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Look Up a License Covers: Montana Board of Public Accountants.Montana Board of Public Accountants
Montana Accounting (CPA) CE Requirements
Montana CPAs need 120 hours of continuing education every 3 years. 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice.
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At a glance
Montana accounting (cpa) license renewal
| Licenses covered | Certified Public Accountant (CPA) [1] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [1] |
| Hours per CE period | 120 hours [1] |
| CE period | Every 3 years [1] |
| Renewal and reporting | Active licensees must complete 120 hours of acceptable CPE in any rolling three-year period and renew their license annually. [1] |
| State-mandated topics | Ethics [1] |
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 — 2 hours [1]
The 120-hour rolling three-year CPE requirement includes a subset of 2 hours in ethics.
Good to know
- Inactive and Retired status licensees must pay annual renewal fees but are exempt from CPE requirements. [1]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Montana Board of Public Accountants ↗ before you renew.
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Confirm your due date, complete the required education, and submit to the licensing authority.
Renew License Covers: Montana Board of Public Accountants.Renewal at a glance
| Credential | CPA / accounting firm |
|---|---|
| Renewal cycle | Renew annually by December 31. [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
- Board of Public Accountants Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
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Free accounting (cpa) CE
The Montana Board of Public Accountants 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
Montana accounting (cpa) CE, answered
How many CE hours do Montana CPAs need?
Montana CPAs need 120 hours of continuing education every 3 years. 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice. Active licensees must complete 120 hours of acceptable CPE in any rolling three-year period and renew their license annually.
Does Montana require specific CE topics for CPAs?
Ethics (2 hours): The 120-hour rolling three-year CPE requirement includes a subset of 2 hours in ethics.
Do free online CE courses count in Montana?
The board pages we checked do not say which providers are accepted. Confirm with the Montana Board of Public Accountants.
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.
- FAQ's ↗boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 28, 2026
Quoted wording (7)
“comply with the Board’s basic CPE requirement. The basic CPE requirement is 120 hours of acceptable CPE with a subset of 2 hours in ethics in any rolling three-year period. How do I request retired status for my Montana CPA license? A licensee who is fully retired from active employment in the practice of public accounting as defined”
“comply with the Board’s basic CPE requirement. The basic CPE requirement is 120 hours of acceptable CPE with a subset of 2 hours in ethics in any rolling three-year period. How do I request retired status for my Montana CPA license? A licensee who is fully retired from active employment in the practice of public accounting as defined”
“comply with the Board’s basic CPE requirement. The basic CPE requirement is 120 hours of acceptable CPE with a subset of 2 hours in ethics in any rolling three-year period. How do I request retired status for my Montana CPA license? A licensee who is fully retired from active employment in the practice of public accounting as defined”
“comply with the Board’s basic CPE requirement. The basic CPE requirement is 120 hours of acceptable CPE with a subset of 2 hours in ethics in any rolling three-year period. How do I request retired status for my Montana CPA license? A licensee who is fully retired from active employment in the practice of public accounting as defined”
“comply with the Board’s basic CPE requirement. The basic CPE requirement is 120 hours of acceptable CPE with a subset of 2 hours in ethics in any rolling three-year period. How do I request retired status for my Montana CPA license? A licensee who is fully retired from active employment in the practice of public accounting as defined”
“comply with the Board’s basic CPE requirement. The basic CPE requirement is 120 hours of acceptable CPE with a subset of 2 hours in ethics in any rolling three-year period. How do I request retired status for my Montana CPA license? A licensee who is fully retired from active employment in the practice of public accounting as defined”
“by submitted an Inactive Status Request Form As an inactive licensee, you must annually your inactive license but you are exempt from CPE requirements. You may not use the designation "CPA (Inactive)." Additional information on inactive status may be found in ARM 24.201.535 Our out-of-state firm is providing services”