Virginia CPA CPE Requirements

How to reach the regulator directly.

Virginia Board of Accountancy
Perimeter Center, Suite 402
9960 Mayland Drive
Henrico, VA 23233

Tel: (804) 367-8505
Fax: (804) 527-4409

Email: cpe@boa.virginia.gov

The regulator's own published rules and related resources.

Virginia Board of Accountancy

The total continuing education hours required.

120 hours.

The detailed rules behind that total -- category minimums, ethics, and other conditions.

Virginia Public License Holders:

Updated March 8, 2018: If during the current calendar year a person holds a Virginia license and has not been granted an exception by the board, he shall have obtained at least 120 hours of continuing professional education during the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year. For each of the calendar years in that period, he shall have obtained at least 20 hours of continuing professional education, including an ethics course of at least two hours.

Ethics:

The ethics course shall conform with the requirements prescribed by the board.

Updated February 1, 2021: The new ethics format (to include 12-minute video) will allow CPAs to take a variety of different courses and topics to meet the CPE ethics requirement, as long as it is taken from a VBOA-approved provider. The two-hour annual CPE requirement will remain the same. CPAs will have a choice of the ethics course they can take to meet the two-hour ethics course CPE requirement. CPAs can take an ethics course that is specific to their line of work or something they prefer. Every ethics course must be pre-approved by the VBOA and include the 2021 VBOA Segment. The 2021 VBOA Segment is a 12-minute video that must be added to all approved ethics courses. It is the responsibility of the licensee to ensure that the Virginia-Specific Ethics Course taken is in compliance. The Virginia-Specific Ethics Course must be completed no later than January 31 to meet the requirement for the previous calendar-year. Licensees will not be granted CPE credit for completing a Virginia-Specific Ethics Course from a non-approved sponsor/provider.

• Virginia licensees must complete the required annual ethics course no later than January 31 of each year to meet the previous calendar-year requirement. The two-hour Virginia-Specific Ethics Course is a separate and distinct annual requirement from the one-time American Institute of Certified Public Accountants ethics course needed for initial licensure.
• The course must be instructor-led but may be presented in a variety of different formats including, but not limited to, live seminars, conference sessions, online self-study presented by an instructor, live webcast and webcast replays, on-demand webcast and in-house training.
• It is the licensee’s responsibility to ensure that sponsors providing the Virginia-Specific Ethics Course are listed on the VBOA’s website as an approved provider of this course. Licensees must also ensure that sponsors provide a certificate of completion or some other form of documentation that includes the sponsor’s name, participant’s name, course/content name, date taken and CPE hours earned. If the licensee is not satisfied with the content of the course or the instructor, the licensee is encouraged to contact the VBOA. Licensees will not be granted CPE credit for completing a Virginia-Specific Ethics Course from a non-approved sponsor.
• Note from CeriFi CPEdge: May 15, 2015: A listing of Virginia-Specific Ethics Course approved sponsors/providers is available on the VA Board website for 2015 and beyond.
• Note from CeriFi CPEdge: May 5, 2012: FAQ from the VA Board Website: Prior to the 2015 ethics course, the VBOA did not keep a list of providers for the Virginia-specific ethics course. Licensees can conduct an Internet search for CPE providers offering the VBOA Virginia-specific ethics course. The licensee is responsible for selecting a course that complies with the annual outline provided on the VBOA website.
• Refer to "Standards of Approval of CE Activities" below for more information on the VA ethics course requirements.

Prior to September 16, 2010: CPE in standards of conduct, Code of Virginia statutes relating to public accountancy, and Board's regulations. Beginning with the CPE reporting year ending immediately subsequent to the year in which these regulations become effective, each CPA to which the CPE requirements in subsections A and B of this section apply will obtain annually two CPE credits relating to standards of conduct, Chapter 44 (§ 54.1-4400 et seq.) of Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia, and regulations of the Board. The course will be a self-contained course presented in not more than two CPE credit parts and may be presented in conjunction with other CPE programs. The course may be a self-study course so long as the self-study requirements of subdivision F3 of this section are met. An outline of the required content for the course will be provided by the Board to CPE providers who must state in their ethics CPE course material and related catalog summaries whether the content of the course includes the material required by the Board for the calendar year the course is provided.

