Guide to B Corp Recertification
B Lab has transitioned to the new B Lab Standards (V2.1). Since February 2026, existing B Corps have been certifying against the Year 0 requirements of the new standards. Please review Guidance for B Corps Due to Recertify in 2026 and 2027 to confirm your recertification route.
Overview
B Corp Certification is not an endpoint, but rather the start of measuring an organization’s impact on its workers, customers, community, and environment.
Recertification allows companies to showcase the impact improvements they have made and demonstrate ongoing progress at Year 0, Year 3, and Year 5 of their certification term.
The cost of recertification is included in your annual certification fee. Additional charges may apply. Learn more on our Fees page.
Please watch this video to learn how to create a new assessment and be sure to login via your existing B Impact Assessment account.
If your company has had a change in control, please review our scoping section and get in touch.
Please reach out to use at recertification@usca.bcorporation.net with any questions or join the B Hive Recertification Forum.
Scoping
For companies over $75M in annual revenue, that have experienced a recent change in control, or that have a complex structure, B Lab conducts a scoping process before recertification.
Scoping is a chance for B Lab to investigate your company’s legal and operational structure to determine how it should meet the certification requirements. The scoping process might add some time to your recertification process, so it’s a good idea to get started early!
If your company has gone through a change in control since your last certification term — please get in touch.
Site Reviews
Site reviews involve a deeper level of verification which helps B Lab to guarantee the credibility of our certification. This process has been established by the B Lab Standards Advisory Council, in accordance with best practices for credible certifications.
Every year, 10% of recertifying B Corp companies are selected for this deeper-level review. Companies that undergo site reviews are determined based on a number of standards-related factors, such as company size, ownership structure, additional terms of a company’s certification, disclosure questionnaire items. Most companies are selected for this review at least once in the life of their B Corp Certification.
-
1 Getting Started
15 Months From Recertification Date
Perhaps this is your first recertification or your third. Either way, this is the time to make sure you feel prepared for success. It’s important to confirm your legal requirement and whether you are subject to scoping or site reviews. Log on to the B Impact Assessment and update the fiscal year-end date on your dashboard. A brand-new assessment will be generated. Don’t worry if it looks like your previous assessment; some of the answers get carried over from the previous one. Once you’re logged on, confirm your track, company details, and team members. Make sure you have notifications enabled.
-
2 Meeting Your Requirements
12 Months From Recertification Date
The primary goal of recertification is to give B Corps an opportunity to reflect on their impact, confirm which Year 0 requirements they already meet, and plan for the additional requirements they’ll need to meet at Year 3 and Year 5.
This is the time to set goals, identify areas of improvement, and maybe even host a team-wide Impact Hackathon! You can also connect with other B Corps via our B Hive Recertification Forum.
-
3 Preparing for Submission
9 Months From Recertification Date
Your assessment is starting to take shape, so let’s check in. Have you had a chance to learn more about Impact Business Models (IBMs), and see whether you’ve opted into the right ones? Be sure to start thinking about what documentation you might need to support your impact, particularly for high-scoring questions and IBMs.
Finally, if you’re unsure about any specific questions, leave a public comment below the question and bookmark it to go over with your Assurance Provider during the audit.
-
4 Submit your B Impact Assessment
6 Months From Recertification Date
Congratulations, you’re in the home stretch! Now’s the time to review your assessment and prepare for submission.
Please submit your B Impact Assessment as early as possible to secure a place in the audit queue — the latest you can submit is your current recertification due date. There is no longer a target point score under the new standards; instead, you’ll need to demonstrate that you meet the applicable Year 0 requirements.
After submission, we will begin the review process. Be sure to have your notifications enabled on the B Impact Assessment so you know when this process starts. For now, you can celebrate submitting your assessment. We appreciate all the work that has gone into getting your company to this point.
Review Process
Please confirm that you’ve completed your legal requirement before submitting your recertification. Find out your specific requirement and additional information below. Please submit your completed legal documents to recertification@usca.bcorporation.net.
Once you have submitted your recertification, your audit will typically be scheduled within 50 days. Wait times may vary based on size and complexity.
An independent, accredited Assurance Provider will conduct your audit, typically taking 1–10 days depending on company size. They will review your assessment for accuracy and may ask for clarification surrounding your company’s track, the disclosure questionnaire, or its Impact Business Models (IBMs). Companies operating multiple sites may require additional time for site sampling.
Following your audit, you’ll receive an audit report detailing the results, including any non-conformities identified and the overall certification decision. A positive certification decision can still be made if your company has only minor non-conformities.
If major non-conformities are identified that would prevent a positive certification decision, you’ll be given 6 months to close them, after which a final certification decision will be made.
This one is easy; you just need to sign the updated B Corp Agreement, and then it’s time to celebrate your achievement with your stakeholders because your company has just successfully recertified as a B Corporation.
You’ll undergo subsequent audits at 12, 24, or 36 months from your certification date, and will need to meet additional requirements at Year 3 and Year 5.