Colorado CPA Requirements

Colorado's economy ranks as the 15th largest in the country. The state boasted a gross domestic product of $447.4 billion in 2024, according to IBISWorld.

U.S. Census Bureau data reveals Colorado is home to 179,827 businesses and a workforce where 45.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The state projects sectors like education, natural resources and mining, and health service industries will experience some of the largest growth from 2024 to 2025.

Becoming a certified public accountant (CPA) in Colorado offers the opportunity to join a diverse workforce of 34,310 accountants and auditors. You need to earn 150 college-level credits, pass the Uniform CPA Exam, and earn one year of accounting experience to become a licensed CPA in Colorado.

This page explores Colorado CPA requirements, including exam eligibility criteria and how to maintain your license. Plan your accounting career in Colorado using our career guide.

Education Requirements for Becoming a CPA in Colorado

To acquire CPA licensure in Colorado, you must meet state-specific educational requirements. Prospective Colorado CPAs need at least a bachelor's degree and 150 credits of college-level coursework.

The typical bachelor's program only requires 120 credits, so you must complete additional coursework to satisfy the 150-credit requirement. There are several ways to satisfy this stipulation: additional undergraduate classes, a standalone certificate program, or a master's degree.

Enrolling in an accelerated bachelor's-to-master's accounting program can benefit prospective CPAs by letting them complete the additional 30 credits required for licensure while earning two degrees in a condensed timeline.

Concentrations, Credits, and Course Acceptance

Within the required 150 college-level credits, Colorado maintains stipulations about coursework in accounting, auditing, and business administration. CPAs must satisfy the following subject-specific credit minimums:

• 33 credits in accounting, including:
  • At least 27 credits of accounting coursework beyond the introductory level
  • At least six credits of auditing coursework, including at least three credits in U.S.-specific generally accepted auditing standards
  • At least three credits of accounting or business ethics coursework
  • No more than three credits in computer and information systems coursework
• 27 credits in business administration

The 33 required accounting credits can include areas such as:

• Accounting ethics
• Accounting theory
• Financial accounting for governmental and nonprofits
• Financial statement analysis
• Fraud examination
• Internal controls and risk assessment
• Managerial or cost accounting
• Taxation
• Tax research and analysis
• Forensic accounting
• Tax auditing

The 27 credits in business administration can include:

• Business and accounting communication
• Business ethics
• Business law
• Computer information systems
• Economics
• Finance
• Marketing
• Organizational behavior
• Statistics

Students cannot count more than six credits of any one subject from the above lists toward these requirements. Introductory courses and commercial CPA review courses also do not count toward the required credits. You can take classes online and at community colleges as long as the schools hold institutional accreditation.

Colorado Experience Requirements

To earn CPA licensure in Colorado, you need to complete one year — a total of 1,800 hours — of qualifying work experience in academia, private accounting, government accounting, or public accounting. A licensed CPA must supervise these hours. You must earn these hours in 1-3 calendar years, and experience is only valid if it occurs within five years of you applying for licensure.

Acceptable work includes accounting, auditing or attestation, consultation, taxation, or advice for taxes. Qualifying work experience must also include a mixture of technical and behavioral standards with approval from the Colorado Board of Accountancy. Clerical work does not satisfy this requirement.

CPA Exam Requirements

Colorado CPAs must pass the Uniform CPA Examination, a four-part test that consists of three core sections — auditing and attestation, financial accounting and reporting, and taxation and regulation — and a fourth discipline section of your choice. Options for the discipline section include business analysis and reporting, information systems and control, and tax compliance and planning.

Eligibility to Take the Exam

While CPA licensure in Colorado requires 150 educational credits, you can sit for the CPA exam with a bachelor's degree and 120 college-level credits, including 27 accounting credits and 21 business credits. While Colorado does not have residency, age, or citizenship requirements to take the CPA exam, you do need a Social Security number.

Applying for and Scheduling the Exam

To confirm your eligibility for the CPA exam, you must submit your official college transcripts directly to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). The education evaluation application fee costs $75.00.

Once NASBA approves your educational credentials, you can register for sections of the CPA exam. In Colorado, you can apply to take multiple sections at once, and you can sit for the sections in any order. To take the test, you choose the section(s) you want to take and apply for a Notice to Schedule (NTS) from NASBA.

Once you receive an NTS, you can take that exam section at a testing center. Each NTS is valid for six months, so only apply when you're ready to sit for the test. The exam application fee costs $347.64 for each section.

You need a score of least 75 to pass each section of the test. In Colorado, you have 30 months to pass all four exam sections. This window begins on the day you pass your first section. You can schedule a retake of a failed section after five days.

After Passing the Exam

In addition to the Uniform CPA Exam, Colorado also requires CPAs to score at least 90% on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) ethics exam. You must pass this additional test in the two years before you apply for your license.

NASBA's CPA Examination Services processes licensure applications. The license application process costs $150. Applicants should expect at least two months to process an application. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies website features a directory for users to verify CPA licenses in the state.

Maintaining Licensure

Licensed CPAs in Colorado must renew their licenses on November 30 of every odd-numbered year.

To keep their license active, CPAs must complete a total of 80 continuing professional education (CPE) credits. They need to complete at least 10 CPE credits each calendar quarter. The Colorado Board of Accountancy accepts up to 20% of CPE credits in personal development and up to 50% in teaching or publishing. Four hours must be in ethics.

Professional organizations like the Colorado Society of CPAs offer in-person and online continuing education opportunities as well as other benefits to members. CPAs need to attest that they have completed the required CPEs. In the event of a health emergency or military service, the board may provide an exception for not meeting the CPE requirements.

Colorado practices CPE reciprocity with CPAs in other states. Consequently, CPAs from other jurisdictions with at least one year of licensed experience can earn Colorado licensure if they meet CPE requirements in their home state. These professionals must have also passed the AICPA ethics exam. Within six months of approval for Colorado licensure, CPAs from other states must also complete at least two CPE hours relating to Colorado rules and regulations.

You may need a CPA license to open an accounting firm in Colorado. Unlicensed accountants can only hold minority ownership in an accounting firm in Colorado, as the majority of owners must hold valid CPA licensure.

Questions About CPAs in Colorado