Salesforce 2027 Certification Retirements: Full List, Deadlines & What To Do Next

• 24 Salesforce certifications retire on February 1, 2027.
• Last day to register for a retiring exam: July 24, 2026.
• Last day to take a retiring exam: August 31, 2026.
• Retired certifications remain valid. They stay on your Trailblazer Profile, permanently marked “retired,” and remain verifiable by employers.
• This is not the same as the certification renames. On that same July 24 date, 16 separate active certifications are simply being renamed (mostly adding “Agentforce”). Renames require no retest and no action. Retirements are a different process entirely

Quick Answers

• Is my retired certification still valid? Yes, permanently.
• Do I need to maintain a retiring certification? No maintenance is required.
• What’s the real deadline? July 24, 2026 to register, not February 2027.
• What’s being renamed vs. retired? 16 certifications are renamed (cosmetic); 24 different certifications are retired (permanent).

Introduction

Salesforce just announced its largest certification catalog cleanup in years: 24 credentials, from CPQ Administrator to Nonprofit Success Pack Consultant, are retiring on February 1, 2027. If you hold one of these certifications, are studying for one, or are planning your next Salesforce credential, the next few months matter. This guide is built directly from Salesforce’s official 2027 Certification Retirements FAQ, so you get one accurate, decision-ready source instead of piecing information together from a dozen tabs. Below: the complete retiring list, the path forward for each certification, a framework for deciding whether to still sit a retiring exam, and a 30-day action plan.

Why Salesforce Is Retiring These Certifications

Salesforce is retiring these certifications to keep its catalog aligned with the skills employers hire for today, particularly as Agentforce and AI-driven automation reshape the platform. The goal is threefold: make certifications more valuable by matching what hiring managers seek, keep the catalog current as products evolve, and concentrate new exams around today’s highest-demand roles. Retirement does not mean the underlying product is unsupported, it means Salesforce is no longer actively building or evaluating exam content for that specific credential.

Key Dates & Timeline

Note: July 24 has nothing to do with certification maintenance. Maintenance runs on a separate, release-based schedule and is unaffected by this announcement.

Don’t Confuse This With the July 24 Renames

Two unrelated changes share the July 24, 2026 date, don’t mix them up. The first is the 24-certification retirement covered in this guide. The second is a simple rename: 16 active certifications are getting new titles, mostly adding “Agentforce” (for example, Sales Cloud Consultant becomes Agentforce Sales Consultant).

The rename is purely cosmetic. Exam content doesn’t change, no retest is required, and your Trailblazer Profile title updates automatically. If you hold a renamed certification, your only real to-do is updating your resume, LinkedIn, and email signature so recruiters searching the new terminology can still find you.

Keep these two facts separate as you read the rest of this guide: renamed certifications stay exactly as they are, just relabeled. Retired certifications stop being offered after February 1, 2027, but remain permanently valid for anyone who already earned them.

Complete List of the 24 Retiring Certifications

According to Salesforce’s official 2027 Certification Retirements FAQ, the following 24 certifications are retiring, along with the specific path forward for each.

Should You Still Take a Retiring Certification?

Short answer: if you can pass before August 31, 2026, and the credential fits your current role, yes. If not, pivot straight to the successor exam.

Take it now if:

• You can realistically finish before August 31, 2026.
• The certification validates skills you use in your job today.
• No successor exists yet, and this is the only official validation of your specialty.

Skip it and go straight to the successor if:

• You’re just starting and won’t comfortably finish in time.
• A clear 1:1 successor already exists (Revenue Cloud Consultant, Nonprofit Cloud Consultant).
• Your goal is long-term positioning, the successor will carry more weight going forward.

Wait if:

• Your specialty is Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, Advanced Cross Channel, Intelligence, or Personalization. Chasing one of these retiring exams now is very likely wasted effort, see below.

