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Individual License Search Opens the official service or its board instructions.Kentucky Board of Accountancy
Kentucky Accounting (CPA) CE Requirements
Kentucky CPAs need to meet a continuing competency requirement every 2 years (or another option the board accepts). 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice.
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At a glance
Kentucky accounting (cpa) license renewal
| Licenses covered | Certified Public Accountant (CPA) [2] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [2] |
| CE period | Every 2 years [1] |
| Renewal and reporting | CPE is measured over the two calendar years before renewal. The required total depends on work in a public accounting firm. [2] |
| State-mandated topics | Professional ethics [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
- Professional ethics — 2 hours [2]
All CPAs (excluding partial-period licensees) must complete 2 CPE hours in professional ethics within their two-year reporting period.
Other ways to meet the requirement
- 80 hours for a licensee who worked at least 3,000 hours in a Board-licensed public accounting firm during the preceding two calendar years. [2]
- 60 hours for all other licensees over the preceding two calendar years. [2]
Good to know
- Licensees who worked less than 3,000 hours in a public accounting firm or who worked in industry, government, or education must complete 60 CPE hours over the two-year period. [2]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Kentucky Board of Accountancy ↗ before you renew.
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License Renewal Covers: Kentucky Board of Accountancy.Renewal at a glance
| Credential | CPA / accounting firm |
|---|---|
| Renewal cycle | Even-numbered licenses renew in even-numbered years. [source] |
| Verified fees | $100 online renewal fee plus administrative fee for a two-year license. [source] |
| Renewal application | License Renewal |
Fees can differ for active, inactive, late, and reinstatement applications. Your official license record controls your deadline.
Source review dates · 3 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
- CPA Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
- CPA Retrieved Oct 28, 2026
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The Kentucky 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
Kentucky accounting (cpa) CE, answered
How many CE hours do Kentucky CPAs need?
Kentucky CPAs need to meet a continuing competency requirement every 2 years (or another option the board accepts). 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice. CPE is measured over the two calendar years before renewal. The required total depends on work in a public accounting firm.
Does Kentucky require specific CE topics for CPAs?
Professional ethics (2 hours): All CPAs (excluding partial-period licensees) must complete 2 CPE hours in professional ethics within their two-year reporting period.
Do free online CE courses count in Kentucky?
The board pages we checked do not say which providers are accepted. Confirm with the Kentucky Board of Accountancy.
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.
- CPA ↗cpa.ky.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 28, 2026
Quoted wording (1)
“beginning JULY 1.Online Renewal CPE Requirements To renew online, Continuing Professional Education ("CPE") hours must be completed in the two calendar years prior to the year a license is to be renewed. The two calendar years are referred to as the "reporting period". For those renewing their CPA license in 2027, this means all CPE hours must be completed beginning”
- Title 201 Chapter 1 Regulation 100 • Kentucky Administrative Regulations • Legislative Research Commission ↗apps.legislature.ky.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 28, 2026
Quoted wording (7)
“for Continuing Professional Education Credit.(1)A licensee who worked 3,000 hours or more in a public accounting firm licensed with the board during the two (2) calendar years prior to the renewal date of his or her license shall complete eighty (80) CPE hours. The eighty (80) hours shall be completed during the preceding two (2) calendar years. All other licensees shall complete sixty (60) CPE hours.(a)Beginning January”
“for Continuing Professional Education Credit.(1)A licensee who worked 3,000 hours or more in a public accounting firm licensed with the board during the two (2) calendar years prior to the renewal date of his or her license shall complete eighty (80) CPE hours. The eighty (80) hours shall be completed during the preceding two (2) calendar years. All other licensees shall complete sixty (60) CPE hours.(a)Beginning January”
“working in an office or professional setting.(2)A licensee shall complete two (2) CPE hours in professional ethics. These two (2) hours shall be included as part of the eighty (80) or sixty (60) CPE hours a licensee is required to complete to renew his or her license.(3)(a)A”
“during the preceding two (2) calendar years. All other licensees shall complete sixty (60) CPE hours.(a)Beginning January 1, 2021, fifty (50) percent of the eighty (80) hours and sixty (60) hours shall include technical standards courses.(b)Beginning January 1,”
“A licensee who worked 3,000 hours or more in a public accounting firm licensed with the board during the two (2) calendar years prior to the renewal date of his or her license shall complete eighty (80) CPE hours. The eighty (80) hours shall be completed during the preceding two (2) calendar years. All other licensees shall complete sixty (60) CPE hours.(a)Beginning January 1, 2021, fifty (50) percent of the eighty (80) hours and sixty (60) hours shall include technical standards courses.(b)Beginning January 1, 2021, licensees who worked in a public accounting firm licensed with the board during the two (2) calendar years prior to the renewal date of his or her license and who perform attest services, as defined in KRS 325.220, or compilation or preparation of financial statement engagemen”
“All other licensees shall complete sixty (60) CPE hours.(a)Beginning January 1, 2021, fifty (50) percent of the eighty (80) hours and sixty (60) hours shall include technical standards courses.(b)Beginning January 1, 2021, licensees who worked in a public accounting firm licensed with the board during the two (2) calendar years prior to the renewal date of his or her license and who perform attest services, as defined in KRS 325.220, or compilation or preparation of financial statement engagements subject to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS) shall complete eight (8) hours of CPE in the subject matter area of auditing or accounting each calendar year for a total of sixteen (16) hours per reportin”
“A licensee who worked 3,000 hours or more in a public accounting firm licensed with the board during the two (2) calendar years prior to the renewal date of his or her license shall complete eighty (80) CPE hours. The eighty (80) hours shall be completed during the preceding two (2) calendar years. All other licensees shall complete sixty (60) CPE hours.(a)Beginning January 1, 2021, fifty (50) percent of the eighty (80) hours and sixty (60) hours shall include technical standards courses.(b)Beginning January 1, 2021, licensees who worked in a public accounting firm licensed with the board during the two (2) calendar years prior to the renewal date of his or her license and who perform attest services, as defined in KRS 325.220, or compilati”