Georgia CPA CPE Requirements, Explained
Last reviewed June 2026 against the official sources linked below. Requirements change — always confirm with your board before relying on them.
Total hours
80 hrs / 2 years
Annual minimum
20 hours/year
Ethics requirement
4 hrs (1 hr Georgia-specific)
Issued by
Georgia State Board of Accountancy
Georgia keeps the headline number simple - 80 hours every two years - but layers in three details that trip people up: a 20-hour annual floor, a requirement that half your hours be technical, and an ethics rule with a Georgia-specific hour tucked inside it. Hit the two-year total but miss the annual minimum and you are still short.
CPAs call this CPE (continuing professional education), not CE. Here is how an active Georgia license actually works, in plain English.
The base requirement: 80 hours over two years
The Georgia State Board of Accountancy requires 80 hours of CPE during each two-year reporting period, with a minimum of 20 hours earned in each year. At least 50% of your total hours - 40 of the 80 - must be in technical subject areas such as accounting, auditing, and taxation.
Ethics, including the Georgia-specific hour
- 4 hours of ethics are required during the two-year reporting period.
- At least 1 of those 4 ethics hours must cover the laws, rules, and policies of the Georgia State Board of Accountancy specifically.
- The Georgia-specific hour counts within the 4-hour ethics requirement, not on top of it - the remaining 3 can be general behavioral or regulatory ethics.
- All 4 ethics hours count within the 80-hour total, not in addition to it.
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Start tracking — freeFirst renewal and other exceptions
No CPE is required during your first year of licensure. If you were licensed less than two years before your first renewal, you owe 40 hours - still including 4 ethics hours with 1 Georgia-specific. Georgia also exempts licensees who have reached age 70 from CPE entirely. Standard renewal is biennial, with the reporting period running January 1 to December 31; confirm your exact renewal date in your Board account.
How CredTally keeps this on autopilot
- Track the two-year 80-hour total alongside the 20-hour annual minimum so neither clock slips past you.
- Dedicated buckets for the 4-hour ethics requirement and the 1-hour Georgia-specific portion, shown separately from your general hours.
- Store every completion certificate in a private vault, attached to the exact credit it proves, so a Board audit is a one-click export.
- Reminders at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before your renewal deadline, with remaining hours per requirement.
- Hold licenses in more than one state? Each gets its own card, deadline, and progress on a single dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
How many CPE hours does Georgia require?
80 hours every two years, with a minimum of 20 hours each year, and at least 50% of the total in technical subject areas.
How much ethics CPE does Georgia require?
4 hours of ethics during each two-year period, including at least 1 hour specific to the laws, rules, and policies of the Georgia State Board of Accountancy. The Georgia-specific hour counts within the 4.
Is the first renewal exempt?
No CPE is required during your first year of licensure. If licensed less than two years before your first renewal, you owe 40 hours, including the 4 ethics hours.
Is there an age exemption?
Yes. Georgia exempts licensees who have reached the age of 70 from the CPE requirement.
Official sources
CredTally is a record-keeping tool and is not affiliated with any licensing board. This guide is general information, not legal or compliance advice.
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