Short answer: HR professionals earn HRCI recertification credits through webinars from six kinds of source: HRCI Recertification Providers, HRCI’s own webcasts, free employer and government webinars, conferences and association events, programs without an Activity ID that you report yourself, and professional achievement such as teaching or publishing. Pre-approved provider webinars are the least work, because you enter the Activity ID and HRCI accepts the credit without further review.
Six places HRCI credits come from
1. HRCI Recertification Providers
These are organizations whose programs HRCI has pre-approved: training companies, associations, universities and some employers. Each approved program has an Activity ID. You enter it in your HRCI account, upload your certificate, and the credit is accepted without a reviewer looking at it.
How to find them: HRCI keeps a Recertification Providers directory in its portal. On a provider’s own site, look for the HRCI approved-provider statement and an Activity ID on each session page. HR.com, for example, lets you filter webinars by HRCI credit type.
Best for: most of your 45 or 60 credits, especially specified credits like Business or Global, because the credit type is already decided for you.
2. HRCI’s own webcasts
HRCI publishes webcasts with an Activity ID shown in the description or near the end of the presentation. HRCI doesn’t send separate documentation, so take a screenshot of the webcast and its Activity ID before you close it, then attach it when you log the credit. If you can’t find the ID, HRCI says you can still report the activity as self-directed learning.
Best for: topping up a few credits on HRCI’s own subject areas.
3. Free employer and government webinars
Some organizations run free webinars that carry HRCI credit because the session also promotes their service or mission. E-Verify’s free Form I-9 and E-Verify webinars are eligible for HRCI credit. Patriot Software gives HRCI credit for live attendance at its free payroll webinars. Some HR membership sites offer pre-approved webcasts with a free account.
Best for: narrow, practical topics and a few no-cost credits each year.
4. Conferences and HR association events
State HR conferences and local chapter meetings often carry HRCI credit, sometimes alongside SHRM PDCs. Credit counts for educational time only, so the 8-hour conference day with a long lunch and an expo hall might be worth 5 or 6 credits, not 8.
Best for: a big block of credits in one go, plus networking.
5. Programs without an Activity ID
An HR webinar that isn’t pre-approved can still count if it’s HR-related and you can link it to HRCI’s Exam Content Outline. You report it yourself, with documentation, and a reviewer decides. Self-reported programs are capped; BambooHR’s summary of HRCI’s rules puts the limit at 30 credits per cycle.
Best for: valuable sessions from organizations that never applied for HRCI approval, like a law firm briefing.
6. Professional achievement
HRCI also gives credit for teaching an HR class or webinar, publishing HR research or articles, leading HR projects at work and HR association membership, each with its own cap. Membership, for instance, is capped at 12 credits per cycle.
Best for: credit for work you’re already doing.
How each source gets logged
- Recertification Provider webinar: enter the Activity ID and upload the certificate. Accepted automatically; low effort.
- HRCI webcast: enter the Activity ID and upload your screenshot. Accepted automatically; low effort.
- Free employer or agency webinar: Activity ID plus certificate. Accepted automatically if pre-approved; low effort.
- Conference or chapter event: an Activity ID per session, or self-report. Review depends on the session; medium effort.
- Program without an Activity ID: description, dates, a link to HRCI’s Exam Content Outline and proof. Reviewed by HRCI; high effort.
- Professional achievement: description and evidence. Reviewed by HRCI; high effort.
One credit equals one hour of learning, rounded to the nearest quarter hour, and every credential needs at least one ethics-themed activity somewhere in the mix.
Putting a plan together
Here’s one realistic way a PHR holder could reach 60 credits over three years without relying on a single source:
- 38 credits from pre-approved provider webinars, about 9 or 10 sessions a year
- 10 credits from one state HR conference
- 5 credits from free webinars and HRCI webcasts
- 7 credits from professional achievement, such as membership and leading a policy project
The principle: get the bulk from pre-approved sessions you’d want to attend anyway, and use the other sources to cut cost, not to cut corners.
What doesn’t count
- Topics outside HR, such as a general software tutorial
- Non-educational time: registration, breaks, meals, sales segments
- Anything completed outside your three-year cycle dates
- Sessions you registered for but didn’t attend or finish
Earning HRCI credits with Pedu
Pedu is an HRCI Approved Provider. Credit-eligible webinars carry HRCI credit with an Activity ID on the certificate, whether you attend live or watch the recording. Topics focus on HR, payroll, OSHA and employment law compliance, taught by practitioners.
See the live webinars, check our accreditation details, and confirm your requirements in our HRCI recertification credits guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find HRCI-approved webinar providers?
Use the Recertification Providers directory in HRCI’s portal, or check a provider’s site for the HRCI approved-provider statement and an Activity ID on each session. Some HR sites let you filter webinars by HRCI credit type, which helps when you need Business or Global credits.
What is an HRCI Activity ID?
It’s the code HRCI assigns to a pre-approved program, also called a program code. You enter it in your HRCI account when you log the activity, and HRCI accepts the credit without further review. It should appear on your certificate.
Do SHRM PDC webinars also count for HRCI credit?
Only if the same program is also approved by HRCI. Many providers get their webinars approved by both, and the session page will say so. If a session has only SHRM approval, you may be able to self-report it to HRCI, with documentation and a reviewer’s decision.
Is there a limit on how many HRCI credits I can earn from webinars?
Not for pre-approved programs: you can earn all 45 or 60 credits that way. Limits apply to other categories, such as self-reported programs and HR association membership.
Can my employer’s internal training count toward HRCI recertification?
It can, if it’s HR-related and you can link it to HRCI’s Exam Content Outline. You’d report it yourself with an agenda and proof of attendance. If your employer is itself an HRCI Recertification Provider, the training may already have an Activity ID.
How many HRCI credits can I get from HR association membership?
Membership counts under professional achievement and is capped at 12 credits per three-year cycle, according to BambooHR’s summary of HRCI’s rules. It’s a small but easy addition.
Do conference sessions count toward HRCI Business credit?
Only the sessions approved as Business credit. A conference may mix General, Business and other credit types across its sessions, so check each one you attend and log them separately.
What if I lose my webinar certificate?
Ask the provider to reissue it. At Pedu, certificates stay downloadable from your account, and support can reissue one if needed. Upload certificates to HRCI as you go so you always have a copy.
