How to List Certifications on a Resume (CNA, OSHA, EPA)

For many hourly and skilled jobs in the US, the certification line is the first thing a hiring manager looks for. A nursing home cannot put an aide on the floor without an active CNA, a contractor wants proof of OSHA training before you step on site, and an HVAC company cannot let you handle refrigerant without EPA 608. If that line is buried, abbreviated or missing a date, your resume can be skipped before anyone reads your experience. Here is how to list certifications so that both a recruiter and an applicant tracking system find them in seconds.

Why certifications get special attention

Many online applications start with knockout questions such as "Do you hold an active CNA certification in Texas?" or "Do you have an OSHA 10 card?". Recruiters then search their candidate database for the same terms. They check three things: the exact name of the credential, whether it is current, and where it is valid. Your job is to make all three obvious on the page.

It also helps to know what you actually hold, because these words are not interchangeable:

• License - issued by a state and legally required to do the work: a journeyman electrician license, a commercial driver's license (CDL), a cosmetology license.
• Certification - issued by an organization after an exam: Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT), NATE, EPA 608, or a CNA listed on a state registry.
• Training card or certificate of completion - proof you finished a course. The OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards are completion cards from the OSHA Outreach Training Program, not certifications in the strict sense.

You can group all of them under one heading, but name each one accurately. A recruiter who sees "OSHA certified" may ask which card you have, so write the actual course name.

Where to put certifications on your resume

• Use a dedicated section titled "Certifications" or "Licenses and Certifications". Both headings are recognized by applicant tracking systems.
• Move it up when the credential is required. For a CNA, HVAC technician or truck driver, place the section right under your summary, above work experience. When it is only a plus, it can sit after experience or education.
• Repeat the key credential in your summary: "State-certified nursing assistant (Ohio) with 3 years in long-term care and memory care."
• Keep it as text. Do not show certifications as badge images or put them in the page header or a text box - many systems cannot read those areas.

The line format that works

Each certification gets one line: the full name with the acronym, the issuing organization, the state if it matters, and a date. A license or certificate number is optional. For example:

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) - Texas Nurse Aide Registry, active through 06/2027
• OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety and Health - OSHA Outreach Training Program, 2025
• EPA Section 608 Universal Certification - EPA-approved certifying organization, 2023
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers - American Heart Association, expires 03/2027
• Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) - National Healthcareer Association (NHA), 2025

Which date to show: if a credential expires, give the expiration date, because that is what the employer needs to know. If it does not expire, give the year you earned it. Order the list by relevance to the job, not by date: the credential the posting asks for goes first.

Healthcare: CNA, BLS, phlebotomy and medical assistant

A CNA is a state credential. You complete a state-approved training program (federal rules set a minimum of 75 hours, and many states require more), pass the state competency exam and get listed on the state nurse aide registry. Always name the state. If you moved, say so: "Active on the Florida Nurse Aide Registry (by endorsement from Georgia)". Keep in mind that if you have not worked for pay as a nurse aide for 24 consecutive months, federal rules require new training or a new competency evaluation, so check your registry status before you write "active". See a full CNA resume example for how the section looks in context.

Other common healthcare credentials and how to write them:

• BLS or CPR/AED - American Heart Association or American Red Cross; most cards are valid for 2 years, so show the expiration date.
• Phlebotomy - "Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT), NHA" or "Phlebotomy Technician (PBT), ASCP". Add your successful venipuncture count from training if you are new. Compare with the phlebotomist resume example.
• Medical assistant - "Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), NHA" or "Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), AAMA". They are different credentials, so do not swap the acronyms. More in the medical assistant resume example.
• Home health aide (HHA) - federal rules require at least 75 hours of training including 16 hours of supervised practical work; name the state program.

Back every credential with proof in your experience: "Provided ADL care for 10-12 residents per shift on a 32-bed memory care unit" shows the CNA is in active use.

OSHA 10, OSHA 30 and other safety training

OSHA 10 is aimed at entry-level workers and OSHA 30 at supervisors and workers with safety duties. Each comes in two versions, Construction and General Industry, and they are different courses, so write which one you took: "OSHA 10-Hour Construction (DOL card), 2024". Federal OSHA cards do not expire, but some states and many employers ask for a refresher every few years, so the completion year matters.

• Forklift - OSHA requires the employer to train and evaluate each operator and to re-evaluate at least every three years. Write the equipment and who evaluated you: "Forklift operator - sit-down counterbalance and stand-up reach truck, evaluated 2025". See the forklift operator resume example.
• HAZWOPER 40-Hour - add the date of your latest 8-hour annual refresher.
• First Aid/CPR/AED, confined space, fall protection - list them if the job site requires them, otherwise keep the section short.

The construction worker resume example shows how OSHA cards and site experience support each other.

EPA 608, NATE and trade licenses

EPA Section 608 certification has four levels, and employers care which one you hold:

• Type I - small appliances with 5 lbs of refrigerant or less.
• Type II - high-pressure equipment such as residential split systems and heat pumps.
• Type III - low-pressure equipment such as chillers.
• Universal - all three types.

EPA 608 does not expire, so the year earned is enough. EPA Section 609 is a separate credential for motor vehicle air conditioning and belongs on an automotive technician's resume. HVAC technicians often add NATE specialty certifications, for example "NATE - Air Conditioning Service". The HVAC technician resume example shows a full section.

For licensed trades, give the license type, state and number: "Journeyman Electrician License, State of Washington, #XXXXXX, expires 2027". If you are still an apprentice, show progress instead: "Electrical apprentice - 6,000 of 8,000 required on-the-job hours completed". Compare with the electrician resume example. Welders should name the code, process and position: "AWS D1.1 structural - SMAW 3G and 4G, 2025", as in the welder resume example.

Certifications in progress and expired ones

• In progress: list it only if you are actually enrolled or have a test date: "Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) - state exam scheduled 11/2026". This tells the employer when you can start.
• Expired: never present an expired credential as active - CNA registries and many licensing boards are public and easy to check. Renew it first, or write "(expired 2023, renewal in progress)".
• Online courses: certificates of completion from short courses belong in a separate "Training" section, not mixed with state licenses.

Make certifications easy for an ATS to find

• Write the full name and the acronym once: "Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)". Some recruiters search for one, some for the other.
• Mirror the wording of the posting: if it says "OSHA 30", do not write only "30-hour safety course".
• Use plain text with standard headings, no tables or icons.
• Check the result in the ATS checker against the job description to see whether the credential keywords are picked up. Our guide what is an ATS system explains how this screening works.

Common mistakes

• Only the acronym, with no full name or issuer.
• No state for a state credential such as a CNA or electrician license.
• No date, so the reader cannot tell whether the credential is current.
• A long list of unrelated certificates that pushes the required one out of sight.
• Personal data next to license numbers: a license number is fine, but never add your Social Security number or date of birth.

Build the section in a few minutes

In the AI Resume Master resume builder you can add a Certifications section, move it above your experience and download an ATS-friendly PDF. Then adjust the order for each application using our routine for tailoring a resume to a job description.

Key takeaways

• One line per credential: full name with acronym, issuer, state, date.
• Show the expiration date for credentials that expire and the year earned for those that do not.
• Required credentials go right under the summary; mention the main one in the summary too.
• Be precise: OSHA 10 Construction vs General Industry, EPA 608 Type II vs Universal, CCMA vs CMA.
• Never list a credential as active unless it is.