The USGBC Help Center article provides the transition timeline from LEED v4-based credential exams to LEED v5 beta exams, including stated beta launch dates and cutoffs for registering/testing under LEED v4 exams. This affects organizations that require LEED credentials for staff qualification or contractual compliance, and informs training and exam scheduling plans to avoid missing v4 testing windows and to prepare for v5 exam content.
USGBC’s LEED certification deadlines page consolidates phase-out timelines for LEED v4 and v4.1, including the registration close date (June 30, 2026 for most BD+C/ID+C/O+M systems) and certification sunset (June 30, 2032). The page also notes specific exceptions (e.g., certain LEED v4.1 O+M recertification/interiors registration through June 30, 2027; additional exceptions for campus/master site and volume pathways). Organizations with contractual or policy commitments tied to LEED v4/v4.1 should update internal schedules for project registration and long-range certification planning to avoid missing eligibility windows.
CAGBC announced updates to LEED v4/v4.1 program timelines for Canada, confirming extended registration closure timing (e.g., LEED v4/4.1 BD+C/ID+C/O+M closing to new registrations on June 30, 2026) and allowing LEED v4.1 recertifications until June 30, 2027. Canada-based project teams and contract/compliance owners relying on specific LEED versions should align registration decisions and internal gating milestones to the updated Canadian program deadlines.
USGBC’s 2026 planning article provides operational deadlines for when LEED applications must be received and payment cleared to meet target review return dates tied to key milestones (such as certification before Greenbuild 2026 and before the end of 2026). This impacts compliance-by-contract and owner commitments where certification is required by a specific event/date; teams should schedule documentation completion and review submissions to align with USGBC’s published processing timelines.
USGBC’s LEED certification deadlines table specifies transition dates for LEED v4 and v4.1. For most LEED v4/v4.1 commercial rating systems (BD+C, ID+C, O+M), new registrations close on 2026-06-30 and certification submissions sunset on 2032-06-30. The table also documents exceptions (e.g., some O+M recertification/interiors pathways and certain campus/volume scenarios) that allow registration beyond 2026-06-30 while retaining the 2032-06-30 sunset. This impacts project pipeline planning (which rating system a project can register under) and internal controls to ensure teams register before the applicable close date and plan submissions ahead of the sunset.
USGBC Help Center guidance states that beginning 2026-07-01, LEED v5 will be the only version available for new registrations for commercial BD+C, ID+C, and O+M (with limited exceptions referenced in the official deadlines table). This affects project registration decisions and contract/scoping language for projects intending to pursue LEED certification around mid-2026.
Effective March 27, 2026, USGBC consolidated supplemental review (appeal) fees into a single flat fee for all credits, eliminating the previous tiered structure that had separate fees for 'simple' versus 'complex' credits. This simplifies the fee structure for project teams seeking to appeal credit review decisions.
USGBC published an addenda table for LEED v4.1 Cities: Existing dated February 20, 2026. The addenda table documents changes/clarifications to program requirements and documentation expectations for LEED for Cities submissions (e.g., updates to documentation tables and evidence requirements). Cities and consultants using LEED v4.1 Cities: Existing should update internal submission checklists and evidence collection to match the revised addenda language.
USGBC published the LEED v5 BD+C Addenda Table dated February 20, 2026. Addenda function as the authoritative change log for LEED rating system requirements and acceptable documentation, and can affect credit/prerequisite language, calculations, templates, and submittal expectations for teams pursuing LEED v5 BD+C certification. Compliance teams should review/diff the addenda against current project documentation workflows to ensure submittals align with the updated requirements and referenced templates.
USGBC released the LEED v5 Reference Guide for Operations and Maintenance, February 2026 Edition, and indicates it reflects LEED addenda released in February 2026. Teams preparing LEED v5 O+M certification/recertification documentation should ensure they are using this updated reference guide edition to align interpretations, documentation guidance, and examples with the most recent addenda cycle.
