Quick answer: Passing CompTIA CySA+, PenTest+, or SecurityX (formerly CASP+) automatically renews your Security+ certification - no CEU submissions, and the renewal fee is waived. Non-CompTIA certifications like CISSP don't renew Security+ automatically, but they can count toward the 50 CEUs you need. Same-level or lower CompTIA certs - Linux+, Network+, A+ - do not renew Security+.
If you hold Security+, you have three years before it expires, and the standard renewal path means earning 50 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and paying $50 per year in CE fees. But there's a shortcut most people discover too late: CompTIA's stackable renewal model, where one higher-level exam renews everything beneath it. This guide breaks down exactly which certifications renew Security+, which ones only contribute CEUs, and which ones do nothing for your renewal at all.
(For the full renewal process - CEU activities, fees, deadlines, and documentation - see our complete CompTIA Security+ renewal guide.)
How CompTIA's stackable renewal model works
CompTIA certifications sit in a hierarchy. When you pass a qualifying higher-level CompTIA exam, every lower-level CE certification you hold is automatically renewed at the same time. CompTIA calls this renewing with a single activity, and it's the reason ambitious cert holders rarely submit CEUs one by one.
The chain works like this:
- Passing Network+ renews A+
- Passing Security+ renews Network+ and A+
- Passing CySA+ or PenTest+ renews Security+, Network+, and A+
- Passing SecurityX (the expert-level cert formerly called CASP+) renews all of the above
One important detail people miss: when a higher cert renews a lower one, your lower cert's expiry date aligns to the new cert's date - it doesn't get its own fresh three-year clock. If your Security+ expires in 14 months and you pass CySA+ today, both now expire three years from today. That's a great deal. But the alignment matters for planning, which is exactly the kind of date-tracking that's easy to get wrong in a spreadsheet.
Which certifications renew Security+ - the full table
| Certification | Renews Security+? | How |
|---|---|---|
| CompTIA CySA+ | ✅ Yes - automatically | Pass the exam; renewal fee waived |
| CompTIA PenTest+ | ✅ Yes - automatically | Pass the exam; renewal fee waived |
| CompTIA SecurityX (formerly CASP+) | ✅ Yes - automatically | Pass the exam; renewal fee waived |
| CompTIA CloudNetX | ✅ Yes - automatically (expert tier) | Pass the exam; renewal fee waived |
| (ISC)² CISSP | ⚠️ Not automatically | Counts toward your 50 CEUs as a non-CompTIA industry certification |
| CompTIA Linux+ | ❌ No | Same-level infrastructure cert - outside the security renewal path |
| CompTIA Network+ | ❌ No | Lower-level cert; Security+ renews it, not the reverse |
| CompTIA A+ | ❌ No | Lower-level cert |
| Retaking Security+ itself | ✅ Yes | Pass the current exam version (~$400) for a fresh 3-year cycle |
Does CySA+ renew Security+?
Yes. CySA+ sits directly above Security+ in CompTIA's cybersecurity pathway, so passing the CySA+ exam automatically renews your Security+ - along with Network+ and A+ if you hold those too. You don't submit any CEUs, you don't file documentation, and the Security+ renewal fee is waived entirely.
For most security analysts, this is the single best renewal route: you walk away with a new, more advanced credential and a renewed Security+ for roughly the cost of one exam voucher. If you were planning to take CySA+ within the next three years anyway, time it before your Security+ expiry and you'll never pay a CE fee.
Does PenTest+ renew Security+?
Yes. PenTest+ is also classified as a higher-level certification than Security+, so passing it automatically renews Security+ under the same single-activity rule. CySA+ and PenTest+ sit at the same tier - defensive (blue team) versus offensive (red team) focus - so the choice between them is about your career direction, not renewal mechanics. Either one renews Security+ identically.
Does SecurityX (CASP+) renew Security+?
Yes. SecurityX - CompTIA's expert-level security certification, renamed from CASP+ - renews everything below it in the pathway: Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, Network+, and A+. If you hold multiple CompTIA certs, this is the most efficient single renewal action available. When paying CE fees or submitting CEUs in your CompTIA account, you'll be prompted to set an "intent level" - choose your highest certification, and renewing it keeps all the lower ones current.
Does CISSP renew Security+?
