Mississippi CPA CPE Requirements

Mississippi CPAs must complete 120 hours of continuing professional education during each rolling 3-year period, with at least 20 hours completed each year. Mississippi also requires 4 hours in ethics, professional conduct, and public accountancy law and regulations during each triennial period. The current ethics cycle identified by the Board runs from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028.

This page provides general educational information to help certified public accountants understand how Mississippi determines CPA CPE requirements for license renewal, including annual minimums, rolling 3-year requirements, ethics requirements, self-study treatment, nonresident treatment, and CPE deficiency policies. 

License Renewal Date and CPE Reporting Period

Mississippi measures CPE over a rolling 3-year period rather than a simple fixed biennial or triennial block. Licensees must stay on pace with at least 20 hours each year while also reaching 120 total hours over the full rolling period. Mississippi’s Board also separately identifies ethics approval periods by triennial cycle, including the current period ending June 30, 2028.

Mississippi CPA Continuing Education Requirements for License Renewal

Mississippi requires 120 total CPE hours in each rolling 3-year period, and the state does not typically allow for carryover hours from one period to the next. That total includes 4 hours in ethics, professional conduct, and public accountancy law and regulations. Because Mississippi also requires at least 20 hours each year, CPAs cannot wait until the end of the cycle to complete all of their education.

Total CPE Hours Required

Mississippi requires 120 CPE credit hours in each rolling 3-year period. At least 20 hours must be completed in each individual year.

Annual Minimum Requirement

Mississippi requires a minimum of 20 CPE hours each year. This annual minimum works alongside the broader 120-hour rolling 3-year requirement.

Ethics Requirement

Mississippi requires 4 total ethics hours during each triennial period. The Board’s FAQ makes clear that at least 1 of those 4 hours must be in Mississippi Public Accountancy Law and Regulations, and the remaining ethics hours may be in general ethics or professional conduct. The Board also publishes board approved ethics-course lists for each triennial period.

Subject-Matter Allocation

Beyond the ethics requirement, the public Mississippi sources reviewed here do not identify a broader statewide technical-subject minimum for all licensees. The main statewide structure is the 120-hour rolling total, the 20-hour annual minimum, and the 4-hour ethics requirement.

Reporting and Documentation

The Board provides an online CPE reporting form, and the home page currently notes that the 2026 CPE Reporting Form is available. Mississippi also maintains a policy for management of CPE deficiencies and separate ethics approval lists and forms, which indicates that licensees should keep clear records of completed courses and be prepared to report or support claimed hours when required.

CPE Deficiencies

Mississippi maintains a policy for management of CPE deficiencies, and deficiency-related forms are listed among the Board’s CPE materials. That suggests licensees who fall short should address the issue promptly through the Board’s established process rather than assuming late completion will automatically resolve the problem.

Nonresident CPAs

Mississippi may exempt a nonresident licensee from its continuing education requirements if the licensee’s primary employment is in another state whose CPE requirements are substantially equivalent to Mississippi’s, the individual is licensed in that state, and the individual reports those hours there and provides a sworn statement to the Mississippi Board that the other jurisdiction’s requirements have been met.

Mississippi CPA CPE Courses: What to Know

Mississippi course planning should focus on three core requirements: reaching 120 total hours over the rolling 3-year period, completing at least 20 hours each year, and completing the 4 required ethics hours with at least 1 hour in Mississippi Public Accountancy Law and Regulations. Because Mississippi publishes approved ethics-course lists and recognizes self-study through qualifying sponsors, course selection should balance flexibility with documentation and topic compliance.

Self-Study and Accepted Formats

Mississippi allows self-study CPE through qualifying sponsors. The Board’s continuing education page links directly to QAS-approved self-study CPE sponsors, and the approved ethics lists include multiple online self-study programs. That means self-study is part of Mississippi’s accepted CPE framework when the program meets the Board’s requirements.

Audio-Based Self-Study and LumiQ

LumiQ provides CPE credits in an audio-based self-study format designed to support Mississippi CPAs through accessible, on-demand learning. Because Mississippi accepts qualifying self-study and points licensees to approved self-study sponsors, audio-based learning may fit into a Mississippi CPA’s CPE plan when the course otherwise meets Mississippi’s requirements.

CPAs remain responsible for completing 120 hours over the rolling 3-year period, completing at least 20 hours each year, and meeting the ethics requirement, including the Mississippi law-and-rules component. LumiQ does not determine a licensee’s individual Mississippi CPA license renewal obligations and does not provide legal, regulatory, or individualized compliance advice.

Mississippi CPA License Renewal

The Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy, accessible via their official .gov website, is the final authority on Mississippi CPA license renewal and continuing education compliance. Licensees should treat the Board’s statutes, rules, continuing education guidance, and current forms 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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