AICPA CPE Requirements

How to reach the regulator directly.

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
AICPA Member Service Center
220 Leigh Farm Road
Durham, NC 27707

Tel: (888) 777-7077
Fax: (800) 362-5066

Email: service@aicpa.org

The regulator's own published rules and related resources.

AICPA Membership CPE Requirements

BL Section 230R - Implementing Resolutions Under Section 2.3 (Requirements for Retention of Membership)

The total continuing education hours required.

120 hours.

The detailed rules behind that total -- category minimums, ethics, and other conditions.

AICPA Peer Review Program:

If you are in public practice in the U.S.A. and you or your firm perform accounting services that fall within the scope of AICPA's practice-monitoring standards (most accounting and auditing services), your firm (or you, individually, if your firm is not eligible to enroll) must be enrolled in the AICPA Peer Review Program.

Peer Reviewers in the AICPA Peer Review Program shall obtain at least 40% of the AICPA required CPE in subjects relating to accounting, auditing, and quality control. Peer reviewers should obtain at least 8 hours in any 1 year and 48 hours every 3 years.

• 'Accounting and Auditing' should be interpreted as CPE courses that maintain current knowledge of accounting and auditing standards and engagements that fall within the scope of peer review as described in the AICPA Standards for Performing and Reporting on Peer Reviews.

How the reporting cycle is structured.

Fixed triennial.

Members will need to agree to complete 120 hours, or its equivalent, of continuing professional education every 3 years.

When a reporting cycle begins.

January 1.

Effective January 1, 2001: From January 1, 2001, forward and for each three-year reporting period thereafter, all AICPA members shall complete 120 hours or its equivalent, of continuing professional education.

All members who were members on or before December 31, 1989 began their first reporting period on January 1, 1990. Their triennial reporting periods continue each three years thereafter.

All members who attained membership on or after January 1, 1990 began their first reporting period on the January 1 following their year of initial membership. Their triennial reporting periods continue each three years thereafter.

How completed credits are reported to the regulator.

Reporting:

Members shall report compliance with such requirement to the AICPA each year and shall keep appropriate records and submit copies of such on request of the Institute.

Documentation of CPE is not required but should be maintained. Member is responsible for retaining any documentation that may be required. Members report compliance by paying of dues. The yearly dues statement contains the following statement:

• In making my dues payment, I affirm that I have complied with the CPE membership requirements for the year ending December 31. No other reporting is necessary.

Documentation and Record Retention:

Members bear primary responsibility of documenting compliance with CPE requirements. For each program the member should be able to document the following:

• Sponsor
• Title and description of content
• Date(s)
• Location
• Number of CPE contact hours

The renewal or reporting deadline.

The date by which membership dues must be paid.

→ Get monthly reminders before this deadline

What happens if the requirement is not met.

Failure to meet the CPE requirements is grounds for revocation of membership.

Grace Period:

Members are given a two month grace period immediately following the reporting period. Hours credited toward a deficiency may not be counted toward the reporting period in which they are taken.

Reduced or prorated requirements for a first renewal.

The reporting period begins January 1 of the first new calendar year after joining the AICPA or upgrading to Regular Member.

AICPA Peer Review Program:

Effective with reviews commencing on or after December 31, 2015, the following reviewer qualification requirements will apply:

• Reviewers must have spent the last five years in the A&A function of public accounting.
• Reviewers should consider whether their day-to-day involvement with A&A work is sufficiently comprehensive to enable them to perform a peer review with professional expertise.

Additional requirements for reviews of certain must-select engagements will apply:

• Reviewers must be currently involved in must-select engagements in their own firms.
• Reviewers must be associated with an AQC firm (currently EBPAQC and GAQC).

Effective with reviews commencing on or after May 1, 2016, the initial and ongoing training requirements for peer reviewers will change, as will the training requirements for reviewers of Employee Benefit Plan engagements and engagements performed in accordance with Governmental Auditing Standards will change. To determine how to meet the new training requirements, visit the Peer Review Training page.

Who may be excused from all or part of this requirement.

AICPA members in the following categories are automatically exempted from AICPA CPE Requirements:

• Retired and do not hold themselves out as CPAs to third parties
• Temporarily Left the Work Force and do not hold themselves out as CPAs to third parties
• Unemployed and do not hold themselves out as CPAs to third parties
• Members who have formally placed their CPA certificate/license in 'inactive' status with the State Board of Accountancy and do not hold themselves out as CPAs to third parties.

Waivers:

AICPA members may request a waiver for AICPA membership CPE requirements if the member is unable to comply due to unique circumstances such as:

• Health
• Military Service
• Extreme natural disasters (in circumstances where the State Board grants any exemption, reduction or other adjustment with regard to CPE requirements)
• Other similar circumstances that might prevent a member from complying with the CPE requirements.

Please send your request in writing to the AICPA by email or mail with your Full Name, Member Number and reasons. This request must be renewed annually if applicable.

Effective 2012: CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed an AICPA policy change: In the past, professionals could elect to follow their State Board or State Society CPE requirements if the requirements were the same or more stringent than the AICPA requirements. If this was the case, and the State Board or State Society used a fiscal reporting period, then the State Board or State Society requirements fiscal reporting period could be followed instead of the AICPA calendar year(s). AICPA members are now required to get 120 hours of CPE credit over a three year period regardless of their State rules. The AICPA CPE requirements override the State requirements.

Prior to 2012: If a state board or state society has the same CPE requirements as the AICPA, the state board or state society fiscal reporting period may be used instead of the calendar year. Each state board of accountancy is the governing regulator for CPE. Should a state board's requirements differ from those of the AICPA, the AICPA will abide by their mandate.

Whether unused credits can apply to the next period.

NOTE: February 13, 2014: CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed with the AICPA that "The AICPA does not allow CPE to be carried over from one reporting period to the next."

→ CE Tracking calculates carryover for you

Rule changes the regulator has proposed but not yet finalized.

Refer to "NASBA/AICPA Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education Programs."

Rule changes the regulator has finalized, with effective dates.

Effective 2012: CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed an AICPA policy change: In the past, professionals could elect to follow their State Board or State Society CPE requirements if the requirements were the same or more stringent than the AICPA requirements. If this was the case, and the State Board or State Society used a fiscal reporting period, then the State Board or State Society requirements fiscal reporting period could be followed instead of the AICPA calendar year(s). AICPA members are now required to get 120 hours of CPE credit over a three year period regardless of their State rules. The AICPA CPE requirements override the State requirements.

Refer to "NASBA/AICPA Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education Programs."