Persons who release or authorize the release of reports:

Effective September 16, 2010: A person who releases or authorizes the release of reports on attest services or compilation services provided for persons or entities located in Virginia shall annually obtain a minimum of eight hours of continuing professional education related to attest services or compilation services. The hours obtained to meet this requirement shall be considered in determining whether the person has complied with the annual/overall CPE requirements of this chapter.

• Note from CeriFi CPEdge: November 2011: CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed that the VBOA does not require a specific attest or compilation course and therefore would accept any accounting or auditing course(s) toward this requirement.
• Note from CeriFi CPEdge: October 2010: CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed with the VBOA, that the calendar year ending December 31, 2011 is the first calendar year for which the persons who release or authorize the release of reports on attest services or compilation services are required to obtain a minimum of 8 hours of CPE related to attest services or compilation services

Prior to March 8, 2018: Providing Services to an Employer Using the CPA Title and Not Providing Services to the Public Using the CPA Title:

Prior to March 8, 2018: If during the current calendar year a person who holds a Virginia license provided services to an employer using the CPA title and did not provide services to the public using the CPA title, he shall have obtained a minimum number of hours of continuing professional education determined as follows:

1. If the current calendar year is 2009 or 2010, the person shall have obtained at least 90 hours of continuing professional education during the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year. For each of the calendar years in that period, he shall have obtained at least 15 hours of continuing professional education, including an ethics course of at least two hours.
2. If the current calendar year is 2011 or later, the person shall have obtained at least 120 hours of continuing professional education during the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year. For each of the calendar years in that period, he shall have obtained at least 20 hours of continuing professional education, including an ethics course of at least two hours.

Prior to March 8, 2018: Ethics: The ethics course taken to comply with this subsection either shall conform with the requirements prescribed by the board or shall be an ethics course acceptable to the board of accountancy of another state in which the person holds a license.

Prior to September 16, 2010: Use of CPA designation and performing services for the public.

1. As provided in § 54.1-4410 B of the Code of Virginia, any person referring to himself as a Certified Public Accountant or "CPA," including the use of the "CPA" title on individual business cards, letterhead and all other documents and devices except the CPA wall certificate, and who is performing or offering to perform any services involving accounting skills or auditing skills, issuing reports on financial advisory or consulting services, preparing tax returns, or furnishing advice on tax matters, for the public, shall obtain 120 CPE credits during each CPE reporting cycle with a minimum of 20 CPE credits per CPE reporting year. The CPA certificate holder may choose the areas of study and courses.
2. Any person covered by this provision who, prior to implementation of Section 54.1-4410 B of the Code of Virginia on October 4, 1999, provided one or more of the services described in subdivision 1 of this subsection, but was not required to obtain CPE, shall obtain at least 20 CPE credits in each of the CPE reporting years 2000, 2001 and 2002 and meet the 120 CPE-credit requirement for the CPE reporting cycle ending December 31, 2002.

Prior to September 16, 2010: Use of CPA designation and performing services other than for the public. As provided in § 54.1-4410 C of the Code of Virginia, effective July 1, 2002, any person referring to himself as a Certified Public Accountant or "CPA," including the use of the "CPA" title on individual business cards, letterhead and all other documents and devices except the CPA wall certificate, who is performing or offering to perform any services involving accounting skills or auditing skills, issuing reports on financial advisory or consulting services, preparing tax returns, or furnishing advice on tax matters, for an employer or other organization and not for the public, or who is employed as an educator in the field of accounting, shall meet the following CPE requirements as a condition of renewal of the person's CPA certificate: (i) for the three-year reporting period beginning January 1, 2003, a minimum of 45 CPE credits with a minimum of 10 CPE credits per year, (ii) for the three-year reporting period beginning January 1, 2006, a minimum of 90 CPE credits with a minimum of 15 CPE credits per year, and (iii) for the three-year reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2009, a minimum of 120 CPE credits with a minimum of 20 CPE credits per year. The CPA certificate holder may choose the areas of study and courses.

