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Rhode Island accountancy license search Covers: Public license search; select the accountancy credential rather than an unrelated DBR program.Rhode Island Board of Accountancy
Rhode Island Accounting (CPA) CE Requirements
Rhode Island 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
Rhode Island 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 | Rhode Island operates on a triennial (3-year) licensing period requiring 120 hours of CPE credits over the preceding three-year period. [1] |
| State-mandated topics | Regulatory and behavioral ethics [1] |
| What CE counts | Rhode Island adopts the Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programs published jointly by the AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). [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
- Regulatory and behavioral ethics — 6 hours [1]
Complete at least 6 hours of regulatory and behavioral ethics during the three-year period; new CPAs have separate first-cycle rules.
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy ↗ before you renew.
Your next step
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A public search may be enough for a status check. Another board or employer may require a verification sent directly by the issuer.
Rhode Island formal license verification Confirm the recipient’s required format and any fee.Renew your license
Confirm your due date, complete the required education, and submit to the licensing authority.
Find renewal instructions Use the board’s renewal menu for your credential.Renewal at a glance
| Credential | CPA / accounting firm |
|---|---|
| Renewal cycle | Confirm the cycle and expiration date for your specific license with the board. |
| Verified fees | A current fee has not been confirmed in this guide. Check the board’s fee schedule before paying. |
| Renewal application | Board instructions |
Fees can differ for active, inactive, late, and reinstatement applications. Your official license record controls your deadline.
Source review dates · 4 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
- Lookup a License or Registration | Dept. of Business Regulation Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
- License Verification | Dept. of Business Regulation Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
- Board of Accountancy | Dept. of Business Regulation Retrieved Oct 13, 2026
Free continuing education
Free accounting (cpa) CE
The Rhode Island 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
Rhode Island accounting (cpa) CE, answered
How many CE hours do Rhode Island CPAs need?
Rhode Island CPAs need 120 hours of continuing education every 3 years. 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice. Rhode Island operates on a triennial (3-year) licensing period requiring 120 hours of CPE credits over the preceding three-year period.
Does Rhode Island require specific CE topics for CPAs?
Regulatory and behavioral ethics (6 hours): Complete at least 6 hours of regulatory and behavioral ethics during the three-year period; new CPAs have separate first-cycle rules.
Do free online CE courses count in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island adopts the Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programs published jointly by the AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). 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.
- Rules and Regulations of the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy - Rhode Island Department of State ↗rules.sos.ri.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 28, 2026
Quoted wording (7)
“expired license, the applicant must document completion of not less than one hundred twenty (120) hours of CPE credits during the preceding three (3) year period and pay a fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00).2.In addition to the requirements of § 1.3(B)(1) of this Part, any person whose license has been expired for five”
“performance of their professional responsibilities. 2.Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programs (2019) published jointly by the AICPA and NASBA to provide a framework for the development, presentation, measurement, and reporting of CPE programs. https://www.nasbaregistry.org/__media/Documents/2019-standards-and-fos/Statement_on_Standards_for_CPE_Programs---December-2019.pdf.B.§”
“As a pre-requisite to renewing the CPA permit, the CPA must complete a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) hours of formal CPE during the preceding three (3) year period.2.At each renewal, the CPA must certify that the CPA has completed such minimum CPE during the past three (3) year licensing period (defined from July 1 of the renewal year through June 30 three (3) years later).3.CPE Exception for the first year of licensure: A new CPA is not required to complete CPE in the year in which they initially receive their certificate from the Board. Therefore, new CPAs are only required to certify completion of eighty (80) hours for the first rene”
“As a pre-requisite to renewing the CPA permit, the CPA must complete a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) hours of formal CPE during the preceding three (3) year period.2.At each renewal, the CPA must certify that the CPA has completed such minimum CPE during the past three (3) year licensing period (defined from July 1 of the renewal year through June 30 three (3) years later).3.CPE Exception for the first year of licensure: A new CPA is not required to complete CPE in the year in which they initially receive their certificate from the Board. Therefore, new CPAs are only required to certify completion of eighty (80) hours for the first rene”
“As a pre-requisite to renewing the CPA permit, the CPA must complete a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) hours of formal CPE during the preceding three (3) year period.2.At each renewal, the CPA must certify that the CPA has completed such minimum CPE during the past three (3) year licensing period (defined from July 1 of the renewal year through June 30 three (3) years later).3.CPE Exception for the first year of licensure: A new CPA is not required to complete CPE in the year in which they initially receive their certificate from the Board. Therefore, new CPAs are only required to certify completion of eighty (80) hours for the first rene”
“As a pre-requisite to renewing the CPA permit, the CPA must complete a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) hours of formal CPE during the preceding three (3) year period.2.At each renewal, the CPA must certify that the CPA has completed such minimum CPE during the past three (3) year licensing period (defined from July 1 of the renewal year through June 30 three (3) years later).3.CPE Exception for the first year of licensure: A new CPA is not required to complete CPE in the year in which they initially receive their certificate from the Board. Therefore, new CPAs are only required to certify completion of eighty (80) hours for the first rene”
“Not less than six (6) hours of the one hundred twenty (120) hours required hereunder shall be devoted to regulatory ethics and behavioral ethics. New CPAs during their first licensure cycle shall obtain not less than four (4) hours of ethics CPEs of the eighty (80) hours required. Ethics shall include courses relating to the necessary ethical background knowledge required to adhere to Rules and Regulations of State licensing bodies, other governmental entities, membership associations and other professional organizations or bodies.1.Subjects devoted to regulatory ethics will include programs devoted to the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, ”