2024 – 2025 CPS Technical Update Class Overview

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CPS Recertification requirements and topics covered in the 2023 – 2024 TIPP CPS Technical Update Class

2024 – 2025 CPS Technical Update Class Overview

Child Passenger Safety Certification

Successful completion of a National Standardized Child Passenger Safety Training class certifies an individual as a CPS technician for two years. To retain your CPS certification, you must successfully complete the recertification process before the current 2 – year certification cycle expires.  

Recertification Requirements: As you meet these requirements, record them in your online profile at https://cert.safekids.org/.

  • Log into your personal profile on the CPS Certification website
    • Click on “Log In – CPS Tech/Tech To Be”
    • Enter your username and password
    • Scroll down to Recertification and enter completed recertification requirements
    • Pay Recertification Fee: Fee can be paid up to 4 months prior the recertification expiration date

Verified Seat Check Activity (5 seat types)

Observation and verification of seat checks is critical to quality assurance. Recertification requires that technicians and instructors demonstrate technical and communications skills during each of five seat checks in the presence of an instructor or technician proxy. The five seat checks are:

  • Rear-facing only safety seat
  • Rear-facing convertible safety seat
  • Forward-facing safety seat with harness
  • Belt-positioning booster
  • Harnessed car seat installation with LATCH

Community Education: (checkup, community workshop or educational workshop)

Requirements for community education can be achieved in one of three ways. Options for meeting the recertification requirement are listed below. Recertifying technicians can choose to:

Participate in a two-hour seat checkup event with at least one other CPS technician. You are welcome to combine different checkup events or appointments to meet the time requirement of two hours. -OR-

Provide at least four hours of community education to individuals who are not CPS technicians. Examples: child passenger safety presentation for parenting groups, organizations, or agencies, (EMS/Law Enforcement, Transportation/Head Start). Working at a health fair where you are primarily talking about CPS also qualifies as community education for recertification. Combine different presentations to meet the time requirement of four hours. -OR-

Attend a one hour (minimum) educational session(s), live or online.  Examples include how to better reach community members or underserved communities, improve communication skills or instructor development and learning about other cultures and their beliefs in your community. Visit https://www.carseateducation.org/cpst-community-education for recorded community education webinars. Upcoming webinars can be found at https://cpsboard.org/webinars/.

Continuing Education (6 hours)

Earn at least 6 CPS technical continuing education units (CEUs) during the two-year certification cycle. CEUs do not carry over from one period to the next, even if you have completed more than the required six hours. CEUs are entered into your profile and the certificate of completion must be kept as proof of attendance in case you are selected for a recertification audit. An audit may occur during the three months following your recertification. CEUs can be earned through:

  • In-person Session/Workshop (maximum 6 CEUs)
    • The TIPP CPS Technical Update has been pre-approved for 6 CPS CEUs. Attendees will be given a certificate as proof of attendance in case of an audit by Safe Kids Certification.
  • Online/Web Sessions (maximum 6 CEUs)
    • Moderated webinars feature one or more speakers with the ability for participants to ask questions.
    • Non-moderated sessions can be a PowerPoint presentation or recorded webinar that is available to watch without interacting with others. If you complete a non-moderated session, an assessment, such as a quiz, is required to qualify as a CEU. A passing quiz score is 80 percent. Visit the following for recorded webinars:

CPSTI Teaching Requirement (20 hours)

At least 10 of the 20 hours must be earned through lecturing or hands-on teaching of the full Certification Course. The other 10 may be earned from mentoring or teaching the Certification Renewal Testing Course.

Pay the recertification fee (this may be done up to four months prior to your certification cycle end date)

  • The recertification fee is $55 for technicians and instructor candidates and $60 for instructors.

 Please note: The recertification process cannot be completed in one-day. You must complete all recertification requirements, including paying the recertification fee, on or before the expiration date of your current 2 – year certification cycle.

The PA Traffic Injury Prevention Project 2024 – 2025 Child Passenger Safety Technical Update

The 2024 – 2025 Traffic Injury Prevention Project CPS Technical Update Class is outlined below. The presentation has been pre-approved for 6 CPS CEUs. Participating in the one-day class will meet the 6 hours of Continuing Education requirement for CPS recertification. The class will be offered throughout the State and scheduled classes will be posted on the TIPP website. If you are interested in hosting a class in your area, please contact your TIPP Regional Coordinator or the TIPP office at 1-800 CAR BELT.