How the reporting cycle is structured.

Rolling triennial.

The VBOA uses a rolling three calendar-year period to determine CPE compliance. This period includes the three calendar-years prior to the current calendar-year. For example, if asked by VBOA to produce evidence of CPE compliance, submit such evidence for the three calendar-years prior to the current calendar-year.

• January 2019: Note from CeriFi CPEdge: CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed with the VA Board that 'CPE hours are to be obtained on a calendar basis. Each year licensees have from January to December to obtain the hours and the Board grants an extension to January 31 of the next year to obtain any hours from the previous year.' As per VA Board rules, the CeriFi CPEdge VA status report calculates credits from January through December of each year. In the event that a licensee wishes to complete any credits in January for the previous calendar year, an extension to January 31 can be added to the VA status report. This will allow credits earned in January to be applied to the previous annual period and not be double counted in the current calendar year.

When a reporting cycle begins.

January 1.

How completed credits are reported to the regulator.

When renewing, licensees are required to attest to the fact that they met the VBOA CPE requirements as indicated in the CPE Regulations. Licensees should not submit CPE documentation during the annual renewal process unless specifically asked to by the VBOA. However, CPE documentation must be retained for the four calendar-years preceding the current calendar-year.

CPE Documentation Requirements: Required documentation can generally be satisfied by providing:

• Certificates of completion or some other form of documentation from the CPE sponsor(s) including the sponsor(s)’ name, participant’s name, course/content name, date taken and CPE hours earned.
• Official transcript of the college or university for earning course credit at an accredited college or university.
• Syllabus/agenda and signed statement indicating the length of the presentation when making a presentation.
• Copy of published article, book or written material (or proof of publication) when producing written material relevant to CPAs who provide services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer.

The VBOA has restrictions on the types of documentation it regards as acceptable. The VBOA will not accept receipts, registration confirmations, canceled checks, outlines, PowerPoint presentations or sign-in sheets, etc., as valid CPE documentation.

The renewal or reporting deadline.

Licensees attest annually to their compliance with the CPE regulations when they renew their licenses on the anniversary of the initial certificate date.

February 2018: VBOA announces single renewal date for CPAs: The Virginia Board of Accountancy has begun moving to a single renewal date of June 30 each year for all CPA licensees and firms. Beginning February 26, 2018, all CPA individual and firm licenses renewed will have a new expiration date of June 30. Upon renewal and moving forward, all licensee and firm expiration dates will now be June 30 for subsequent years. Note that the CPE accrual period will still be based upon calendar years.

→ Get monthly reminders before this deadline

What happens if the requirement is not met.

CPE Compliance Reviews:

Updated March 8, 2018: On a monthly basis the VBOA randomly selects licensed CPAs in Virginia for CPE compliance. The VBOA will notify licensees selected for a CPE compliance review. If selected, licensees will be required to submit acceptable CPE documentation to verify compliance through a means determined by the VBOA. As a function of this CPE review process, licensees may be required to provide additional documentation as requested by the VBOA to support compliance.

In addition to the random selection process, licensed CPAs in Virginia will also be selected for a CPE compliance review as a component of any open investigation or enforcement case or in situations where the VBOA believes that a CPE compliance review is warranted.

Licensees should not submit CPE documentation during the annual renewal process unless specifically asked to by the VBOA. However, CPE documentation must be retained for the four calendar-years preceding the current calendar-year.

CPE Violations:

As the result of a CPE compliance review, the VBOA may find that a licensee has violated the CPE requirements during the reporting period. In such cases, enforcement action will be taken and the licensee will generally be offered a consent agreement and be subject to disciplinary action.

A licensee may also determine on their own, outside of a CPE compliance review program, that they are deficient in CPE for a specific reporting period. The licensee should notify the VBOA immediately when it is determined that a CPE deficiency has occurred.

Prior to September 16, 2010: Enforcement: Individuals failing to meet the CPE requirements may be subject to requalification, including possible re-examination and submission of experience qualifications.

Reduced or prorated requirements for a first renewal.

