Alabama CPA exam requirements

Alabama awards CPA license to US citizens only. The education requirements are also relatively tough — you need to fulfill the 150 semester units before you sit for the exam, and the specific courses on accounting, business and law are very specific.

Alabama CPA Exam Requirements

1. Education Requirements To Sit For The Exam:

Bachelor degree or above
150 semester units (no need if you have a graduate degree)
Accounting courses: 33 semester units (excluding introductory courses)
Business courses: 27 semester units 0r more
Other required courses: 3 semester units in business law

2. Additional Requirements To Get Licensed

Please note that Alabama is one of the 5 remaining two-tier states that will send a CPA certificate to candidates who have passed the CPA exam. The requirements of CPA certificate vs license can be quite different:

Working experience

Certificate: not required
License: 1 year of public accounting experience, or 2 years of non-public accounting experience (i.e. working in accounting field in private sector, goverment or academia instead of in a public accounting firm). Please click the Alabama CPA experience requirements for more details.

Ethics requirement

The passing of the CPA Ethics Exam administered by the AICPA

3. Residency & Age Requirements:

US citizenship **required**
Alabama residency not required
Minimum age: 19

4. Fees:

First-timers: $850 (4 CPA exam fees) + $100 (initial application fee) = $950
Repeaters: exam fees + $50 repeat application fees

5. Other Useful Information

Alabama CPA Application Form

6. Contact:

Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy
PO Box 300375
Montgomery, AL 36130-0375

Phone: 800-435-9743
Fax: 334-242-5700

Can’t Get Qualified In Alabama?

Don’t give up, as you may well be qualified to register through other states and sit for the same CPA exam. With the recent Substantial Equivalency (CPA reciprocity) rule CPAs from most states can practice across the country.