Colorado CPA CPE Requirements: Rules and Recommended Courses

To maintain an active CPA license in Colorado, certified public accountants have to fulfill a CPE requirement on a biennial basis.

Here is a summary for your reference:

Colorado CPA CPE Requirements

CPE credits have to be accumulated during a 2-year reporting period. In Colorado, a reporting period is from January 1 of an even-numbered year through December 31 of the next odd-numbered year (e.g. Jan. 1, 2024 – Dec. 31, 2025).

Note that a renewal form will be mailed to your address at least 30 days before the expiration. You’ve got to remember the renewal because there is no grace period to practice on an expired license.

Within these 2 years, CPAs registered in Colorado should fulfill at least 80 hours of accounting continuing education.

Specific Requirements

• At least 4 hours of ethics in each reporting period; 2 of these hours must cover Colorado Rules and Regulations
• Maximum 16 hours of personal development courses in each reporting period
• There is no limitation on whether a course is live/offline or online
• A maximum of 50% of CPE hours can be for teaching or publishing articles and books
• CPAs should keep their CPE course record for 5 years from the end of a reporting period
• CPAs must provide documentation of course completion (such as a Certificate of Completion)

Further Information

• General CPA licensing requirements in Colorado
• CPE page for CO State Board

You can also contact the Colorado State Board of Accountancy for general licensing and CPE information:

•  Address: 1560 Broadway-Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202
• Email: dora_dpo_continuedcompetency@state.co.us
• Phone:(303) 894-2363
• Fax: (303) 869-0329

Where Can I Take These Accounting CPE Courses?

I have an entire post dedicated to the best CPA CPE options. Overall, I recommend Becker CPE. Becker gives you access to more than 600 hours of webcasts and 600 hours of on-demand courses, plus a new podcast feature. These course offerings, which are written by qualified experts, are updated frequently. And there’s even a compliance tracker tool to help you ensure you’ve met your annual requirements. Courses start at $29, but with a Becker CPE discount, you can save up to 50% off a Prime Subscription.