Effective September 16, 2010 / Updated March 8, 2018: If during the current calendar year a person who holds a Virginia license provided services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer, has not been granted an exemption by the board, and did not hold a Virginia license or the license of another state during one or both of the two preceding calendar years, he shall determine whether he has complied with the requirements as follows:

1. If the person became licensed during the current calendar year, he shall be considered to have met the CPE requirements for the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year.
2. If the person became licensed during the preceding calendar year, he shall be considered to have met the CPE requirements for the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year if during the current calendar year he obtained at least the minimum number of hours of continuing professional education required for the current calendar year, including an ethics course of at least two hours.
3. If the person became licensed during the calendar year prior to the preceding calendar year, he shall be considered to have met the CPE requirements for the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year if during the current calendar year and the preceding calendar year he obtained at least the minimum number of hours of continuing professional education required for each of the years, including for each year an ethics course of at least two hours.

Effective September 16, 2018: / Updated March 8, 2018: If a person who has not held the license of any state applies for a Virginia license after the end of the calendar year in which he passes the CPA examination, he shall obtain continuing professional education prior to applying for the license, including an ethics course of at least two hours.

1. The required minimum number of hours of continuing professional education shall be 40, 80, or 120 depending on whether he applies for the Virginia license by the end of the first calendar year after the calendar year in which he passes the CPA examination, by the end of the second calendar year, or later.
2. The ethics course shall conform to the requirements prescribed by the board for the calendar year in which the person applies for the license.

Continuing professional education obtained subsequent to passing the CPA examination but during the three calendar years prior to the calendar year in which the person applies for the license and from the start of that calendar year to when he applies for the license shall be considered in determining whether he has complied with this requirement.

Rules for professionals licensed elsewhere.

Effective September 16, 2010 / Updated March 8, 2018: Ethics Requirement: If a person with a Virginia license also holds the license of another state and Virginia is not his principal place of business, the ethics course taken shall conform with the requirements prescribed by the board or shall be an ethics course acceptable to the board of accountancy of another state in which the person holds a license.

Who may be excused from all or part of this requirement.

Waivers and Reinstatement:

Effective September 16, 2010: Depending on the facts and circumstances, the board may waive all or part of the continuing professional education requirement for one or more calendar years or grant additional time for complying with the continuing professional education requirement, provided that the waiver or deferral is in the public interest.

• Note from VA Board Policy: However, requests for a waiver or a deferral must generally be received in advance of the deadline for CPE completion. It is the policy of the VBOA that such waivers or deferrals generally be considered only in situations resulting from extreme medical hardship or active military deployment. Requests for a waiver or deferral made under this section will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Such approvals are rare.

Effective September 16, 2010 / Updated March 8, 2018: If during the current calendar year a person who holds a Virginia license did not provide services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer and has demonstrated to the board that he does not provide those services, he is not required to have obtained continuing professional education during the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year. Any person who holds a Virginia license to whom an exemption has been granted shall annually affirm and certify to the board his continued eligibility for the exemption in that he does not provide services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer. However, in order to begin providing those services:

1. He is required to have obtained at least 120 hours of continuing professional education prior to providing the services, including an ethics course of at least two hours.
2. The ethics course shall conform with the requirements prescribed by the board for the calendar year in which the person begins providing the services.

Effective September 16, 2010: Continuing professional education obtained during the three calendar years prior to the current calendar year and from the start of the current calendar year to when he begins providing the services shall be considered in determining whether the person has complied with the requirements of this subsection.

Active - CPE Exempt Status:

Effective July 2014: The VA Board is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the new status, Active - CPE Exempt.

Active - CPE Exempt affects CPAs who want to maintain their license but are not providing services to an employer or the public and don’t expect to for a period of time.

CPAs who qualify for this status will be allowed to renew their licenses annually by paying the renewal fee and continue to use the CPA title but will not need to fulfill CPE requirements. A change in status requires approval by VBOA through an application process, including submission of a company bio/resume and job description, if currently employed when applying for the status change.

Whether unused credits can apply to the next period.

Not permitted.

