Become MC3 Certified

Initial Certification

Prior to becoming a MC3-Certified Mediator, candidates must establish that they have qualifications in three different areas:

• Education and Training,
• Mediation Experience, and
• Professional Activity and Continuing Professional Development.

Download MC3-Certified Mediator Qualifications

You can download the MC3 Mediator Qualifications MC3 Mediator Qualifications in order to track your fulfillment of  each component required by MC3.

Annual Renewal

Annual renewal fees will be due each year on the anniversary of your initial certification.

Re-Certification

Every 3 years you must undergo a new background check and establish that you have continued to meet the qualifications in the Professional Activity and Continuing Professional Development Component to be re-certified.

Certification Fees

Calendar year 2022-2023 Certification Fees.

Visiting to renew, re-certify or continue an application? Click here to access the appropriate page.

Part I: Qualifications Review

As part of completing your application process, you’ll need to present documentation that substantiates your Education and Training, Mediation Experience, and Professional Activity and Continuing Professional Development.

After a review, which can take up to two weeks, you will be notified (a) about qualification items, if any, that are missing from your portfolio or (b) that your portfolio is complete, and you are eligible to move to Part II. If your qualifications are deemed incomplete, you will have up to 6 months from the date of your submission to submit new documentation without incurring an additional charge.

Please note that the review of your application and portfolio review must be accompanied by a payment of $245.

Part II: Ethics Training, Litigation Nuts and Bolts, and Background Check

In Part II, you will be required to demonstrate that you have completed the Distance Learning Course on Mediator Ethics offered by the Administrative Office of the Court, and those without a law background or appropriate litigation case mediation experience will have to demonstrate that they have met the Litigation Nuts and Bolts requirement in the MC3 Mediator Qualifications. Once those requirements are satisfied, applicants will undergo a Background check.

A processing fee of $350 is required to complete Part II.

Part III: Clearing and Signing of Documents

Once your application and your Background check is complete and you have provided documentation that you’ve completed all requisite training modules, you are near the end of the application. All necessary documents need to be signed and your MC3 Certification will be finalized.

Congratulations, you are a MC3-Certified Mediator

This part requires your agreement to the terms of being a MC3-Certified Mediator, including agreeing to a MC3 Grievance Procedure and to the ethical standards contained in the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators and Rules of Court, primarily regarding Mediation, in the jurisdiction where the case was filed. Example:

California

• California Rules of Court, Title 3, Division 8, Section 3

Ohio

• Mediation Rules Ohio

Texas

• Texas Court Mediation Rules

Utah

• Utah Rules of Court-Annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution (URCADR)
• Utah Code of Judicial Administration Rules 4-510.01 – 4-510.06

Virginia

• Standards of Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Certified Mediators