITIL exam?

Published prices show no clear winner. PeopleCert Plus costs GBP 127 per year including VAT, so GBP 381 over three years. A US training partner sells the ITIL 4 Foundation voucher for US$450. The currencies differ, so compare both at your own checkout. One exam or one membership renews every ITIL certification in the suite, so holding more certificates only lowers the cost per certificate.

What happens if my ITIL certification expires?

Nothing is deleted. The certificate stays on PeopleCert's records and is flagged as not aligned with current requirements rather than removed, and the underlying knowledge still counts in interviews and on the job. Recertification means sitting the exam again or logging your 60 CPD points before the renewal date. You do not restart from zero, and passing any ITIL Version 5 certification renews ITIL 4 credentials.

How Long Does ITIL Certification Last

Q: How long does ITIL certification last?

Three years from the date it was issued. PeopleCert renews certifications every three years from their original certification date, and the same rule applies to ITIL 4 and ITIL Version 5, which is issued with a three-year renewal date. The older ITIL v2 and v3 family is different, because those certifications are lifetime and need no renewal. Check your own date in the Certifications tab of your PeopleCert account.

How long does ITIL certification last before it expires?

PeopleCert sets the rule for every certification in the current catalogue. Each certification must be renewed every three years from its original certification date. PeopleCert publishes that rule on its renewal options page, with the three routes side by side. ITIL Version 5 certificates are issued with a three-year renewal date.

ITIL v2 and v3 certifications are different. They are lifetime credentials that need no renewal. ITIL v3 certifications never expired and still do not. The v3 exams are closed to new candidates, so only existing holders can use them.

The answer to "how long does itil certification last" is three years for both current versions. You can see your own renewal date in the Certifications tab of your PeopleCert account. Employers can check a certificate through the PeopleCert Certificate Verification Service. That service needs the certificate number exactly as printed, plus the Image Verification field.

A lapsed credential is not deleted from the record. The certificate stays on file and is flagged as not aligned with current requirements. The knowledge behind it still counts in interviews and on the job.

Certification	Valid for	Renewal required	Key date or note
ITIL v2 and v3, including ITIL 3 Foundation	Lifetime	No	Never expires. The v3 exams are closed to new candidates.
ITIL 4: Foundation, Managing Professional, Strategic Leader and Master	3 years from the certification date	Yes	All ITIL 4 modules are due to sunset on 31 December 2027.
ITIL Foundation (Version 5)	3 years from the certification date	Yes	Issued with a three-year renewal date and released in phases.
Any version listed above	The 3-year cycle starts at the original certification date	Yes	One exam inside the product suite renews the suite before your renewal date.

What does the 31 December 2027 ITIL 4 retirement mean for my renewal date?

PeopleCert plans to sunset every ITIL 4 module on 31 December 2027. The ITIL Foundation Bridge (Version 5) retires on the same day. That date decides which exam you can still sit. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points are the other route, and they stay open.

One ITIL exam inside the product suite renews every ITIL certification you hold. The product suite is the group of certifications that renew together. For ITIL Version 5, the suite includes all ITIL certifications. One Plus membership also covers every certification on your record. So holding more certificates does not raise the total cost of either route. It only lowers the cost per certificate.

The CPD route asks for 20 CPD points per year for three years in a row. That is 60 points in total, logged from everyday professional activity. PeopleCert Plus costs GBP 127 per year including Value Added Tax on the PeopleCert store. Over three years that comes to GBP 381.

On the exam side, a US PeopleCert Training Partner sells an ITIL 4 Foundation voucher for US$450 (Go Training, November 2026). The stated PeopleCert list price for that voucher is US$680. The PeopleCert UK store prices the ITIL 4 Foundation bundle at GBP 392 including VAT. The bundle also holds an official eBook and a Learning Resource Kit. That price is listed on its ITIL 4 Foundation exam page.

These prices use different currencies, so do not compare them line by line. PeopleCert prices by region, so check both routes in your own currency at checkout. The published prices show no clear winner. For the full picture on exam price, read ITIL certification cost.

Now take the case where all your certificates sit in one suite. One US$450 voucher over three years gives US$150 per certificate per year for one certificate. The same voucher gives US$75 each for two certificates and US$50 each for three. One Plus membership at GBP 127 per year gives GBP 127, GBP 63.50 and GBP 42.33 per certificate per year.

So a single voucher can renew three certificates at once. The answer to "how long does itil certification last" stays three years either way.

ITIL certifications you hold	Exam route: total for 3 years	Exam route: per certificate per year	Plus route: total for 3 years	Plus route: per certificate per year
1	US$450	US$150	GBP 381	GBP 127
2	US$450	US$75	GBP 381	GBP 63.50
3	US$450	US$50	GBP 381	GBP 42.33

Criteria	Retake the exam	PeopleCert Plus and the CPD route
How you renew	Sit the certification exam again before your renewal date	Log 20 CPD points each year for three years
Published cost	US$450 for an ITIL 4 Foundation voucher from a US Training Partner, against a PeopleCert list price of US$680	GBP 127 per year including Value Added Tax on the PeopleCert store
Cost over three years	US$450 for one renewal cycle	GBP 381, which is GBP 127 for each of three years
How many certificates it covers	One ITIL exam in the suite renews them all	Every certification on your record
Time commitment	One exam session	CPD logging spread across three years
What you must do	Book and pass the exam before your renewal date	Record 60 points before the cycle ends
Extras	A Take2 retake can be bought as an optional add-on	Mock exams, official eBooks and a free Take2 retake are included

Pick the exam route when you want the renewal finished in one session. Pick the CPD route when you would rather not sit another exam. Both routes renew every certificate in the suite. The number of certificates you hold changes the cost per certificate, not the total.

What should you know before you sit the renewal exam?

The ITIL 4 Foundation exam has 40 multiple-choice questions and 60 minutes. It is a closed-book test with a 65 percent pass mark. It is offered in 12 languages.

The ITIL Foundation (Version 5) exam uses the same format. It also has 40 questions, 60 minutes and a 65 percent pass mark. Its exam page lists nine languages.

A Take2 retake can be bought as an optional add-on. PeopleCert Plus includes a free Take2 retake if an attempt fails.

If you have not taken the exam yet, start with How to Get ITIL Foundation Certified. The renewal rules above apply once you pass it.

What are the next steps?

ITIL 4 and ITIL Version 5 certificates last three years from their certification date. ITIL v2 and v3 certificates never expire at all. You renew with one exam or with CPD points. The date to check against is 31 December 2027.

Renew before that date and your record stays current.
Open your PeopleCert account and read your renewal date in the Certifications tab.
Compare one exam voucher with a PeopleCert Plus membership at your local store prices.
If your date falls after 31 December 2027, plan a Version 5 exam or start logging CPD points.
Log 20 CPD points each year so 60 points are banked before your cycle ends.
If you are weighing other credentials, compare the best IT certifications without a degree.

Photo: AymaneJed, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/laptop-office-hand-writing-3196481/)

How Long Does ITIL Certification Last - Does It Expire?