→ CE Tracking calculates carryover for you

Rule changes the regulator has proposed but not yet finalized.

Board members voted on May 21, 2020, to provide more options to the Virginia-Specific Ethics Course beginning Feb. 1, 2021:

The two-hour annual requirement will remain the same. All licensees (excluding those approved for the Inactive status) will still complete a VBOA-approved ethics course that complies with VBOA regulation 18VAC5-22-90. Every VBOA-approved ethics course will now include the VBOA Segment. The VBOA Segment will be a video covering one or more topics the VBOA has determined should be covered in every VBOA-approved ethics course. The VBOA Segment will include timely regulatory and/or policy changes, as necessary The VBOA will approve all providers and courses ahead of time and it will be the CPAs responsibility to choose an ethics course from a VBOA-approved provider. This revised format appeals to CPAs in different types of practices and industries and is consistent with what other state boards of accountancy offer. Currently, there is only one Virginia-Specific Ethics Course offered each year and all CPAs are required to take the same course. More information will be available later this year.

Rule changes the regulator has finalized, with effective dates.

Refer to the specific sections above for more details on any of the items noted below.

March 8, 2018: The VBOA updated/revised its CPE rules and board policies. No changes were made to CPE requirements. Certain paragarphs were updated and revised.

Breakdown of Specific Requirements / Methods of Approval of CE Activities:

Changes to 2015 Virginia-Specific Ethics Course: As of May 27, 2014, the Virginia Board of Accountancy approved the Virginia Society of CPAs as the sole provider of the Virginia-Specific Ethics Course content and material beginning with the 2015 course.

Sponsors who are interested in providing the Virginia-Specific Ethics Course must meet the following requirements:

• Obtain the course contents and materials from the VSCPA;
• Be pre-approved annually by Board staff, in writing, as a provider of this course;
• Be listed on the Board’s website as a pre-approved provider of this course;
• Submit all participant comments to the Board within 60 days of receipt.

Refer to "Methods of Approval of CE Activities" above for more details on development and approval of any VA-specific ethics course.

Exemptions:

Active - CPE Exempt Status: Effective July 2014: The VA Board is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the new status, Active - CPE Exempt.

Active - CPE Exempt affects CPAs who want to maintain their license but are not providing services to an employer or the public and don’t expect to for a period of time. CPAs who qualify for this status will be allowed to renew their licenses annually by paying the renewal fee and continue to use the CPA title but will not need to fulfill CPE requirements.

Other Special Rules:

Effective 2014: Additional Board Approved CPE. The Board has approved additional CPE for the following exams (refer to "Other Special Rules" above for the complete listing).

• 15 CPE hours for passing the CISA (Certified Information System Auditor) Exam;
• 20 CPE hours for passing both the qualification and certification CIMA (Certified Investment Management Analyst) Exam;
• 25 hours for passing each section of the CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) Exam;

Other Special Rules:

Effective January 8, 2013: Additional Board Approved CPE. Effective for 3-year reporting periods ending December 31, 2013 and after: The Board has approved the following CPE (without a certificate of completion indicating CPE hours earned) for passing the following exams (in the year passed), not to exceed a total of 60 hours over a 3-year rolling period:

• 30 CPE hours for passing each section of the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Exam; and
• 15 CPE hours for passing the CTP (Certified Treasury Professional) Exam.
• 20 CPE hours for passing each section of the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) Exam (approved April 25, 2013);
• 30 CPE hours for passing the Virginia Bar Exam (or a jurisdiction that has reciprocity with Virginia). A licensee may only receive CPE credit for passing one Bar Exam (approved April 25, 2013).

The Board will determine on a case-by-case basis the acceptability of other forms of CPE.

Breakdown of Specific Requirements:

Effective September 16, 2010: Persons who release or authorize the release of reports. A person who releases or authorizes the release of reports on attest services or compilation services provided for persons or entities located in Virginia shall annually obtain a minimum of eight hours of continuing professional education related to attest services or compilation services. The hours obtained to meet this requirement shall be considered in determining whether the person has complied with the annual/overall CPE requirements of this chapter.