Detailed Path Forward by Category

• CPQ-related certifications → Revenue Cloud Consultant. CPQ Administrator and CPQ and Billing Consultant Accredited Professional both point to the Salesforce Certified Revenue Cloud Consultant exam as the direct successor.
• Nonprofit Success Pack → Nonprofit Cloud Consultant (NPC). This is a direct, named replacement in Salesforce’s own guidance, not a skills reassessment.
• Marketing Cloud certifications → wait for Agentforce Marketing. Four Marketing Cloud credentials (Account Engagement Consultant, Advanced Cross Channel AP, Intelligence AP, Personalization AP) are being folded into a future Agentforce Marketing certification expected in late 2026. Do not sit any of these four retiring exams if you’re starting from scratch, you’d be studying for a credential that expires in months, with its replacement not yet available. The stronger move is to keep your skills sharp on Trailhead now and register for Agentforce Marketing the moment it opens.
• Architects and Accredited Professionals → mixed guidance. B2B Solution Architect and B2C Commerce Architect point to Trailhead content rather than a named successor exam. Most retiring Accredited Professional credentials, Advanced Field Service, Contact Center, Consumer Goods Cloud Trade Promotion Management, MuleSoft Catalyst Consultant, MuleSoft Hyperautomation Developer, Order Management Administrator/Developer, and Process Automation, fall under “skills under assessment for future offerings.” No confirmed successor exists yet for these.

What Happens After Retirement?

According to Salesforce, a retired certification is still valid. It demonstrates real product knowledge and remains a recognized credential.

• It stays on your Trailblazer Profile, visible and verifiable, marked “retired” starting February 1, 2027. It is never removed or hidden.
• No maintenance is required. Maintenance badge requirements for retiring certifications have been dropped entirely.
• Certificates stop being issued after retirement. Printed or downloadable certificates are only available for active certifications, so request a copy before February 1, 2027 if you want one.
• Registered but want to switch? You can cancel and receive a refund if you’d rather pursue a different certification instead.

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ’s

Which Salesforce certifications are retiring in 2027?

24 certifications are retiring on February 1, 2027, spanning CPQ, Nonprofit, Marketing Cloud, MuleSoft, and several industry-cloud credentials. See the full list above for each certification and its path forward.

What is the timeline for the certification retirements?

Registration closes July 24, 2026; the last exam date is August 31, 2026; official retirement is February 1, 2027.

Should I pursue a certification that is scheduled for retirement?

Only if you can pass before August 31, 2026 and the certification validates skills you use now. Otherwise, pivot directly to the named successor, such as Revenue Cloud Consultant or Nonprofit Cloud Consultant.

Is a retired Salesforce certification still valid?

Yes, permanently. Salesforce states a retired certification remains a valid credential; retirement only means the exam itself is no longer maintained.

Will my retired certification disappear from my Trailblazer Profile?

No. It stays on your profile permanently, marked “retired” as of February 1, 2027, and remains verifiable by employers.

Do I need to maintain retiring certifications?

No maintenance is required. Salesforce has removed maintenance badge requirements for every certification on the retirement list.

What should I do if I already hold one of these certifications?

Nothing. Your credential stays valid indefinitely. Request a printed or downloadable certificate before February 1, 2027 if you want one, since certificates are only issued for active certifications.

30-Day Action Plan

1. Check your certifications against the 24-certification list above.
2. Decide: sit the exam or pivot, using the framework above.
3. Register by July 24, 2026 if you’re sitting a retiring exam, don’t wait for deadline week.
4. Build a study plan that finishes before August 31, 2026, with buffer time for a retake.
5. If you’re in Marketing Cloud (Account Engagement, Cross Channel, Intelligence, Personalization), skip the retiring exam and watch for the Agentforce Marketing launch.
6. Update your public profiles for any of the 16 renamed certifications once July 24 hits.
7. Request a certificate copy for anything you earn before it retires on February 1, 2027.

Conclusion

The numbers are simple: 24 certifications retire February 1, 2027, registration closes July 24, 2026, and the last exam date is August 31, 2026 and whatever you decide, anything you’ve already earned stays valid, permanently, with no maintenance required. The real question isn’t whether these certifications still matter; it’s whether sitting a retiring exam is the best use of your study time versus moving straight to its successor. If you’re taking one of the 24 retiring exams, register now, the window closes July 24, 2026.