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Verify a License Covers: Colorado State Board of Accountancy.Colorado State Board of Accountancy
Colorado Accounting (CPA) CE Requirements
Colorado CPAs need 80 hours of continuing education every 2 years. 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice.
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At a glance
Colorado accounting (cpa) license renewal
| Licenses covered | Certified Public Accountant (CPA) [1] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [1] |
| Hours per CE period | 80 hours [1] |
| CE period | Every 2 years [2] |
| Renewal and reporting | CPAs accrue 10 hours of CPE for every full calendar quarter their certificate is active (80 hours per full two-year reporting period), due every December 31 in odd-numbered years. [2] |
| State-mandated topics | Ethics [2] |
| What CE counts | CPAs, CPE providers, and CPE activities must comply with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and AICPA joint Statement on Standards for CPE Programs. [2] |
This summary covers the licenses listed above. The topics below are selected verified requirements; consult the board’s full rules for all subjects and conditions.
State-mandated topics
- Ethics — 4 hours [2]
Of the required hours of CPE, 4 hours must be in Ethics.
Good to know
- No more than 20% of CPE can be in Personal Development, and there is no limit on the number of CPE hours that can be taken online. [2]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Colorado State Board of Accountancy ↗ before you renew.
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Renew License Covers: Colorado State Board of Accountancy.Renewal at a glance
| Credential | CPA / accounting firm |
|---|---|
| Renewal cycle | The CPE reporting window is January 1 of an even year through December 31 of an odd year. [source] |
| Verified fees | A current fee has not been confirmed in this guide. Check the board’s fee schedule before paying. |
| Renewal application | Renew License |
Fees can differ for active, inactive, late, and reinstatement applications. Your official license record controls your deadline.
Source review dates · 2 sources
Dates show when we retrieved the source pages. They do not certify a person’s license, guarantee a portal is online, or establish that every renewal rule was reviewed.
- Boards of Accountancy - NASBA Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
- Colorado Accountancy Homepage | Divisions of Professions and Occupations Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
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Free accounting (cpa) CE
The Colorado State Board of Accountancy pages we checked do not name an accreditor we track, so we do not mark individual courses as accepted here. Check a course's approval against the board's rule before relying on it.
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Questions
Colorado accounting (cpa) CE, answered
How many CE hours do Colorado CPAs need?
Colorado CPAs need 80 hours of continuing education every 2 years. 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice. CPAs accrue 10 hours of CPE for every full calendar quarter their certificate is active (80 hours per full two-year reporting period), due every December 31 in odd-numbered years.
Does Colorado require specific CE topics for CPAs?
Ethics (4 hours): Of the required hours of CPE, 4 hours must be in Ethics.
Do free online CE courses count in Colorado?
CPAs, CPE providers, and CPE activities must comply with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and AICPA joint Statement on Standards for CPE Programs. Check that a free course meets this rule before relying on it.
Sources & verification
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. We fetched each page on the date shown and confirmed the exact wording below appears on it.
- Colorado Accountancy Homepage | Divisions of Professions and Occupations ↗dpo.colorado.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 28, 2026
Quoted wording (3)
“year through December 31 of an odd-numbered year.A full reporting period equates to 80 hours of CPE.The current reporting period runs from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025.More comprehensive information is available on the Colorado Accountancy CPE website.”
“year through December 31 of an odd-numbered year.A full reporting period equates to 80 hours of CPE.The current reporting period runs from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025.More comprehensive information is available on the Colorado Accountancy CPE website.”
“year through December 31 of an odd-numbered year.A full reporting period equates to 80 hours of CPE.The current reporting period runs from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025.More comprehensive information is available on the Colorado Accountancy CPE website.”
- Colorado Accountancy CPE | Divisions of Professions and Occupations ↗dpo.colorado.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 28, 2026
Quoted wording (5)
“completed at any time during the reporting period.The due date to complete the required CPE hours is every December 31 in odd years.The current reporting period runs from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027.Audits of compliance are conducted after each renewal reporting period. Continuing”
“completed at any time during the reporting period.The due date to complete the required CPE hours is every December 31 in odd years.The current reporting period runs from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027.Audits of compliance are conducted after each renewal reporting period. Continuing”
“providers, and CPE activities must comply with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) joint Statement on Standards for CPE Programs.CPA's must contact the CPE provider to determine”
“Guide. Requirements and Additional InformationOf the hours of CPE, 4 hours MUST BE in Ethics. Of which 2 hours may be in Colorado Rules and Regulations (CR&R). For the purpose of CPE, Behavioral Ethics will not be considered Personal Development.No more”
“article or book, teaching, or presenting on a panel.There is no limit on the number of CPE hours that can be taken online. For internet-based CPE programs, a minimum of 75% of the polling questions, if used as a monitoring mechanism, must be answered by the CPA to receive credit for”