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Lifeguard Recertification Requirements
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The lifeguard recertification requirements are narrower than the original course requirements, because you are proving competence rather than acquiring it. They are still real requirements, and candidates who treat the refresher as a formality are the ones who fail it.
What are the lifeguard recertification requirements?
- A current certification, or one that has only recently lapsed. This is the requirement that decides whether you are eligible for a refresher at all.
- The prerequisite water screen. The same 300 yard continuous swim, two minute leg-only tread, and 10 pound brick retrieval from 7 to 10 feet. Recertification does not waive it.
- Full attendance at the in-person session. There is no partial credit.
- A passing skills assessment covering rescues, extrication, spinal management and CPR/AED.
- A passing written exam at the same threshold as the original course.
The screen is the part people forget
Most candidates expect the skills assessment and are surprised by the swim screen. A guard who has spent two years on a stand has not necessarily spent two years swimming, and the 300 yard swim after a season away is harder than it was at 15. Train for it in the weeks before, not on the day.
What is not required
You do not repeat the online theory course in full, you do not re-learn skills from first principles, and you do not sit through the complete 27.5 hours. The lifeguard recertification requirements exist to confirm that the certification you hold still reflects what you can do.
Bring the right documentation
Bring your existing certification or its record. An instructor cannot assess you as a renewal candidate without evidence that you hold the certification being renewed, and turning up without it can mean being turned away or reclassified into the full course at the higher price.
Where the requirements come from
Certification requirements are set by the issuing body. Facility and state health codes can add to them, for example by requiring a specific CPR level or an additional module for the water type, but they do not reduce them. Where a facility asks for more, meet the higher standard.
Lifeguard recertification requirements: frequently asked questions
What are the lifeguard recertification requirements?
The lifeguard recertification requirements are a current or recently lapsed certification, the prerequisite swim screen of a 300 yard swim, a two minute leg-only tread and a 10 pound brick retrieval, full attendance, and passing skills and written assessments.
Do I have to redo the swim test to recertify?
Yes. The prerequisite water screen is not waived for renewal, and it is the part candidates most often underestimate after a season out of the water.
Do I need to bring my old certification?
Yes. Without evidence of the certification being renewed, an instructor cannot assess you as a renewal candidate, and you may be moved into the full course instead.
Reviewed by Jackie Stern, Lifeguard Instructor, Firefighter and EMT. Jackie Stern has taught lifeguarding for more than 20 years and works as a firefighter, EMT and swim instructor. She reviews course content, prerequisites and rescue standards against current certification requirements.
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