Playground Safety Inspector Certification (CPSI) in San Diego, CA

Playing outdoors is a major component in the health and wellness of our children. It is our responsibility to ensure safe, enjoyable play areas for all. CPRS, in conjunction with NRPA, are offering the Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) course and exam to properly train and certify you to recognize and prevent potential playground hazards. Courses are designed for park and rec staff, school districts, child care facilities, health departments, landscape architects, playground manufacturers, installers, contractors, insurance firms, home owner's associations and more.

Candidates who successfully pass the exam will be considered a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) and will be added to the National Registry Obtaining CPSI certification will meet the State of California requirements regarding the inspection of playgrounds.

See below for details about the in-person CPSI course being hosted on Monday, October 19 and Tuesday, October 20, 2026, and the in-person exam taking place Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in San Diego, CA.

Registration & Pricing

If you are new to our system, please create an account to move forward with registration.  If you are registering a group and/or someone other than yourself, please be sure to include full mailing addresses and emails for each individual registered or they will not receive the necessary information to participate (click the "Edit registrant information" link to view/edit as needed).  Please note each registrant must have a unique email address; do not use shared or general email addresses (e.g., [email protected]).

Course material books will be shipped to the address provided/on file at the time of registration & cannot be replaced unless they are returned to the CPRS office as undeliverable. Please update/verify your mailing address before registering!

Course registration includes (a) physical course materials (two books and USB), (b) participation in the two-day in-person course, (c) lunch on both days of instruction, and (d) 1.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU) pre-approved for CPSI comprised of 0.8 CEU from Group A and 0.7 CEU from Group B.

You may register for the Course only, Course & Exam, or Exam only. While taking a course is highly encouraged, it is not mandatory prior to taking the exam. If you have recently taken the exam, did not pass and wish to retake it, please select 'Exam Only' among the registration options below.

The deadline to register for this CPSI course and/or exam is Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

Logistics of the Course & Exam 

VENUE

The CPSI session is due to take place at Balboa Park Club (2150 Pan American Road West, San Diego, CA 92101).

Lodging and transportation should be arranged independently -- a group block has not been established for this event.

COURSE MATERIALS

Course registration includes the purchase of the course materials which include (A) "Certified Playground Safety Inspector: Course Manual (2026)" and (B) "Field Guide: Public Safety Standards and Guidelines (2026)."  The Field Guide includes a USB of "Playground Safety is No Accident (Sixth Edition)."

The materials, along with a letter specifying the reading assignment, will be mailed via USPS priority mail approximately 3-4 weeks in advance of the session to the address on file at the time of registration.  If course materials are returned to the CPRS HQ office, we will reach out to the registrant to discuss shipping the materials to an alternative address at the price of $20. Expedited shipping may be requested for an additional cost.

To see the full CPRS course material shipment / replacement policies, visit: www.cprs.org/education/cpsi

COURSE

Please bring your course materials with you both days of instruction; additional copies will not be available on-site to borrow nor purchase. See the daily schedule below.

A sign-in sheet will be provided on-site both days for those who seek to claim Continuing Education Units (CEU).  The in-person, two-day CPSI Course offers participants a total of 1.5 CEU pre-approved for CPSI CEU.  Of the 1.5 CEU, 0.8 CEU are for Group A (re Hazard Identification and Risk Management) and 0.7 CEU are for Group B (re Surfacing, Playground Environment, Audit, and Inspection & Maintenance).  Learn more about the new path to recertification by way of CEU from NRPA here.

EXAM

On the day of the exam, candidates must present a valid (current) form of government-issued identification that includes your name, signature, and photograph (e.g., driver's license, passport, green card, etc.).  All exam participants will need to sign in. You will not be permitted to take the exam unless the name you provided at registration (as shown in your confirmation email) exactly matches the name on the ID you present on exam day. If there is any discrepancy, please contact us immediately at [email protected] or call (916) 665-2777 to correct your name. Exam candidates will have two hours to complete the 100-question exam.

Please note: The option to take the CPSI exam via computer-based testing at a remote testing center is available; more information is available at www.nrpa.org/cpsi.  Please be advised if you register to take the exam with the in-person course, you will not be eligible for a refund to take your exam via computer-based testing at a later date.  Please decide now if you would like to take the exam in-person on the prescribed date of this event (i.e., the last day of the three-day event), or via a computer-based exam at a later date.  If you would like to register to take a computer-based exam through CPRS, you may purchase the in-person course only on this registration page and then call CPRS HQ at (916) 665-2777 to register for the remote exam.

SCHEDULE (Pacific Time)

Course Day #1

Course Day #2

Exam Day  

For more details about the course and exam logistics, requirements, and details, we highly recommend reviewing the CPSI Candidate Handbook and other CPSI resources provided by NRPA.  Please note that NRPA is the certifying entity which oversees the CPSI program.  CPRS is pleased to serve as a third-party provider of the course, exam, and course materials.

Cancellations & Transfers

Cancellations requested in writing via email to [email protected] before/by Tuesday, September 15, 2026 will be eligible for a partial refund of the registration fee less $295 (which includes a $150 cancellation fee, the $125 course material fee, and the $20 shipping fee).  No refunds for cancellations will be issued following the September 15, 2026 deadline.

Transfers for the original registrant to participate in an alternative course/exam date may be requested in writing via email to [email protected] before/by September 15, 2026, however, the ability to transfer to an alternative course/exam date is contingent on space/availability of an alternative date. Transfers of this nature will incur a $50 transfer fee.

Requests to transfer course/exam registration to an alternative individual within your agency/company will be assessed to determine if fees apply regarding member vs non-member registration rates. Transfer requests of this nature will incur a $50 transfer fee if the request is received in writing to [email protected] by/before September 15, 2026. Transfer requests received by/before September 29, 2026, will incur a $100 transfer fee.  Transfers will not be permitted following the September 26, 2026 deadline.

In the event of a transfer to an alternative participant, it is the responsibility of the original registrant to provide their course material books to the transferred registrant at their own expense. A new set of course material books will not automatically be sent to the new transferred student. An additional set of course material books may be purchased for $125 plus $20 for shipping.

Please contact the CPRS office at (916) 665-2777 to discuss or initiate a transfer/cancellation and/or request to purchase an additional set of course material books.

Requesting Accommodations

In the registration fields below, please communicate any accessibility accommodations you seek to facilitate your participation.  If any, including English as a Second Language (ESL) accommodations, please visit www.nrpa.org/cpsi to obtain the necessary paperwork.  Please note accommodations cannot be guaranteed without at least 30 days notice prior to the course date.

Questions & Completing Registration

Once you click "Register Myself", you will see both required and optional questions below.  When you have answered all relevant and required questions, be sure to click the "Save Responses" button.

If you have any questions or experience difficulty with the registration process or wish to discuss pursuing CPRS membership, please contact the CPRS office at (916) 665-2777.