Minnesota Board of Accountancy CPE Requirements

• CPE requirements summary
  • Required credits
  • Credit limitations
  • Approved sponsors
• CPE records and certificate renewal
• Common CPE reporting mistakes to avoid

CPE requirements summary

Required CPE credits

• Reporting period. A reporting year is July 1 - June 30.
• Credits required. 120 credits are required over a 3-year period with a minimum of 20 credits in each reporting year.
• Ethics. You must report 8 credits of accounting or business ethicsin the 3-year period ending June 30, 2006, and thereafter.
• Exceptions to the rules are allowed for hardship. A letter must be sent to the Minnesota Board of Accountancy prior to the June 30 deadline requesting a waiver due to hardship. Cases of military service and illness have been considered in the past; however, each case is decided individually.

CPE credit limitations

• Self-study. No more than 80% of the required credits can be from self-study. All self-study must have QAS status.
• Personal development. No more than 24 credits can be obtained from personal development programs. Personal development includes: communications, managing the group process, dealing effectively with others, interviewing, counseling, and career planning.
• Teaching. No more than 50% of the credits can be obtained from instructor preparation or presentation.
• Writing. No more than 50% of the credits can be obtained from the writing of articles, books or CPE courses for publication.
• Non-Board approved sponsors. Up to 40% of CPE credits may come from sponsors not on the Board-approved list. These programs must contribute to the growth of professional knowledge and competence of the licensee. Programs must generally comply with the Statement of Standards for Continuing Professional Education (PDF) approved by NASBA and the AICPA.
• Carry forward and back. Carry forward of CPE credits is not allowed. Carry back is allowed provided that required fees are paid.

CPE sponsors on Board-approved list

Beginning for year ending June 30, 2007, these sponsors are Board approved:

• MNCPA
• AICPA and MAPA
• Colleges and universities whose academic programs qualify an applicant to sit for the CPA exam
• CPA firms who have had a system-level peer review within the last 3 years, with an unmodified report received
• Office of the State Auditor or Legislative Auditor provided that a quality review has been completed within the past 3 years and an unmodified report received
• Members of the NASBA Registry of CPE Sponsors

Minnesota Board of Accountancy links

• Minnesota Board of Accountancy
• CPE statutes

CPE records and certificate renewal

Renewal of active certificates

Certificate renewals are filed by December 31 of each year with the Minnesota Board of Accountancy. Beginning with certificate renewal applications for calendar year 2010, renewals will shift to a three-year cycle based on last name:

Individuals who change their last name will need to update their records with the Board of Accountancy. Your renewal year will then change to the correct renewal cycle based on your updated last name.

Renewing your active status
When renewing your active status with the Board of Accountancy, you must include in your application a signed statement indicating you've met the CPE requirements and the number of CPE hours claimed for each of the three preceding years ending June 30.

Supporting documentation
You must retain supporting documentation for a minimum of 5 years.

Documentation required from Registry and other Board-approved CPE sponsors

• Name and contact information of program sponsor
• Title of program
• Date(s) of program
• Location if applicable
• Number of CPE credits

Documentation required from non-Board approved sponsors
Documentation kept by the licensee for programs that fall within the "40%" category must consist of:

• A certificate of attendance indicating:
  • Name and contact information of the sponsor
  • Title and description of the content
  • Date of the program
  • Location
  • Number of CPE hours that the licensee attended
• A copy of the detailed, timed agenda
• A biography of the program developer and program presenter
• A statement by the licensee describing how the program contributes to the licensee's professional knowledge and professional competence.

Inactive certificates

CPAs, inactive, may convert to active status by completing the 120-hour CPE requirement as described above for CPAs with active certificates. The 20-hour minimum per year does not apply.

CPAs who choose to continue using the CPA, inactive, designation need to annually renew with the Minnesota Board of Accountancy, but do not have continuing professional education requirements.

Nonresidents

Nonresident licensees seeking active renewal in Minnesota meet Minnesota's CPE requirements by meeting the CPE requirements for renewal in the state in which their principal office is located.

Nonresident licensees whose principal office state has no CPE requirements for renewal must comply with all CPE requirements for renewal in Minnesota.

Common CPE reporting mistakes to avoid

• Exceeding CPE credit limitations.
  • Self-study cannot exceed 80% of your total CPE credits in a 3-year reporting period.
  • Personal development courses cannot exceed 24 credits in a 3-year reporting period.
• All self-study CPE must be QAS approved. Check with vendor or look for the QAS logo on your materials.
• Live seminars can be taken from any vendor with some limitations. Limitations listed below by CPE year ending June 30
  • 2006 - No more than 32 credits can be from a non-Board approved sponsor (who qualifies as an approved sponsor)
  • 2007 - No more than 48 credits can be from a non-Board approved sponsor (who qualifies as an approved sponsor)
• You must have 8 ethics credits in each 3-year reporting period.
• You must have appropriate documentation for approved and non-approved sponsors.
• New CPAs must follow special CPE rules and exceptions.

Related content

Summary of CPE program standards
Review program requirements for a CPE course to qualify for the NASBA registry. The Board accepts non-Registry programs if they substantially meet these standards.

MNCPA resources

CPE rules quick reference card (PDF)
This handy reference card details CPE requirements for active Minnesota certificates. Dated November 2006.

Never lose track of your CPE again
What CPE did you take? When? Where? Track your credits in your personal CPE log. It's a free, easy-to-use tool for MNCPA members only.

Frequently asked questions about BOA rules
Get answers to common questions on CPE credits, QAS, MNCPA seminar and conference attendance and more.