(a) Certificates of registration shall expire on December 31 of the year for which issued or renewed and shall become invalid thereafter unless renewed.
(b) The Secretary of the Arkansas State Board of Registration for Foresters shall notify by letter to the last known address every person registered under this chapter of the date of the expiration of the certificate and the amount of the fee required for its renewal of one (1) year. Notice shall be delivered at least one (1) month in advance of the date of the expiration of such a certificate.
(c)
(1) The Arkansas State Board of Registration for Foresters shall require persons who are licensed under this subchapter to complete not fewer than six (6) hours of continuing forestry education during the previous year beginning January 1, 2001, as a condition of license renewal. Continuing forestry education shall be equivalent to the Society of American Foresters Category I for continuing forestry education which includes, but is not limited to, seminars, short courses, and workshops in forestry or a related subject matter as approved by the board.
(2) Credit accrues at a rate of one (1) hour for each hour of actual contact.
(3) The board may approve continuing forestry education courses offered by professional organizations, institutions of higher education, qualified individuals, or specialty societies. The board may approve credit hours for meetings, presentations, or other activities considered by the board to be a form of continuing forestry education.
(4) A successful applicant for licensure under this subchapter shall have two (2) years from the date the license is issued to complete the first year's requirements for continuing forestry education. After two (2) years, the registered forester shall complete the continuing forestry education requirements as required by this subsection.
(d) The board may waive the continuing forestry education requirements in cases of hardship, illness, or retirement from active forestry practice.
(e) The board may promulgate rules to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.
(f) Renewal of a certificate of registration shall be for a fee set annually by the board.
(g) The failure on the part of any registrant to renew the certificate annually in the month of December as required in this section shall not deprive the person of the right of renewal, but the fee to be paid for the renewal of a certificate after December 31 shall be increased ten percent (10%) for each month or fraction of a month that payment of renewal is delayed. However, the maximum fee for delayed renewal shall not exceed two (2) times the annual renewal fee.