CPE requirements for CPAs
Colorado CPA CPE Requirements
Checked against the NASBA Registry and the Colorado State Board of Accountancy. Published on September 4, 2026 · Last checked September 5, 2026
The short answer
Colorado CPAs must complete 80 hours every two years. The requirement includes 4 hours of ethics every two years. All 80 hours may be earned through self-study. The reporting period ends on December 31 of odd years, every 2 years.
- Total hours
- 80
- every 2 years
- Annual minimum
- None
- Ethics
- 4 hrs
- every two years · general course qualifies
- Self-study
- No limit
- Period ends
- December 31 of odd years
- every 2 years
- Carryover
- None
How many CPE hours do Colorado CPAs need?
Colorado CPAs must complete 80 hours every two years.
Reporting period: 1/1 to 12/31 biennially ending on odd years.
NASBA Registry wording: 80 hours.
What is the Colorado ethics CPE requirement?
Colorado requires 4 hours of ethics every two years. A general ethics course qualifies, and Colorado-specific content is optional.
NASBA Registry wording: Four (4) hours Ethics: Providers offering ethics courses must register with the Board and/or have their content approved by the Board. • No more than two (2) hours may be in Colorado Rules & Regulations - eligible CR&R courses must cover current Colorado Revised Statutes and Board rules and comply with the CR&R Content Outline provided in section 7.8(E) of the Accountancy Rules and Regulations.
Does Colorado limit self-study CPE?
Colorado places no limit on self-study CPE, so all 80 hours may be earned through self-study courses.
When is Colorado CPE due?
The reporting period ends on December 31 of odd years, every 2 years.
License renewal: November 30 odd years.
There is no grace period.
Can Colorado CPAs carry over extra CPE hours?
Excess hours do not carry over to the next reporting period.
Are there other Colorado CPE limits?
- Personal Development: This type of CPE is limited to twenty percent (20%)
- Published Materials and Instructed: These types of CPE credit combined are limited to fifty percent (50%) of the required CPE in a reporting period.
What other Colorado CPE policies apply?
- Colorado does not pre-approve courses or providers. If both the licensee and the CPE provider comply with the NASBA/AICPA CPE Standards, the continuing education will be accepted as meeting the CE requirements for the Colorado State Board. Sponsors listed on NASBA's National Registry of CPE sponsors comply with the NASBA/AICPA standards and are accepted by the Colorado State Board.
- A renewal applicant who has a principal place of business outside of Colorado may show CPE compliance by certifying in writing that he or she has completed the CPE requirements in the state of the applicant's principal place of business during each year from the date of his or her license issuance or last renewal.
Does Pacific CPE count toward Colorado CPE?
Pacific CPE is a sponsor on the NASBA National Registry of CPE Sponsors (Sponsor #143718), delivering QAS self-study courses. Colorado accepts self-study for all 80 hours, so the whole requirement can be met with Pacific CPE courses.
For the ethics requirement, Pacific CPE offers Colorado CPAs: Ethics CR&R, prepared for Colorado CPAs. Colorado allows up to 2 of the 4 hours as state-specific CR&R; new licensees need a 2-hour CR&R course within 6 months.
Sources
- NASBA Registry: Colorado CPE requirements · revised 6/1/2022
- Colorado State Board of Accountancy: CPE requirements · the board's own page
- Colorado State Board of Accountancy website
Every figure on this page was checked against the NASBA Registry summary for Colorado (revised 6/1/2022) and the Colorado State Board of Accountancy's own CPE page. Verified by Pacific CPE on September 4, 2026. The sources are re-checked automatically about every 30 days; the last check, on September 5, 2026, found no changes. Where the board's rule and the NASBA summary differ, the board's rule is shown. Rules change. If you find a difference, tell us and we will re-check the sources.