Vermont 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
Renewal cycle
Biennial (ends Jul 31, odd years)
Ethics requirement
4 hrs ethics
Issued by
Vermont Board of Public Accountancy
Vermont runs a fixed 80-hour, two-year cycle that ends July 31 of every odd-numbered year - and it adds two subject-area floors inside that total: ethics and accounting and auditing. The catch is the carryover rule: you can roll surplus general hours forward, but they cannot be used to plug the ethics or A&A buckets.
CPAs call this CPE (continuing professional education), not CE. Here is how an active Vermont license works in plain English.
The base requirement: 80 hours over two years
The Vermont Board of Public Accountancy requires 80 hours of CPE per two-year reporting period, which runs August 1 to July 31 and ends on odd-numbered years. The Board accepts programs from NASBA National Registry sponsors, and your renewal lands at the close of the same period.
The subject-area floors inside the 80
- 4 hours of ethics are required during the two-year period; ethics content may include the AICPA Code of Conduct or Vermont accountancy statutes and rules.
- At least 8 hours must be in accounting and auditing during the same two-year period.
- Both the ethics and the A&A hours count within the 80, not on top of it.
- Up to 10 excess hours may carry forward, but carryover cannot satisfy the ethics or accounting-and-auditing minimums.
Stop tracking this in a spreadsheet
Progress rings per requirement, private certificate storage, deadline reminders, and a one-click audit packet. Set up in two minutes — free for your first license.
Start tracking — freeWhen is your deadline?
Your reporting period and renewal both close July 31 of the odd-numbered year. All 80 hours, including the 4 ethics hours and the 8 accounting-and-auditing hours, must be complete before you renew. Because the ethics and A&A floors cannot be backfilled with carryover, the safe move is tracking those two buckets separately from day one.
How CredTally keeps this on autopilot
- Track the two-year 80-hour total with dedicated buckets for the 4-hour ethics and 8-hour accounting-and-auditing minimums, so neither floor sneaks up on you.
- Store every completion certificate with its course in a private vault, so a Board audit is a one-click export.
- Reminders at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before your July 31 deadline.
- Hold CPA licenses in more than one state? Each gets its own card, deadline, and progress tracking on a single dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
How many CPE hours does Vermont require?
80 hours every two years, in a cycle that ends July 31 of each odd-numbered year.
How much ethics CPE do I need in Vermont?
4 hours of ethics during the two-year period. The hours count within the 80, and carryover credits cannot satisfy them.
Is there an accounting and auditing requirement?
Yes. At least 8 of the 80 hours must be in accounting and auditing during each two-year reporting period.
Can I carry over extra hours?
Up to 10 excess hours carry forward, but they cannot be used to meet the ethics or accounting-and-auditing minimums.
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.
CredTally tracks all of this for you
Progress rings per requirement, private certificate storage, deadline reminders, and a one-click audit packet. Set up in two minutes — free for your first license.
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