CPA licensing services provided by NASBA to state boards of accountancy include application processing, eligibility determination, score reporting and education evaluation. NASBA also provides customer service to candidates throughout the licensing process.
Find licensure requirements for education, exam and experience.
Licensed in a state other than Colorado? Click here to read more.
Are you an International Candidate? Click here to read more.
Need a firm license? Click here to read more.
EDUCATION
Educational requirements to apply for a CPA license in Colorado vary depending on if you have education with experience or education only.
Education with Experience (Rule 2.5)
- Bachelor’s degree
- Twenty-four (24) semester hours in Accounting
- Three (3) semester hours in Audit with coverage of U.S. GAAS
- Twenty-one (21) semester hours in General Business related subjects, with no more than six (6) hours in any subject
Education Only (Rule 2.7)
- Master’s degree, doctoral degree OR bachelor’s degree with thirty (30) additional hours
- Thirty-nine (39) semester hours in Accounting
- Six (6) semester hours in Audit with coverage of U.S. GAAS
- Thirty-six (36) semester hours in General Business related subjects with no more than nine (9) hours in any subject
-back to top-
EXAM
There are two general requirements to apply for a CPA license in Colorado. You must have passed both the:
- Uniform CPA Exam or IQEX Exam
- AICPA Ethics Exam
FEES
- Initial – $110
- Transfer of Grades – $185
- Reciprocal – $185
- Firm – $175
EXPERIENCE
Below are experience requirements you must obtain to apply for a CPA license in Colorado.
One (1) year of experience:
- Must include a minimum of 1,800 qualifying hours
- Must have been met within five (5) years preceding date of application
- Must be under the supervision of an active CPA in good standing.
-back to top-
ONLINE APPLICATIONS
Click the following links to apply online:
RECIPROCITY APPLICANTS
To apply for a reciprocal license in Colorado one must satisfy the requirements below:
- Holds an active license from a substantially equivalent jurisdiction
- Completion of 80 hours of CPE within two (2) years immediately preceding the date of application
- Completion of AICPA Ethics exam within two (2) years immediately preceding the date of application
- Completion of two (2) hours of Colorado Rules and Regulations course within two (2) years immediately preceding the date of application
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
International Applicants are considered to have one or more of the following:
- Foreign Education
- Foreign Designation with an IQAB MRA Country
In addition to meeting the requirements for licensure, International Applicants must also satisfy the requirements below:
- Completion of the AICPA Ethics exam within two (2) years immediately preceding the date of application
- Completion of two (2) hours of Colorado Rules and Regulations course within two (2) years immediately preceding the date of application
Applicants who obtained their education outside the United States must:
- have your educational credentials evaluated by any member organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Please visit their website for a complete listing.
- obtain the form to request this service from the evaluation service agency.
- submit your international transcript(s) from each institution at which original credit toward the educational requirement has been earned.
- U.S. Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) Requirement:
- In order to determine that you have met the U.S. GAAS requirement for Colorado, please have your institution submit a Course Syllabus, Course Description or a Letter directly from your institution to NASBA or your international evaluation service stating that your auditing course includes U.S. GAAS.
- The evaluation of the international transcript(s) must be a course-by-course comparison to Colorado requirements.
- Completed original evaluations must be received by NASBA directly from the evaluation service. Photocopies are not acceptable.
Please Note: Education requirements must be met through academic coursework completed at an accredited institution. Professional training is not acceptable toward these requirements. Coursework completed as part of a Chartered Accountant program is considered professional training and is, therefore, not accepted toward the education requirements for a Colorado CPA license.
Visit www.naces.org for a current list of members.
-back to top-
FIRMS
To apply for a firm license in Colorado, a firm must submit the following to the Colorado state board:
- The organizing documents of the partnership, articles of incorporation or articles of organization of the limited liability company must contain provisions that comply with Section 12-2-117(3)(A-C) of Colorado’s Revised Statues
TIP: In the application, section G, item 10, parts A-D correspond with the above requirement. Make sure your organization adheres to the requirement and be sure to answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ for section G, item 10, parts A-D.
- A copy of the appropriate organizing or incorporation documents
- Description of services provided prior to the application’s filing
- Sample business cards and letterhead used prior to the application’s filing
- Description of events or promotional materials in which the organization is represented as a CPA firm
-back to top-
|
