Licensing
Work and Education Requirements
CPA candidates who graduated college with at least 150 credits must complete one year (1,600 hours) of work experience through employment in government, industry, academia, or public practice within five years of the license application date.
For those who passed at least one part of the CPA Exam before Dec. 31, 2011, other guidelines may apply.
Work Experience
Qualifying work experience includes providing any type of service or advice involving the use of:
- Accounting
- Attest
- Compilation
- Consulting
- Financial advisory
- Management advisory
- Tax
The caliber of the experience must be satisfactory to the State Board of Accountancy and verified by an individual who is currently licensed to practice as a CPA in Pennsylvania or another jurisdiction.
Education Requirements
Qualifying education requirements to obtain a CPA license:
- Graduate with a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited school
- At least 24 credits in accounting and auditing, business law, micro or macroeconomics, financial, or tax subjects sanctioned by the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy
- An additional 12 credits in accounting, auditing, and tax subjects
- Total credit hours must equal 150 hours
- Accounting credits can be obtained as part of an undergraduate or graduate degree, or a combination of both levels of study, and do not need to be part of a degree program.
Take CPE
CPA applicants must complete 80 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) within 24 months of application for an initial license. Candidates are exempt from CPE requirement during the CPE reporting period in which they completed the exam. The biennial licensing period in Pennsylvania begins Jan. 1 of even-numbered years and ends Dec. 31 of odd-numbered years. Contact the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy for further details.
Learn more about CPE requirements in Pennsylvania.
Apply
Application forms to become a CPA are located on the State Board of Accountancy website. The fee in Pennsylvania is $65, and applicants should contact the State Board with specific questions about license application requirements.
Visit pals.pa.gov to download an application checklist and create an account.
