Illinois CPA CPE requirements
After earning your CPA license, the state requires you to keep up with the knowledge you've gained through continuing professional education. To help you maintain your license, we're sharing the Illinois CPA CPE requirements, renewal information, and everything else you need to know.
Renewing your Illinois CPA license
While some states have a rolling renewal schedule based on your birthdate or date of licensure, Illinois CPA licenses must be renewed every three years. The next renewal deadline is September 30, 2027. After that, you'll renew your license on September 30, 2030, and so forth.
To renew your license, follow these steps:
- Complete your Illinois CPE requirements and gather documentation of completion.
- Create an account with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation or log in to the website using your existing account.
- Complete your CPA license renewal application, including providing your CPE information.
- Pay the renewal fee and submit your application via the website.
After the final step, you should receive a confirmation email. We recommend printing this and also saving the email for your records.
Illinois CPE requirements
To meet your CPA CPE requirements, you will need to complete 120 hours of qualifying coursework during each triennial period. Within those 120 hours, you must meet the following:
- At least four hours of qualified ethics CPE
- At least one hour of sexual harassment prevention training
Becker's course, Ethics, Integrity, and AICPA Code of Professional Conduct (Expanded Version) meets the Illinois ethics CPE requirement.
There are also the following limits on the credits you can earn, including:
- No more than 24 hours of personal development courses
- No more than 60 hours of non-interactive CPE (ie: self-study)
- No more than 60 hours of credit from instructing, teaching, or leading an approved course.
- No more than 30 hours of credit for time spent on the writing and researching of a published article or book
It's also important to note that students can receive 15 hours for each semester hour and 10 hours for each quarter hour of university or college credit.
Meeting your Illinois CPA CPE requirements with Becker
Becker offers the convenience and flexibility you want as well as the relevant courses you need to meet your CPE requirements.
- NASBA-approved and an approved CPE provider by the IDFPR
- Over 1,000 live webcasts annually, 750 on-demand courses, plus weekly CPE podcasts
- CPE courses in 19 fields of study, including tax, ethics, IT, personal development, and finance
- Experienced instructors who bring years of practical knowledge and real-world insights
- Monthly, quarterly, and annual update courses in tax, audit, and accounting to keep you aware and updated on the latest changes in laws, regulations, and court rulings.
Tips to meet your Illinois CPE requirements
We know that fulfilling CPE requirements can be challenging on top of your other responsibilities. To help take the stress out of CPE, try these tips:
Find CPE that suits your schedule
The biggest challenge to earning CPE is just finding time for it. Consider taking on-demand courses you can watch anytime and anywhere whether it’s during your lunch break or while you’re sitting in the car waiting for your kid to finish soccer practice. Remember, Illinois CPA CPE requirements do limit how much self-study you can complete.
You can even try CPE podcasts where you listen to the material then take a brief quiz to ensure comprehension and retention. Earn CPE on your drive to work, while washing dishes, or taking a walk.
Keep up with your progress
It’s difficult to remember how many hours you’ve completed, when it’s due, and if you’ve met the more specific ethics CPE and technical requirements. Using Becker’s CPE Compliance Tracker keeps all your CPE in one place (including from other sources) so you can easily see your progress, what you have left, and get recommendations for courses that suit your interests.
Block out time each month
Illinois CPE requirements state that you need 120 hours of CPE over three years. We recommend breaking this up over the period so you're not scrambling to earn 120 hours in the few months before your deadline! Take around four hours each month to dedicate to completing CPE or six hours a month if you want to take a few months off during busy season.
Consider what you want to learn
Instead of thinking about education as a necessary hassle, reposition how you think of it. CPE helps you learn new skills that can help you excel in your career. Perhaps you want to focus more on international tax — take CPE courses that help you build that foundational knowledge. If you're considering working in a particular industry, CPE courses in real estate accounting, pharmaceutical accounting, and other areas can help you transition your career. Consider what you want your career to look like and take courses to support it!