CPS Training & Certification

Training Locations

No training are scheduled at this time. Please check back for updates.

Please contact the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety at 207-626-3840 for questions regarding the classes.

Training Schedule

The training will begin on either Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday and run 4 consecutive days. All trainees participate in a car seat check event on the final day of the class. Training will begin each day promptly at 8:00 a.m. and will end by 5:00 p.m. (No excused absences)

Complete Online Registration Form

There are a limited number of seats available for this training.  You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. If the class is full and you are unable to register, we will keep you informed about future scheduled classes.  If you have questions, please call us at 207-626-3840.

General Information

Due to the complexity of Child Passenger Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has created a standardized course for technical specialists. The course is mentally challenging and physically demanding. 

Certification is for a two-year period.  Recertification requires that technician has remained technically proficient throughout their two-year cycle by being active in the CPS community and by obtaining continuing educational units.

At the completion of the course, the participant will be able to:

• Demonstrate child passenger safety technical skills.
• Identify and correct misuse of child restraints.
• Educate others about child passenger safety, issues, and concerns.
• Demonstrate a minimum standard of knowledge and skills to meet national certification requirements.
• Serve as a resource to organization/community/state.
• Conduct child passenger safety car seat inspections.

 

Payment and Cost

The Registration fee is $95.00 payable to Safe Kids. Payment must be received by SafeKids prior to the first day of class. DO NOT pay the Bureau of Highway Safety. 

The registration fee covers training materials and certification for two years.

Certification

To obtain certification you must:

• Complete the entire course
• Pass quizzes
• Pass hands-on skills evaluations
• Participate in a scheduled child safety seat checkup event at the end of the course

What is the NHTSA Standardized CPS Certification Training?

The NHTSA curriculum is a required 32-hour course combining lecture, discussion, role-playing, and hands-on activities with child safety seats using vehicle seat belt systems.  Participants will be required to pass written and hands-on tests and take part in a car seat check event.

Why become certified?

As a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, you will be a valuable resource to your facility and community, helping to keep kids safer! Three out of four car seats are installed improperly or are misused, thereby lessening children’s safety.

Who should take the training course?

• Anyone working with kids
• Police officers
• Fire and rescue personnel
• Medical community

CPS Course Renewal Training

If at one time you were a certified technician, and exist in the certification system but your certification expired, you may sign-up to take an 8-hour CPS Course Renewal class.  Renewal is an opportunity to re-certify as a CPS technician without having to take the 32-hour Certification Course again.

To pass a CPS Course Renewal, students must be able to apply technical skills with hands-on assignments and prove CPS knowledge through a written test.  Students will be provided a Certification Course Student Manual to review during training and use as a reference upon completion of the class.   If an expired technician has not kept up with changes in the field it may be best to retake the 32-hour national certification course again.

The Course Renewal fee is $55, payable to Safe Kids.  More information is available at the Safe Kids website under Renewal Course. If you are an expired technician listed as having been in the certification system, and you are interested in taking Course Renewal training, please call the Bureau of Highway Safety for information regarding future classes.