• Note: October 2010: CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed with the VBOA, that the calendar year ending December 31, 2011 is the first calendar year for which the persons who release or authorize the release of reports on attest services or compilation services are required.

Requirements for New Licensees:

Effective September 16, 2010: If during the current calendar year a person who holds a Virginia license provided services to the public using the CPA title or to an employer using the CPA title and did not hold a Virginia license or the license of another state during one or both of the two preceding calendar years, he shall determine whether he has complied with the requirements as follows:

1. If the person became licensed during the current calendar year, he shall be considered to have met the requirements of the subsection for the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year.
2. If the person became licensed during the preceding calendar year, he shall be considered to have met the requirements of the subsection for the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year if during the current calendar year he obtained at least the minimum number of hours of continuing professional education required by the subsection for the current calendar year, including an ethics course of at least two hours.
3. If the person became licensed during the calendar year prior to the preceding calendar year, he shall be considered to have met the requirements of the subsection for the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year if during the current calendar year and the preceding calendar year he obtained at least the minimum number of hours of continuing professional education required by the subsection for each of the years, including for each year an ethics course of at least two hours.

Requirements for Non-Residents:

Effective September 16, 2010: Ethics Requirement: If the person also holds the license of another state and Virginia is not the principal place of business in which he provides services to the public using the CPA title, the ethics course either shall conform with the requirements prescribed by the board or shall be an ethics course acceptable to the board of accountancy of another state in which the person holds a license.

Enforcement:

Effective September 16, 2010: A person must be licensed in order to use the CPA title in Virginia.

Effective September 16, 2010: Certificates of completion are to be maintained by the CPA unless notified by VBOA of selection for compliance review.

Effective September 16, 2010: The Board shall prescribe the methods, fees, and continuing professional education requirements for a person to apply for the issuance, renewal, or reinstatement of a Virginia license. The Board has the authority to refuse to grant a person the privilege of using the CPA title in Virginia if, based upon all the information available, the Board finds that the person is unfit or unsuited to use the CPA title in Virginia.

General Characteristics of Accredited Education:

Effective September 16, 2010: Continuing professional education acceptable to the board may be obtained through a variety of forums, provided there is a means of demonstrating that the education was obtained, including attendance at seminars and educational conferences, provided that the instructors have appropriate knowledge of the subject matter and use appropriate teaching materials and that attendance is monitored in a manner that can be verified by the board.

Effective September 16, 2010: Ethics: The ethics course shall conform with the requirements prescribed by the board.

Prior to September 16, 2010: One credit hour shall be given for each 50-minute period of instruction.

• Note: November 2010: CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed with the VA Board that for the purposes of determining CPE compliance, the VBOA recognizes 50 minutes of CPE participation to equal one hour of CPE credit. The Board will also accept CPE in one-half hour increments after the first full hour.

Credit for Writing:

Effective September 16, 2010: Writing material that is relevant to providing services to an employer using the CPA title or to the public using the CPA title, that is formally reviewed by an independent party, and that is published in a book, magazine, or similar publication that is used by persons who provide services to the public using the CPA title or to an employer using the CPA title is permitted.

• Note: November 2010: CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed with the VA Board that although the previous regulations were silent regarding CPE credit for writing/authoring, regulants may submit articles for consideration for written materials developed before September 16, 2010.

Credit for Self-Study Education:

Effective September 16, 2010: Self-study courses, provided there is a method for determining that the person met the learning objectives, are permitted.

• NOTE: October 2010: As there is no longer a distinction between interactive and noninteractive self study programs (or a difference in how CPE is to be calculated for self study programs), CeriFi CPEdge has confirmed with the VA Board that the CPE for self study is to be determined based on the sponsor's recommendation (or certificate of completion).

Breakdown of Specific Requirements:

Beginning January 1, 2004: Each CPA to which the CPE requirements apply shall obtain annually two (2) credits in one self-contained course relating to standards of conduct. The course will be a self-contained course presented in not more than two CPE credit parts and may be presented in conjunction with other CPE programs. The course may be a self-study course so long as the self study requirements are met.