Certified Public Accountant license renewal and CE requirements in California
What the cited board page stated for Certified Public Accountant in California. Rules and fees change: confirm every figure with the licensing board.
Renewal cycle: 24 months. Continuing education: 80 hours every 24 months. These are two separate facts: the licence is renewed on the cycle, and the CE hours cover the period stated next to them.
| Profession | Certified Public Accountant |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| State licence required | Yes |
| Licensing board | California Board of Accountancy https://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/ |
| Renewal cycle | 24 months (2 years) |
| Continuing education (CE) | 80 hours every 24 months |
| Mandatory CE topics | ethics 4; minimum 20 per year including 12 technical; minimum 40 technical; regulatory review 2 if more than six years since last course; A&A or government auditing 24 plus fraud 4 if subject to that requirement |
| Renewal fee (USD) | $400.00 |
| Deadline | last day of birth month, every other year (year based on birth year) |
| Source page | https://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/licensees/cequickref.shtml |
| Notes | fee from: https://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/licensees/renewal-information.shtml ($400 for a CPA license that expires after June 30, 2026; $340 if it expires prior to July 1, 2026). deadline from: https://dca.ca.gov/cba/licensees/faqs.shtml . CE period 24 months, official phrase: “A total of 80 hours of CE must be completed in the two-year period immediately preceding license expiration.” (https://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/licensees/cequickref.shtml). |
Last verified: 2026-10-09