Every CPA has to keep earning continuing professional education (CPE), but the rules depend on where you’re licensed: how many hours, over what period, which ethics course counts, and how much can come from self-study or nano-learning. Most states land near 40 hours a year or 120 over three years. The details are where people get caught at renewal.
This hub collects everything we’ve written about earning CPE well: how requirements and reporting periods work, what happens in a CPE audit, how self-study and live formats are treated, where to find free CPE, and why short, frequent learning beats cramming before a deadline.
If you want the rules for one state, start with our CPE requirements by state guides, which cover Texas, California, Ohio, New Jersey, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia with links to each board’s regulations.
Start here
- How Many CPE Credits Do You Need as a CPA?
- Decoding Your State’s CPE Requirements: The Foundation of Compliance
- Free CPE for CPAs: What’s Actually Available in 2026 (and What’s Worth Your Time)
- Nano-Learning vs. Webinars: The Definitive Guide for CPAs
All articles
- Spaced Repetition and Microlearning: The Science Behind Why Daily Beats Cramming · Aug 18, 2026
- The Half-Life of Knowledge: Why CPAs Can’t Learn AI Once and Be Done · Aug 17, 2026
- Just-in-Time Learning vs. Just-in-Case Learning: Rethinking CPE for an AI-Speed Profession · Aug 14, 2026
- The 10-Minute Lesson vs. the 8-Hour Seminar: Why Length Doesn’t Equal Learning · Aug 13, 2026
- How Often Does an Accountant’s AI Knowledge Actually Go Stale? · Aug 12, 2026
- Why Microlearning Is the Only CPE Format That Keeps Up With AI’s Pace of Change · Aug 11, 2026
- Mobile CPE vs. Desktop Courses: Where Busy CPAs Are Actually Learning Now · Aug 10, 2026
- In-House Training vs. Third-Party CPE Providers: Pros, Cons, and When to Use Each · Aug 7, 2026
- Free CPE vs. Paid CPE: What You’re Actually Trading Off · Aug 6, 2026
- Nano-Learning vs. Traditional CPE Courses: Which Actually Builds Retention? · Aug 5, 2026
- Best Podcasts for CPAs Who Want to Stay Sharp · Jul 20, 2026
- FASB, GASB, and PCAOB Updates: Where to Find Them First · Jul 20, 2026
- Where to Find Reliable AI News for Accountants · Jul 17, 2026
- What Happens If Your State Board Audits Your CPE Credits · Jul 17, 2026
- How Busy Accountants Stay Informed Without It Becoming a Second Job · Jul 16, 2026
- Self-Study vs. Live CPE: Which Counts for Your State Board? · Jul 16, 2026
- The Best Sources for Accounting News in 2026 · Jul 15, 2026
- CPE Reporting Periods Explained: When Is Your CPA License Renewal Due? · Jul 15, 2026
- Build a CPE Habit: How to Stop Cramming Credits Before Your Deadline · Jul 14, 2026
- Best CPE Courses for CPAs in 2026: How to Choose · Jul 14, 2026
- How Many CPE Credits Do You Need as a CPA? · Jul 14, 2026
- Free CPE for CPAs: What’s Actually Available in 2026 (and What’s Worth Your Time) · Mar 19, 2026
- How to Earn CPE Credits Without Sitting Through 4-Hour Webinars · Mar 19, 2026
- I Watched My Fiancé Waste Her Vacation on CPE. Here Is How To Fix It. · Jan 5, 2026
- NASBA-Approved AI & Excel CPE: A CPA’s Guide to Future-Proofing Skills · Dec 15, 2025
- The 2025 Guide to Unlimited CPE: Comparing Tech vs. Tax Libraries · Dec 15, 2025
- Nano-Learning vs. Webinars: The Definitive Guide for CPAs · Dec 11, 2025
- Stop Wasting Time on DataCamp: How to Get CPA Credit for Tech Skills · Dec 4, 2025
- The Small Firm CPE Budget Guide: Unlimited Group Access Under $1,000 · Dec 4, 2025
- Navigating Nano-Learning: Why It’s the Future of Effective CPE · Nov 7, 2025
- Decoding Your State’s CPE Requirements: The Foundation of Compliance · Nov 6, 2025
- The 2025 CPA’s Guide to Flexible CPE: A Comparison of Modern Providers · Nov 6, 2025
- EverydayCPE: Your Ultimate Guide to Engaging, Relevant & Compliant CPE for Modern Accountants · Nov 6, 2025