AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums undergo a thorough review that includes a detailed accreditation application as well as a multiple day on-site inspection by a team of experts from around the country. Learn more about the AZA Accreditation process.
March 2017 Accreditation Results
AZA is pleased to announce the results of the Accreditation Commission hearings held in March 2017 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Accredited for another cycle were Aquarium of the Bay, San Francisco, Calif.; Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas; Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford, Fla.; Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas, Texas; Dallas Zoo, Dallas, Texas; Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park, Carlsbad, N.M.; Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles, Calif.; Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, Calif.; National Aquarium, Baltimore, Md.; North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Kure Beach, N.C.; North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.; North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Manteo, N.C.; Palm Beach Zoo, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Parque Zoologico de Leon, Leon, Mexico; Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, Ariz.; Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nev.; South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, S.C.; Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Virginia Beach, Va.
Certified for another cycle was the B. Bryan Preserve, Point Arena, Calif.
For a complete list of all AZA-accredited institutions and AZA-certified related facilities click here.
Accreditation Resource Center Now Available
Please be sure to visit our newly improved Accreditation Resource Center where you will find examples of institutional documents and policies that are required for AZA accreditation. The Resource Center will continue to be populated with more documents, but many examples and guidelines are available now!
Update: 2017 Accreditation Standards
The 2017 edition of the Accreditation Standards and Related Policies is now available. For all other current accreditation materials click here.
Quarter Century Award
The AZA Accreditation Quarter Century Award was developed in 2015 and recognizes 25 years or more of continuous accreditation. Learn more.
Animal Care Manuals
Accreditation standard 1.2.1 requires institutions to have copies of all approved AZA Animal Care Manuals (ACMs) for species within their collections, and to ensure that all animal care staff has access to them. For more information and a list of approved ACMs, click here.
AAM Offers Streamlined Accreditation Process For AZA-Accredited Institutions
The American Alliance of Museums and AZA have collaborated on a streamlined AAM accreditation process for institutions that are accredited by AZA and wish to obtain accreditation from AAM. Please click here for the related news release, and here for a FAQ sheet.
Upcoming Reviews
We welcome your comments regarding the AZA members and prospective members under review for accreditation or certification at the next meeting of the AZA Accreditation Commission.
Contact Us
Have a concern or compliment about an AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium or an AZA-certified related facility that you have recently visited? AZA-accredited institutions are dedicated to maintaining or exceeding AZA standards every day. If a concern is received related to an AZA-accredited facility, as the accrediting body we will work with the institution to make certain that all AZA accreditation standards continue to be maintained. When a compliment is received, we share it with the institution's staff.
Compliments, concerns, and any supporting documentation should be submitted in writing to azaaccreditation@aza.org. Concerns may also be submitted to : Accreditation Department, AZA, 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 710, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.