How many cpe hours are required

Log in. Yellow Book Continuing Professional Education Please note: Information contained on this page is subject to change without notice. General information Yellow Book continuing education requirements are governed by the U. Government Accountability Office. Effective January 1, , the GAO has deleted taxation from the list of subjects that always satisfy the hours every two years requirement. Instruction in topics that may meet CPE requirements of licensing bodies or professional organizations no longer automatically satisfy the hour CPE requirement.

Search CPE catalog Event code. Some states require that you complete 40 hours annually and others require that you complete 80 hours within a 2-year period. You can choose instead to take 24 hours of CPE in a single subject area that the New York State Board of Public Accountancy defines Accounting, auditing, attestation, taxation, advisory services, specialized knowledge and applications related to specialized industries, or professional ethics.

The most CPE hours required in any state is hours, but all states with this high requirement allow a 3-year period for the courses to be completed within. These 19 states include:. While hours in continuing education courses may seem overwhelming, the 3-year requirement means you can complete 40 course hours each year. Instead of commuting to and from a classroom on scheduled days, you can take courses online any time you have the availability.

Make sure to look for the seal of NASBA approval when browsing courses online through third-party institutions. CPE courses must be taken within a state-specified time period that sometimes, but not always, coincides with the license renewal period.

In many states, your continuing education proof can be reported anytime during the year. Some states require that you complete a percentage of your CPE courses within a certain time period.

CPE courses can be taken online or in a classroom setting, but CPE credits can also be earned by attending conferences and workshops with relevant subject matter with approval from your state board. If you are diligent about searching, you can find some free CPE courses online. The Corporate Finance Institute is one example. They offer several paid, but some free, courses that count as CPE credit.

Free courses include:. Current free courses include:. Right now, you can access any of 5 free courses on the website. They also offer paid online courses that allow you to print your CPE certificate for your records.