Alabama CPA requirements
If you’re exploring becoming a CPA, the first thing you’ll want to do is make sure you meet the Alabama CPA requirements. This page outlines what you need to have in place to take the CPA Exam and get your license, as well as how to maintain it with continued professional education (CPE). However, we would highly recommend you check with the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy for any updated information.
The biggest step to becoming a Certified Public Accountant is passing the CPA Exam, which consists of three Core exams and a Discipline exam of your choosing. To be eligible to take the exam in Alabama, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be a citizen of the United States or be legally present in the United States with appropriate documentation from the federal government
- Complete 120 semester hours (180 quarter hours) and hold a bachelor’s degree
- Complete at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in upper-level undergraduate or graduate level accounting courses
- Complete 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of business courses including those in business ethics, business law, economics, finance, marketing, or other topics
The biggest step to becoming a Certified Public Accountant is passing the CPA Exam, which consists of three Core exams and a Discipline exam of your choosing. To be eligible to take the exam in Alabama, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be a citizen of the United States or be legally present in the United States with appropriate documentation from the federal government
- Complete 120 semester hours (180 quarter hours) and hold a bachelor’s degree
- Complete at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in upper-level undergraduate or graduate level accounting courses
- Complete 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of business courses including those in business ethics, business law, economics, finance, marketing, or other topics
The biggest step to becoming a Certified Public Accountant is passing the CPA Exam, which consists of three Core exams and a Discipline exam of your choosing. To be eligible to take the exam in Alabama, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be a citizen of the United States or be legally present in the United States with appropriate documentation from the federal government
- Complete 120 semester hours (180 quarter hours) and hold a bachelor’s degree
- Complete at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in upper-level undergraduate or graduate level accounting courses
- Complete 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of business courses including those in business ethics, business law, economics, finance, marketing, or other topics
CPA requirements in Alabama
In addition to meeting the requirements to take the CPA Exam, then pass the four sections, CPA candidates must also be 19 years old, of good moral character and meet additional requirements related to education, experience and ethics.
Education requirements
Alabama requires CPA candidates to complete 150 total semester hours (225 quarter hours) of post-secondary education within 36 months of passing the CPA Exam. These hours must include:
- 33 semester hours (49.5 quarter hours) in upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level accounting courses
- 27 semester hours (40.5 quarter hours) in non-accounting business hours, such as economics, business law, marketing, finance, or ethics
Experience requirements
CPA requirements in Alabama also include meeting a specific amount of work experience that is supervised by a CPA or PA with a valid license:
- One year of full-time employment by a public accounting firm or as a staff accountant
- Two years of full-time employment properly supervised and has sufficient quality and depth in the accounting field teaching college or working in industry, business or government
Ethics requirements
Candidates who pass the CPA Exam are required to complete the AICPA’s CPE course, “Professional Ethics: The AICPA’s Comprehensive Course.
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Alabama CPA license renewals
Alabama CPA licenses are renewed annually from October 1 to September 30.
Once you have your CPA license, you must maintain it by meeting the Alabama CPA CPE requirements. Between October 1 and September 30 of the following calendar year, CPAs must complete 40 total hours of CPE. Of those hours, they must include:
- At least eight hours of accounting and auditing
- At least two hours of qualifying ethics CPE
- No more than 12 hours of personal development CPE
- No more than 10 hours earned by Nano Learning delivery method
Once you have your CPA license, you must maintain it by meeting the Alabama CPA CPE requirements. Between October 1 and September 30 of the following calendar year, CPAs must complete 40 total hours of CPE. Of those hours, they must include:
- At least eight hours of accounting and auditing
- At least two hours of qualifying ethics CPE
- No more than 12 hours of personal development CPE
- No more than 10 hours earned by Nano Learning delivery method
Once you have your CPA license, you must maintain it by meeting the Alabama CPA CPE requirements. Between October 1 and September 30 of the following calendar year, CPAs must complete 40 total hours of CPE. Of those hours, they must include:
- At least eight hours of accounting and auditing
- At least two hours of qualifying ethics CPE
- No more than 12 hours of personal development CPE
- No more than 10 hours earned by Nano Learning delivery method
