Can I lose my CMMC Certification? Revocation triggers and continuous compliance rules

If you’re wondering, “Can I lose my CMMC Certification?,” the answer is YES. You can lose your CMMC certification because CMMC requires continuous compliance, not one-time certification. You must maintain annual affirmations of compliance in SPRS, and CMMC Level 2 certifications expire after three years, requiring complete reassessment. Certification revocation occurs if you fail to close POA&Ms within 180 days, if annual affirmations indicate non-compliance, or if DoD audits reveal control failures.

Additional decertification triggers include material changes to environments or processes without updated assessments, security incidents indicating control breakdowns, or deliberate misrepresentation of compliance status. DoD maintains authority to conduct surprise audits at any time. Reality: achieving certification marks the beginning of continuous compliance journey, not the end. Organizations must maintain operational evidence demonstrating consistent security practice implementation throughout the certification validity period.