Minnesota CPA requirements

If you want to earn your Certified Public Accountant license, you first need to learn the exact Minnesota CPA requirements. Knowing what education and experience you’ll need will help you get a plan in place, gather needed documents, and reduce potential hurdles. We’ve detailed important information here, but we also encourage you to consult the Minnesota Board of Accountancy for any changes or updates.

Minnesota CPA Exam requirements

Passing the CPA Exam is the largest step toward licensure. You will need to take and pass three Core sections required of all candidates, in addition to one of three Discipline sections designed to help you hone specialized knowledge.

To sit for the CPA Exam in Minnesota, you must be a resident of the state, attend a school in Minnesota, or work in Minnesota gaining the experience needed to earn your CPA license. You must also be of good moral character and meet one of the following education requirements:

Earned a graduate degree in accounting from a level-three accredited university
Earn a graduate degree from a level-two business school or college, including 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in accounting related fields, plus 15 hours (22.5 quarter hours) of graduate-level courses related to accounting
Earn a bachelor’s degree from a level-two business college with at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in accounting related courses, plus 24 hours (36 quarter hours) of business related courses
Earn a bachelor’s degree from a level-one educational institution with at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in accounting related courses

CPA requirements in Minnesota

The Minnesota CPA requirements for licensure include additional experience and education requirements beyond what you needed to sit for the CPA Exam.

Education requirements

Starting January 1, 2026, Minnesota will no longer require 150 credit hours of higher education to apply for CPA licensure. Instead, candidates must complete one of three education options, which then determines the amount of professional experience required:

Master's degree
Bachelor's degree

Experience requirements

According to Minnesota's newest regulations that will take effect on January 1, 2026, candidates must complete one to two years of professional experience, depending on their level of education.

Candidates with a bachelor's degree must complete two years of experience.
Candidates with a bachelor’s degree + 30 additional college hours must complete one year of experience. (This option will sunset June 30, 2030.)
Candidates with a master's degree must complete one year of experience.

Qualifying experience includes any services using:

Accounting
Attest
Compilation
Management advisory
Financial advisory
Tax
Consulting skills

A CPA with a valid license and first-hand knowledge of duties performed must verify your experience to the board.

Residency requirements

You must be a Minnesota resident to earn your CPA license in this state. However, if not a resident, you may also qualify if you are attending school in Minnesota to gain the education required for CPA licensure or are working in Minnesota to gain the qualifying experience for licensure. You must qualify with this education or work experience within 90 days preceding or following the date you sit for the CPA Exam.

Ethics requirements

Minnesota requires that you take and pass the AICPA Professional Ethics Comprehensive Course for Licensure within six months before or after you apply for your CPA license.

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Minnesota CPA license renewals

CPAs must renew their license annually. There is no grace period, and all licenses expire on December 31st of each year.

Minnesota CPA CPE requirements

All CPAs must maintain their license by completing continuing professional education (CPE) courses. Minnesota CPA CPE requirements stipulate that you must complete 120 hours of acceptable CPE credits during each three-year rolling period, with a minimum of 20 hours per “fiscal” CPE reporting year. At least eight of those hours must be regulatory (technical) or behavioral (non-technical) ethics. The CPE “fiscal” year runs from July 1 through Jun 30 of the next year, but CPE credits must be reported by December 31 at the latest.

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