Not automatically - but it helps. CISSP is an (ISC)² certification, not a CompTIA one, so it can't trigger CompTIA's automatic stackable renewal. However, CompTIA's CE program accepts non-CompTIA IT industry certifications as a CEU-earning activity. Earning an advanced security certification like CISSP during your three-year window can cover your CEU requirement for Security+.
The practical difference versus CySA+/PenTest+: with CISSP you still need to log into your CompTIA certification account, submit the certification under the CEU activity list, and pay the annual CE fees ($50/year, $150 over the cycle). The renewal isn't automatic and the fee isn't waived. Check CompTIA's current qualifying-activity chart for the exact CEU value assigned to CISSP, as the list is updated periodically.
So if you've recently earned CISSP: your Security+ isn't dead weight, but don't assume it renewed itself. Submit the CEUs before your expiry date.
Does Linux+ renew Security+?
No. This catches people out because Linux+ feels like a "harder" or at least equally advanced certification. But CompTIA's renewal hierarchy isn't about difficulty - it's about the certification pathway. Linux+ is an infrastructure-track cert at a similar tier to Security+, not above it in the security pathway, so passing Linux+ does not renew Security+. (It will renew A+ and Network+, the certs below it.)
The same logic applies in reverse for Network+ and A+: they're below Security+, so earning or renewing them does nothing for your Security+ expiry.
What about just retaking the Security+ exam?
Retaking the current version of the Security+ exam always works - pass it and you get a fresh three-year cycle with no CEU paperwork. At roughly $400 for the voucher, though, it's the most expensive option per renewal and you gain no new credential for the money. It mainly makes sense if your expiry is imminent and you haven't logged any CEUs.
So what's the easiest way to renew Security+?
It depends on where you're headed:
- Planning to advance anyway? Take CySA+, PenTest+, or SecurityX before your Security+ expires. One exam, automatic renewal, fee waived, new credential. This is the best value by far.
- Staying put at Security+ level? Use CertMaster CE, CompTIA's self-paced renewal course - it renews Security+ directly with no CEU submissions and waives the renewal fee, typically for less than an exam voucher.
- Already doing lots of training, conferences, or relevant work? Log it as CEUs. You need 50 CEUs over three years for Security+, plus the $50/year CE fee. Work experience alone can contribute up to 9 CEUs (max 3 per year), so you'll need training or certifications to cover the rest.
Whichever path you choose, the failure mode is the same: losing track of the date. There's no grace period - if Security+ lapses, you're retaking the exam at full price. CompTIA's three-year cycles, date alignment when certs stack, and per-cert CEU targets are exactly the kind of thing that quietly breaks in a shared spreadsheet - and exactly what a dedicated CompTIA certification tracker handles automatically.
TrackACert monitors your team's CompTIA, GIAC, and other cert expiry dates and sends renewal reminders before deadlines hit - free, no credit card. Start tracking your certs →
FAQ
What certifications renew CompTIA Security+?
CompTIA CySA+, PenTest+, and SecurityX (formerly CASP+) automatically renew Security+ when you pass them. Non-CompTIA certifications such as CISSP can count toward the 50 CEUs needed for renewal but don't renew Security+ automatically.
Does CySA+ renew Security+?
Yes. Passing CySA+ automatically renews Security+ (and Network+ and A+), with the renewal fee waived and no CEU submission required.
Does PenTest+ renew Security+?
Yes. PenTest+ is a higher-level certification, so passing it automatically renews Security+ under CompTIA's continuing education program.
Does CISSP renew Security+?
Not automatically. CISSP is an (ISC)² certification, so it counts as a CEU-earning activity toward Security+ renewal, but you must submit it in your CompTIA account and pay the standard CE fees.
Does Linux+ renew Security+?
No. Linux+ is not above Security+ in CompTIA's certification pathway, so it does not renew Security+. It does renew A+ and Network+.
How many CEUs do I need to renew Security+?
50 CEUs within your three-year certification cycle, plus a $50 annual CE fee ($150 total). Earning a qualifying higher-level certification replaces the CEU requirement entirely.
How much does it cost to renew Security+?
The standard CEU path costs $150 in CE fees over three years (plus the cost of any training used to earn CEUs). Renewing via a higher-level CompTIA exam or CertMaster CE waives the fee.
Does Security+ have a grace period after expiry?
No. If Security+ expires, the CE program is no longer available for it and you must retake the current exam (~$400) to become certified again.