CPA exam and license requirements in Colorado

Colorado requires 120 semester credit hours to sit for the CPA exam. Licensure requires 150. Administered under the Colorado State Board of Accountancy. Last reviewed 2026-08-10.

Credit hours to sit

120

Credit hours to license

150

Exam fee per section

$262.64

Exam credit window

30 months

State ethics requirement

See below

How many credit hours do you need to sit for the CPA exam in Colorado?

Colorado requires 120 semester credit hours to sit for the CPA exam. Candidates in Colorado sit under the rules of the Colorado State Board of Accountancy.

How many credit hours do you need for a CPA license in Colorado?

Colorado requires 150 semester credit hours for CPA licensure. That is 30 more than the 120 needed to sit, so candidates can begin testing before completing the licensure requirement.

How much does the CPA exam cost in Colorado?

The CPA exam in Colorado costs $262.64 per section, a $96 application fee, a $96 education evaluation fee. Four sections at $262.64 is $1,050.56 in section fees alone. These are Colorado board and NASBA fees and exclude review course costs and any re-take fees.

How long do you have to pass all four CPA exam sections in Colorado?

Colorado gives candidates a 30-month window to pass all four CPA exam sections. The clock starts when the first section is passed.

Does Colorado require a CPA ethics exam?

Colorado: Pass the AICPA Professional Ethics self-study course and exam with at least 90% within the two years immediately before applying for the license.

What work experience is required for a CPA license in Colorado?

Colorado requires one year (at least 1,800 hours over 1 to 3 years within the prior 5) supervised and verified by an actively licensed CPA; SB26-076's bachelor's-only path will require two years.

Who regulates CPAs in Colorado?

CPAs in Colorado are regulated by the Colorado State Board of Accountancy. Its published requirements are at https://dpo.colorado.gov/Accountancy.

Recent changes and notes for Colorado

• SB26-076 (signed May 4, 2026; effective Jan 1, 2027) adds three pathways beyond the 150-hour rule: bachelor's + 2 yrs, bachelor's + 30 hours + 1 yr, or post-baccalaureate + 1 yr.
• Sit with 120 hours including 27 accounting hours (with a U.S. GAAS auditing course) plus 21 business; the 150-hour license needs 33 accounting + 27 business.
• No residency or citizenship requirement; SSN not needed to sit but required for the license (affidavit available for foreign nationals).
• Exam runs through NASBA CPA Examination Services; conditional credit follows a rolling 30-month window from each section's score-release date.

Studying for the CPA exam

PocketCPA covers all six CPA exam sections with 5,443 questions, each cited to the specific standard or statute it tests, and 1,012 lesson pages written from primary source text. A full-length FAR mock exam is free and needs no account.

Source: https://dpo.colorado.gov/Accountancy. Requirements change; confirm with the Colorado State Board of Accountancy before applying.