New York State (NY) CPE Requirements for CPAs
Who Needs to fulfill these Continuing Education requirements?
NY licensed CPAs and PAs (Public Accountants) performing any accounting, tax, or advisory work in New York State, including work performed in public accounting firms, as well as private industry, government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and academia, are required to fulfill CPE requirements.
CPE Reporting Period
In New York, the Reporting Period for CPE is from January 1st to December 31st each year.
CPA License Renewal Date
You are required to renew your CPA license every three years on the date of license issuance.
How Many CPE Hours do I Need per year?
New York CPAs have two options for completing their total hours.
40 total hours made up of a combination of all fields of study.
or
24 hours of a single field of study, must be one of the following seven approved CPE subject areas:
- Auditing
- Accounting
- Attest
- Taxation
- Advisory Services
- Specialized Knowledge and Applications Related to Specialized Industries
- Professional Ethics
CPE Ethics Requirement
Four hours of professional ethics content are required to be completed in every three year period.
If you choose the 40 hours of general content option, the four ethics hours can be counted towards the total required hours in the year they were completed.
If you choose the 24 hours of one subject area option, the four ethics hours can be counted towards the total required hours in the year they were completed if the content of the course is in the chosen subject area.
If your principal jurisdiction is not New York, regulatory ethics courses taken in that jurisdiction that are recognized by that state’s board can be used to fulfill your New York ethics CPE requirements.
How do I report completion of CPE Hours?
You are not required to annually report your CPE compliance. When you renew your registration you are required to affirm completion of CPE requirements for the years contained in the past registration period.
How long am I required to keep my CPE Records?
Every CPA is responsible for maintaining records of all completed CPE Hours. Documentation affirming completion of each completed credit must include:
- Your Name
- Program Title
- Program Date and Location
- Name of Program Sponsor
- Program Sponsor ID Number
- Subject Area
- Number of CPE Credits Awarded
- Delivery Method
You are required to keep and be able to present on request all CPE Certificates for at least 5 years.
The New York State Board does monthly audits of CPE records and failure to produce valid certification can lead to penalties including license suspension or revocation.
When do newly licensed CPAs become subject to CPE Requirements?
As of January 1st 2020,
Date of License Issuance Date of first required submission
January 1st, 2022 January 1st, 2023
June 15th, 2022 January 1st, 2023
January 1st, 2023 January 1st, 2024
December 31st, 2023 January 1st, 2024
Does New York allow Nano Learning of Blended Courses for CPE?
No, you aren’t permitted to use courses completed through Nano Learning and Blended Learning to fulfill your New York CPE requirements.
How Much of your total CPE hours can be self-study?
100% of your total CPE hours can be completed through self study.
Can I rollover extra CPE hours?
No, New York CPAs are not permitted to roll over CPE credits to future years.
Does New York have CPE Reciprocity?
New York does not have CPE reciprocity. Credits used to fulfill CPE requirements in a CPAs home state cannot be used to fulfill New York CPE requirements.
Does New York have any Field-Specific CPE Requirements?
Yes, if you supervise attestation or provide authorization to sign an accountant’s report on financial statements, you are required to have completed 40 hours of Audit or Accounting material in the past three years.
Approved Courses
All courses completed in the state of New York or by Self study must be sponsored by providers registered with the New York state board or NASBA.
All courses completed outside the state of New York must be sponsored by providers registered with either the New York state board or the state board where the course was taken, or NASBA.
State Board Contact Info:
New York State Board for Public Accountancy
State Education Department
Division of Professional Licensing Services
89 Washington Avenue, 2nd Floor, East Mezzanine
Albany NY, 12234-1000
Phone: 518-474-3817 ext. 160
Fax: 518-474-6375
Email: cpabd@nysed.gov
Website: http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/cpa/
Board Statutes: http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/cpa/cpalaw.htm