USACE Engineering and Construction Bulletin (ECB) No. 2026-3 (issued Jan 30, 2026) directs an immediate transition away from using LEED (previously LEED v4 Silver per UFC 1-200-02) for applicable Army military projects, moving instead to Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 2020 Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings checklists (Army self-certification approach). The bulletin includes limited grandfathering: projects already registered for LEED that awarded a construction contract including third-party certification costs prior to Dec 19, 2025 may continue using LEED while internal validation processes are developed. Compliance teams supporting Army projects should update project requirements/specifications, documentation workflows, and contracting language accordingly and monitor incorporation into UFC 1-200-02.
USACE issued Engineering and Construction Bulletin (ECB) 2026-3 directing that applicable Army military projects discontinue use of the LEED rating system (previously requiring LEED Silver under referenced criteria) and instead use Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 2020 Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings checklists. The bulletin states the change is effective immediately, with limited grandfathering for projects already registered for LEED and with construction contracts awarded including third-party certification costs prior to a specified date. This impacts LEED-related compliance planning for Army projects, including contract language, sustainability documentation workflows, and third-party certification budgeting.
USGBC has extended the registration deadline for LEED v4 and v4.1 commercial projects (BD+C, ID+C, O+M) to June 30, 2027. Projects registered before this date can continue using v4/v4.1 rating systems, while new registrations after must use LEED v5. The extension provides additional time for project teams to prepare for v5 requirements.
USGBC issued updated addenda for LEED v4.1 Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) rating system on November 3, 2025. Updates include revisions to Energy and Atmosphere prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance guidance, including references to base building HVAC and service water-heating systems contribution guidance.
USGBC has published the LEED v5 Building Design and Construction (BD+C) Rating System document (November 2025 Edition). The document details all prerequisites and credits organized by category including Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality with associated point values.
EPD International published updated guidance and clarifications for its EPD Process Certification scheme. The guidance clarifies that EPD Process Certificates may be issued with a 5-year validity period provided mandatory annual audits are performed (per GPI 5.0.1, Section 8.5.4). It also clarifies mandatory rules for how to reference GPI and PCR versions on certificates (GPI: first digit only; PCR: first two digits) and reiterates the PCR 2019:14 v1.3.4 sunset date of 20 June 2025. This matters for organisations using process certification to support ISO 14025/EN 15804 EPD issuance because it affects audit cadence, certificate content, and how certified processes must be documented and communicated to customers and procurement schemes.
Per the USGBC Help Center, GBCI implemented a new LEED Certification Agreement for projects registered on/after April 28, 2025. For those projects, certain administrative submissions are no longer required (e.g., confirmation of agent’s authority and confirmation of primary owner’s authority). Projects registered before that date remain subject to the earlier requirements. Compliance teams managing LEED registrations should update SOPs, onboarding checklists, and document retention expectations to align with the revised agreement requirements by registration date.
USGBC/GBCI updated the LEED Certification Agreement requirements for LEED projects registered on/after April 28, 2025. The updated agreement removes the need to submit certain authority confirmation documents (e.g., Confirmation of Agent’s Authority and Confirmation of Primary Owner’s Authority). Projects registered before April 28, 2025 continue to follow prior additional requirements described in the Help Center article. Compliance teams should update internal registration/contracting checklists and document-control workflows to reflect the new agreement package and avoid requesting or submitting deprecated forms for newly registered projects.
Per the official LEED Certification Agreement Help Center article, projects registered on or after 2025-04-28 are no longer required to submit the ‘Confirmation of Agent’s Authority’ or ‘Confirmation of Primary Owner’s Authority’ forms as part of the LEED certification administrative process. Projects registered before that date remain subject to additional authority/change-of-owner documentation requirements. Compliance teams administering LEED registrations should update onboarding checklists and ensure legacy projects still meet the older submission requirements to avoid certification review delays.
USGBC published an official LEED v5 additional guidance document for the Materials & Resources credit ‘Building Product Selection & Procurement’, describing the criteria areas/achievement levels and how products are evaluated and scored (including multi-attribute considerations and scoring rules). Product compliance/documentation teams supporting LEED v5 projects should align product selection evidence and submittal strategies with this guidance and monitor updates via the LEED v5 addenda process.