How to make sure your Youth Protection Training is current, print your certificate

Completing Youth Protection Training, the BSA’s three-module course covering the safety and well-being of our youth, isn’t merely a good idea.

It’s a requirement.

As a registered BSA volunteer, you must take the full 72-minute Youth Protection Training, hereafter known as YPT, every two years. (Please note that in some councils, YPT must be taken yearly.)

If a new volunteer joins your pack, troop, ship, post or crew, they must complete YPT before they’ll be able to register.

The BSA’s rechartering system, which is how Scout units renew their registration each year, is set up so that only volunteers whose YPT is current can be re-registered. Those whose YPT is not current will be left off.

That sounds scary, but it’s not meant to intimidate. That check is in place to ensure that volunteers have the latest Youth Protection tools. That way, we can all support the BSA’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment at all times for all our youth members.

Here’s what we recommend: Take a moment, right now, to check your YPT status. This way, you’ll save yourself from potential roadblocks down the road.

Here’s what you need to know.

How to take Youth Protection Training

  1. Go to My.Scouting.org.
  2. Log in or create an account.
  3. Click the “Youth Protection Begins With You” logo on the right of the screen. (There’s a separate button to take the course in Spanish.)
  4. You’ll see a course called “Mandatory — Youth Protection Training.”
  5. Follow the prompts onscreen as you proceed through the three modules: Overview and Policies, Sexual Abuse, and Bullying. After completing all three, you’ll be asked to take the YPT Certification Test, which you must pass with a grade of 75% or higher.

How to check your YPT completion date and expiration

  1. Log in to My.Scouting.org.
  2. Click “Menu” at the top left.
  3. Select “My Training.”
  4. At the top of the page, you will see a “My Youth Protection Training” section with your “YPT Status.”

If your status is active, thank you! The BSA appreciates your efforts to help keep Scouts safe. On this screen, look for your training expiration date and make a note of it. You might consider adding a calendar alert on your phone to retake the training a week or two (or more) before that deadline.

If your status is not active, please follow the instructions to retake the course.

How to print your YPT certificate

  1. Log in to My.Scouting.org.
  2. Click “Menu” at the top left.
  3. Click “My Training.”
  4. Look for the section labeled “My Youth Protection Training.”
  5. Next to “Retake Course,” look for the small blue printer icon. Click that.
  6. Your browser will open a PDF that you can print or save to your computer.

How to get additional questions answered

Many common questions can be answered in the BSA’s Learning Library.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, please check with your local council.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.