Kansas CPA CPE Requirements

Kansas CPAs must complete 80 hours of continuing professional education every 2 years for license renewal. Kansas also requires 2 hours in professional ethics relating to the practice of certified public accountancy during each renewal period. The renewal deadline is June 30 every other year, based on certificate number, with even-numbered certificates renewing in even-numbered years and odd-numbered certificates renewing in odd-numbered years.

This page provides general educational information to help certified public accountants understand how Kansas determines CPA CPE requirements for license renewal, including reporting periods, ethics requirements, self-study rules, carryforward, record retention, and special rules for licensed municipal public accountants. 

Kansas CPA CPE Requirements at a Glance

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License Renewal Date and CPE Reporting Period

Kansas uses a biennial CPE reporting cycle running from July 1 through June 30. The renewal date also falls on June 30 every other year, based on whether the CPA’s certificate number is odd or even.

Kansas CPA Continuing Education Requirements for License Renewal

Kansas requires 80 hours of acceptable continuing professional education during each 2-year reporting period. For most CPAs, the key compliance points are the 80-hour total, the 2-hour ethics requirement, and the sponsor and delivery-method rules for certain formats like self-study and group internet-based learning.

Total CPE Hours Required

Kansas requires 80 total CPE hours during each biennial reporting period to satisfy the biennial hour requirement. Kansas’s renewal system also recognizes prorated hours where applicable, such as in some first-renewal situations.

Ethics Requirement

Kansas requires 2 hours in professional ethics relating to the practice of certified public accountancy during each renewal period. The Board’s regulations say this ethics requirement is part of the overall continuing professional education requirement, not in addition to it.

Carryforward

Kansas allows up to 20 excess CPE hours to be carried forward into the next renewal period. Those carryforward hours can help satisfy the next cycle’s general hour total, but the next renewal period still must include the required 2 hours of ethics.

Record Retention

Kansas requires CPAs to retain CPE records for 5 years. That includes certificates of completion and any other supporting documentation needed to verify compliance if the Board requests it.

Licensed Municipal Public Accountants

Kansas has separate annual CPE rules for licensed municipal public accountants. Each applicant for renewal of a permit to practice as a licensed municipal public accountant must complete a 16-hour program of acceptable continuing education during each year within the biennial period, and at least 8 of those 16 hours must be in municipal accounting, auditing, or attestation.

Credit Calculation and Course Types

Kansas allows credit for a range of educational activities across various subject areas. NASBA’s Kansas summary notes that college and university credit is capped at 50 percent of the requirement. Kansas also recognizes group programs, self-study, and approved group internet-based learning under the applicable sponsor rules.

Reporting and Documentation

The State of Kansas provides online renewal and CPE reporting through the state renewal portal. The reporting form available on the Board’s site also notes that failure to complete the required CPE by June 30 of the renewal year results in a CPE penalty of 8 additional hours.

First Reporting Period / Newly Licensed CPAs

Kansas’s online renewal system refers to prorated hours when applicable, which suggests that some first-renewal situations may not require the full 80 hours. Because the Board’s public guidance surfaced here does not provide a simple standalone first-renewal table, newly licensed Kansas CPAs should confirm their exact requirement directly with the Board before relying on a prorated assumption.

Kansas CPA CPE Courses: What to Know

Kansas course planning is relatively straightforward for most CPAs. The main priorities are reaching 80 total hours in the biennial cycle, completing 2 hours of professional ethics, using qualifying sponsors for self-study and group internet-based learning, and maintaining records for 5 years. Municipal public accountants should also make sure they meet the separate annual municipal accounting and auditing requirements.

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Self-Study and Accepted Formats

Kansas allows self-study, but it must come from qualifying sponsors and providers. The Board’s reporting form states that self-study courses must be sponsored by or through the AICPA, a state CPA society, or be approved by NASBA’s CPE Registry or delivery method. NASBA’s Kansas summary also says group internet-based programs must come from sponsors approved by NASBA’s National Registry, the AICPA, or a state society.

Audio-Based Self-Study and LumiQ

LumiQ provides CPE credits in an audio-based self-study format designed to support Kansas CPAs through accessible, on-demand learning. Because Kansas allows self-study through qualifying sponsors, audio-based self-study may fit within a Kansas CPA’s CPE plan when the course sponsor and delivery method meet Kansas requirements.

CPAs remain responsible for completing 80 hours during the biennial reporting period, completing 2 hours of professional ethics, staying within Kansas’s sponsor rules for self-study, and retaining documentation for 5 years. LumiQ does not determine a licensee’s individual Kansas CPA license renewal obligations and does not provide legal, regulatory, or individualized compliance advice.

Kansas CPA License Renewal

The Kansas Board of Accountancy is the final authority on Kansas CPA license renewal and continuing education compliance. Licensees should treat Kansas statutes, regulations, renewal materials, and current Board guidance as controlling.

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Reviewed by Danielle Marion, Regulatory Compliance Manager at LumiQ. Danielle has more than 20 years of experience in regulatory compliance and professional education governance, including leadership roles at Deloitte LLP.

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