North Carolina CPA CE Courses (2026)

To renew your CPA license in North Carolina you need to satisfy the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners's continuing education (CE) requirement — about 40 hours per 1-year cycle. Below is what the board requires and a comparison of course providers that offer qualifying CE. This is an unofficial guide — confirm any course is board-approved before you buy.

What North Carolina requires for CPA renewal

CE hours required	40 hours per cycle
Renewal cycle	12 months
CE tracking system	CPE reported via the Board's online renewal portal (self-reported minutes); no CE Broker
Governing body	North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners

40 CPE hours (2,000 minutes) per calendar year for active CPAs, due by December 31 and reported at the July 1 renewal. Must include at least 50 minutes (rounded up in practice to a full hour) of regulatory or behavioral professional ethics and conduct, taken from a sponsor on NASBA's National CPE Sponsor Registry; there is no state-specific NC ethics exam. Up to 1,000 excess general CPE minutes may carry forward one year, but carryover cannot satisfy the annual ethics requirement.

Full CPA renewal guide for North Carolina (deadlines, fees & CE) →

North Carolina CPA CE course providers

Heads-up: These are independent, third-party CE providers — we are not affiliated with them and don't guarantee approval. Always confirm a course is accepted by the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners before purchasing.

Becker CPE
Large CPE catalog with state-specific ethics courses and subscription access.
Surgent CPE
Unlimited-CPE packages and adaptive courses accepted across most state boards.
Gleim CPE
Individual courses and subscriptions, including state ethics requirements.
Western CPE
Self-study, webcasts, and live conferences across technical and ethics topics.
AICPA
Professional CPE from the national accounting body, including ethics and specialized tracks.

North Carolina CPA CE courses: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do I need to renew my CPA license in North Carolina?

North Carolina requires about 40 continuing-education hours per renewal cycle. 40 CPE hours (2,000 minutes) per calendar year for active CPAs, due by December 31 and reported at the July 1 renewal. Must include at least 50 minutes (rounded up in practice to a full hour) of regulatory or behavioral professional ethics and conduct, taken from a sponsor on NASBA's National CPE Sponsor Registry; there is no state-specific NC ethics exam. Up to 1,000 excess general CPE minutes may carry forward one year, but carryover cannot satisfy the annual ethics requirement.

Do online CPA CE courses count in North Carolina?

Online courses generally count when the provider is approved by or recognized by the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners and the completion is reported through CPE reported via the Board's online renewal portal (self-reported minutes); no CE Broker. Always confirm a course is accepted before you buy it.

Where do I report my North Carolina CPA CE?

North Carolina uses CPE reported via the Board's online renewal portal (self-reported minutes); no CE Broker to track CPA continuing education. Make sure your completions post there before you renew.

Requirement last verified 2026-06-01 from the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners. Always confirm current rules with the board before relying on this.

Official North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners site →

CPA CE courses in another state

All states: Certified Public Accountant (CPA) renewal