PEP replaced CETP. Your state’s rule may not have caught up.

A growing set of states name CETP or the PERC training program directly in their primary law or rule — the state-by-state table above carries each one, with its regulator and the date we checked it. Three carry a wording nuance worth knowing: West Virginia’s rule names the “PERC Training Program” generically rather than “CETP” by name; Pennsylvania’s Act 61 requires a department-approved program developed with the state propane association — not “CETP” verbatim; and Maryland’s statute (Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-302(f)) names the “National Propane Gas Association Certified Training Program” for its Propane Gas Fitter certificate. Most states require training but do not write CETP into statute at all. The widely-repeated claim that “all 50 states require CETP” is simply not accurate.

States with a working path to PEP include Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland (Georgia via its rule’s “or equivalent program approved by the State Fire Marshal” clause; West Virginia because its rule names the PERC program on its face; Maryland via its statute’s “at least equivalent” clause). Idaho, Colorado, and Utah name CETP but have issued no PEP equivalency ruling — highest uncertainty. Maryland is the newest confirmation, and it carries the subtlest trap: its plumbing-code rule that named CETP (COMAR 09.20.01.07) was repealed effective November 24, 2025 — but that repeal did not touch the statute. Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-302(f) still names the National Propane Gas Association program for the state Propane Gas Fitter certificate, with an “at least equivalent” clause that is the PEP path. The Board of Plumbing has issued no formal PEP ruling, so confirm PEP acceptance with it in writing. Separately, Vermont has put in writing that it accepts PEP and carries CETP credit forward. The Pennsylvania trap: PAPGA has warned that students must not start PEP enrollment online — it can invalidate the Act 61 pathway.

Your local fire marshal or code inspector interprets requirements locally. NFPA 58 — whichever edition your state has adopted (commonly 2021 or 2024) — does not reference CETP or PEP by name. Two operators in the same state can face different expectations from different local inspectors. No national rule resolves it. Confirm proactively with your local AHJ — document the answer.

Insurer training language has not caught up. At least one major propane carrier’s loss-control guidance still recommends CETP explicitly — last updated 2021, before PEP existed, with no update since. Across major carriers: zero published PEP-equivalency guidance. This is an open question. Call your own carrier and ask in writing.

PEP’s hands-on requirement is the OJT Worksheet, verified by a PEP-Recognized Field Trainer. The PERC Learning Center transcript auto-tracks eLearning modules only — it does not record OJT Worksheet completion. Hands-on tracking is employer-managed. Most operators discover this only when an underwriter or inspector asks for hands-on records the Learning Center doesn’t have.

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1. 1

   Set up your PERC Learning Center admin access

   PERC's own recommended first step. Lets you assign learning and pull transcripts for your whole team. PERC support: 1-800-757-1554 · training.propane.com.

2. 2

   Map your roles to learning paths

   List your job roles (driver, service tech, bulk-plant operator, etc.) and assign each the PEP modules it requires. PEP is modular — build the path once.

3. 3

   Identify a PEP-Recognized Field Trainer

   Or confirm your existing CETP Skills Evaluator can still sign off hands-on work. Without a qualified verifier, OJT Worksheets don't close.

4. 4

   Start tracking OJT Worksheets today

   Alongside your Learning Center transcripts, in whatever system you'll actually keep up. The hands-on records are yours to maintain.

5. 5

   Verify your state

   Use the checker above, then — especially if your state names CETP but is silent on PEP — call your state regulator and get the equivalency answer in writing.

6. 6

   Call your insurance carrier

   Ask directly whether they accept PEP in place of CETP, and put the answer in your file. Don't wait for renewal to find out.

7. 7

   Confirm nothing you already earned is at risk

   It isn't — existing CETP completions remain on record — but pulling a current transcript for your roster is a good way to prove it and find gaps.

Yes. Every prior CETP completion remains valid and stays on record in the PERC Learning Center transcript. Nothing you already earned expired or vanished. This is the single most common worry, and the answer is the reassuring one.

Depends entirely on the state. A growing set of states name CETP or the PERC training program in primary law — the state-by-state table on this page carries each one, with its regulator and the date we checked it. Most states require training without naming a program at all. Several of the states that do name one have a working PEP path through an equivalency clause; others name CETP and are silent on PEP. The wording matters: West Virginia names the “PERC Training Program” rather than “CETP” by name, Pennsylvania requires a department-approved program rather than “CETP” verbatim, and Maryland names the “National Propane Gas Association Certified Training Program” in its Propane Gas Fitter statute (Bus. Occ. & Prof. §12-302(f)). Maryland's plumbing-code rule (COMAR 09.20.01.07) was repealed effective November 24, 2025, but its statute still names the program and offers an “at least equivalent” path, so confirm PEP acceptance with the Board of Plumbing in writing. Vermont has separately published that it accepts PEP. Texas is a special case — it uses the Railroad Commission's own system, and PEP does not satisfy Texas licensing.

There's still an assessment — but it changed shape. PEP uses module knowledge assessments plus hands-on OJT Worksheets instead of a single proctored exam. PEP does not issue a paper certificate; completion is recorded as a transcript entry in the Learning Center. Still rigorous, no certificate, no proctored exam.

No. PEP is a modernization, not a downgrade. It's role-based (you take only what your job needs), it awards IACET-accredited CEUs that CETP didn't, and it keeps a hands-on requirement (now the OJT Worksheet, verified by a qualified field trainer). Different delivery, same bar.

Take the modules their specific role requires, complete the online assessments, and complete the hands-on OJT Worksheets verified by a PEP-Recognized Field Trainer or CETP Skills Evaluator. Their completions appear on their Learning Center transcript.

A PEP-Recognized Field Trainer (a credential earned through an online PERC course) — or, still, a CETP Skills Evaluator. The Learning Center records your online modules automatically; the hands-on OJT Worksheet is tracked by your company.

No. 'Archived' means a CETP module is retired from new enrollment because its PEP replacement is now live. Training people already completed under that module still counts. Archived ≠ invalid.

This is an open question across the industry — and we won't guess at your carrier's answer. Published carrier training language still references CETP. Ask your own carrier directly and get the answer in writing. It's the one item nobody can verify for you.

Set up Learning Center admin access (PERC: 1-800-757-1554), map your roles to modules, identify a field trainer, start tracking OJT Worksheets, and verify your state and your insurer. The checklist above is the full version.

Primary sources, not summaries: the state's own statute or rule, the state regulator, PERC's Learning Center, NPGA, and published state-association guidance. Every state row carries the regulator's name and its own “verified as of” date, and we re-check on a rolling basis as states issue guidance. This is an information resource, not legal advice and not a compliance determination — verify with your state regulator and your own insurer before you rely on it for a licensing or employment decision.