The 2024 – 2025 CPS Technical Update includes 6 segments that discuss the following: FMVSS 213 / 213a / 213b; Rotating Car Seats (RFO/Convertible); Rotating Car Seats (All-in-1); Newborns and Infants / Harness Fit; Infants On the Go; and Did You Know?.  This class provides information on technical updates and changes made within the CPS field. Attendees will be given a certificate as proof of attendance in case of an audit by Safe Kids Certification. 

The PA TIPP 2024 – 2025 CPS Technical Update Course ID# is 7987

Section 1: FMVSS 213 / 213a / 213b (1 hour)

  • This section will discuss revisions to FMVSS 213.
  • FMVSS 213 Requirements:
    • Registering car seats for recalls
    • Information on labels and instructions
    • Streamlining the use of ATDs in compliance testing
    • School bus specific car seats
  • FMVSS 213a Requirements:
    • Side Impact Protection
  • FMVSS 213b Requirements:
    • Updating standard vehicle bench seat for crash tests

Section 2: Rotating CRS (Rear-Facing Only and Convertible) (1 hour)

  • This section will highlight rear-facing only and convertible rotating car seats.
    • Review rotating car seats serve a similar purpose, but their instructions for use and installation vary. This section will review the car seats and compare differences in features, installation, tether use, use on airplanes, etc. The seats included in this section are the following:
      • Cybex Aton G Swivel
      • Maxi Cosi Peri 180
      • Baby Jogger City Turn
      • Chicco Fit 360
      • Cybex Sirona S
      • Evenflo Revolve Slim
      • Joie Chili
      • Nuna Revv & Nuna Revv Updated

Section 3: Rotating CRS (All-in-1) (1 hour)

  • This section will highlight All-in-1 rotating car seats.
    • Review rotating car seats serve a similar purpose, but their instructions for use and installation vary. This section will review the car seats and compare differences in features, installation, tether use, use on airplanes, etc. The seats included in this section are the following:
      • Evenflo Revolve
      • Evenflo Revolve Extend
      • Graco Turn2Me
      • Maxi Cosi Emme
      • Safety 1st Turn & Go 360

Section 4: Newborns and Infants – Harness Fit (1 hour)

  • This section will address:
    • Positioning tips for securing small newborns and infants. Features that will be discussed include padding provided by the car seat manufacturer including:
      • Head Rests/Head Pillows
      • Infant Inserts/Body Pillows
      • Harness Pads
    • This section will also address adjusting the harness using the inner loops, inner hip slots, and shortening the buckle strap when permitted by the car seat manufacturer instructions.
    • A review of the use of crotch rolls and side rolls will be discussed.
    • Review of car seats that start at 3 pounds:
      • Evenflo Lite Max
      • Evenflo Shyft DualRide

Section 5: Infants on the Go (1 hour)

  • This section will review infant car seats from:
    • Britax Cypress and Alpine Base and Britax Willow Brook / Willow Brook S Travel System
    • Diono LiteClik 30 R / RX / XT Safe Plus
    • Joie mint latch
    • Nuna Pipa Urbn Travel System
    • Romer Juni & Versa Base
    • Simple Parenting Doona Car Seat Stroller

Section 6: Did You Know? (1 hour)

  • This section will address a variety of features and issues that may impact car seat use and installation based on vehicle and child restraint designs. This section promotes reading the car seat instructions and vehicle manual. The topics include:
    • Rear Vehicle Seat Frontal Air Bags
    • Vehicle Seat Bench Length: Permitted Overhang / Pick-Up Trucks that use the head restraint to extend the vehicle seat length
    • Vehicle Seat Bightline and Waterfall Seat Design
  • Car seat features will include:
    • Stability / Load Legs and Vehicle Manual Guidance for Use
    • Car Seat Manufacturer’s instructions for harness height
    • Use of Sensor Safe During Air Travel
    • Dorel’s Guidance for Rear-Facing Car Seats to Touch the Back of the Front Vehicle Seat
    • Dorel’s 5″ Head Clearance for children seated in their belt-positioning booster seats
    • Lock-Off and Seat Belt Tensioner Differences in Use
    • Expiration Dates: Date of Manufacturer vs. Date of Purchase
    • Evenflo’s Waiver to use the Merritt Manufacturing Chest Clip Guard on certain car seats
    • Booster seat statement prohibiting use in the front seat with an active passenger-side air bag
    • Tether tips
    • Britax SecureGuard and UPPAbaby’s Secure Fit system used on booster seats top improve lap belt position
  • The topics are varied, but important when working with families.

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