Missouri CPA requirements
Earning your CPA license can open the door to a wider variety of career opportunities, but the steps you need to take may feel overwhelming. To help you know exactly how to become a CPA, we’re sharing the Missouri CPA requirements, from sitting for the CPA Exam to maintaining your license.
While this page provides an overview of what you need, we also recommend checking with the Missouri State Board of Accountancy for any updates or additional information.
The biggest step to obtaining your CPA license is passing the CPA Exam. This is a four-section exam consisting of three Core sections and selecting one of three Discipline sections. To sit for the CPA Exam in Missouri, you must be 18 years of age or older, present yourself to be of good moral character and have completed 120 semester hours (180 quarter hours) and hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting from a regionally accredited college or university. Your 120 hours must include:
- 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of business courses that can include business law, management, economics, marketing, finance and other business-focused courses.
- 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of upper-level accounting courses, which should include taxation, ethics, auditing, and other accounting-related content areas included in the Uniform CPA Examination Blueprints
The biggest step to obtaining your CPA license is passing the CPA Exam. This is a four-section exam consisting of three Core sections and selecting one of three Discipline sections. To sit for the CPA Exam in Missouri, you must be 18 years of age or older, present yourself to be of good moral character and have completed 120 semester hours (180 quarter hours) and hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting from a regionally accredited college or university. Your 120 hours must include:
- 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of business courses that can include business law, management, economics, marketing, finance and other business-focused courses.
- 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of upper-level accounting courses, which should include taxation, ethics, auditing, and other accounting-related content areas included in the Uniform CPA Examination Blueprints
The biggest step to obtaining your CPA license is passing the CPA Exam. This is a four-section exam consisting of three Core sections and selecting one of three Discipline sections. To sit for the CPA Exam in Missouri, you must be 18 years of age or older, present yourself to be of good moral character and have completed 120 semester hours (180 quarter hours) and hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting from a regionally accredited college or university. Your 120 hours must include:
- 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of business courses that can include business law, management, economics, marketing, finance and other business-focused courses.
- 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of upper-level accounting courses, which should include taxation, ethics, auditing, and other accounting-related content areas included in the Uniform CPA Examination Blueprints
Missouri CPA Exam Requirements
In addition to passing the CPA Exam, you must also complete additional education, experience and ethics requirements to become a CPA in Missouri.
Education Requirements
While you only need 120 semester hours (180 quarter hours) to sit for the CPA Exam, all candidates must complete 150 semester hours (225 quarter hours) to apply for licensure. Of the additional 30 hours required for licensure, you must complete at least six semester hours (nine quarter hours) in both accounting courses and business courses, and only nine semester credit hours (13.5 quarter hours) may be from independent study or formal internships.
However, taking effect August 28, 2026, Missouri will change this requirement to offer alternative pathways for CPA licensure. From this date forward, you must meet one of the following combined experience and education requirements:
- Bachelor's degree with accounting concentration, plus two years of qualifying experience
- Bachelor's degree with accounting concentration, additional 30 semester hours (150 total), plus one year of qualifying experience
- Master's degree with accounting concentration, plus one year of qualifying experience
Experience Requirements
CPA candidates must have one year of full-time accounting experience totaling at least 2,000 hours in industry, government, academia, or public practice. If you work part-time, you must have a minimum of 2,000 working hours within three years.
Residency Requirements
You must also meet residency requirements to become a CPA in Missouri:
- Maintain a permanent place of residence and live in Missouri
- You must also meet residency requirements to become a CPA in Missouri:
- Enroll or maintain enrollment as a full-time student at an accredited Missouri college or university
- Graduate from a Missouri college or university and hold a Missouri address (this residency will stand for six months after graduation)
- Hold regular, full-time employment in the state(not necessarily in public accounting)
- Are a permanent resident of Missouri and are either serving on active duty in the armed forces or are the spouse of an armed service member serving on active duty.
Ethics Requirements
All CPA candidates must show satisfactory completion of a Board-approved written examination in professional ethics.
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Over 1 million candidates have prepared with Becker and 98% of customers say that Becker meets their CPA Exam preparation needs.
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Missouri CPA license renewals
After receiving your CPA license, you must renew your license biennially, or every two years, by September 30.
All CPAs must maintain their license by earning continuing professional education (CPE). To meet Missouri CPA CPE requirements, you must complete at least 40 hours of credits annually. Also, all CPAs are required to earn at least two hours of CPE credit annually.
All CPAs must maintain their license by earning continuing professional education (CPE). To meet Missouri CPA CPE requirements, you must complete at least 40 hours of credits annually. Also, all CPAs are required to earn at least two hours of CPE credit annually.
All CPAs must maintain their license by earning continuing professional education (CPE). To meet Missouri CPA CPE requirements, you must complete at least 40 hours of credits annually. Also, all CPAs are required to earn at least two hours of CPE credit annually.
