CPA exam and license requirements in New Mexico

New Mexico requires 120 semester credit hours to sit for the CPA exam. Licensure requires 150. Administered under the New Mexico Public Accountancy Board. 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 New Mexico?

New Mexico requires 120 semester credit hours to sit for the CPA exam. Candidates in New Mexico sit under the rules of the New Mexico Public Accountancy Board.

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

New Mexico 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 New Mexico?

The CPA exam in New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico?

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

Does New Mexico require a CPA ethics exam?

New Mexico: Pass the AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive self-study course with a grade of 90% or higher before initial licensure.

What work experience is required for a CPA license in New Mexico?

New Mexico requires at least one year of accounting experience (public, private, government, or academia) verified by an active licensed CPA, or two years under the bachelor's-with-concentration pathway.

Who regulates CPAs in New Mexico?

CPAs in New Mexico are regulated by the New Mexico Public Accountancy Board. Its published requirements are at https://www.rld.nm.gov/boards-and-commissions/individual-boards-and-commissions/accountancy/.

Recent changes and notes for New Mexico

HB 296 (effective Jan 1, 2026) replaced the single 150-hour rule with three licensure pathways: bachelor's + 30 extra accounting/business hours + 1 year; bachelor's with an accounting/business concentration + 2 years; or master's with a concentration + 1 year.
HB 296 also raised the exam credit window from 18 to 30 months; the board's licensing page still showed the old 18-month rule in mid-2026, but the enacted statute and NASBA both use 30 months.
120 hours (bachelor's + 30 accounting hours) to sit; no NM residency required except for grade-transfer applicants; no SSN requirement.

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://www.rld.nm.gov/boards-and-commissions/individual-boards-and-commissions/accountancy/licensing-registration-and-renewal. Requirements change; confirm with the New Mexico Public Accountancy Board before applying.