Every CPA knows the date. Most still end up cramming 20 hours in the final week of December. A reminder set 90 days out closes that gap, so you finish your hours on your own schedule instead of the calendar's.
Done in seconds. No sign-up required.
CPE non-compliance is one of the most common license issues state boards process every year.
total CPE typically required across a triennial reporting period, with annual minimums in most states
NASBA jurisdictional CPE requirements
maximum civil penalty several state boards can assess for CPE non-compliance, on top of completing the missing hours
State boards of accountancy enforcement rules
reporting period end date used by most state boards, with renewal dates often staggered into the first quarter
NASBA reporting deadline registry
The deadline is not a surprise. Almost no CPA misses it because they didn't know it was coming. They miss it because the entire reporting window is twelve months long, the certificates accumulate in five different inboxes, and the gap between "I have plenty of time" and "I have six days" closes silently.
State boards rarely send proactive nudges during the year. Firms remind partners but often not staff. NASBA's tracker is opt-in and only catches certain providers. The result is a system that depends entirely on you remembering on your own, every quarter, for every credit type your state requires.
The fix isn't more discipline. It's removing the need to remember. A reminder set once, for the right date, that follows up until you mark it done, does what calendar entries and good intentions never quite manage.
A useful CPE deadline reminder fires more than once. The pattern most CPAs need is a 90-day, a 30-day, and a final day-of nudge — each with enough lead time to complete the hours required at that point.
Check your state board's reporting page. Note your reporting period end (often December 31) and your license renewal date — they're frequently different.
Use the date your reporting period ends, not your renewal date. You can finish hours up to the reporting end, but they must be completed before that day to count.
An email lands 90 days out, again at 30, and on the day itself. If you don't mark the task done, the reminder keeps following up. No more falling off the radar in October.
License consequences, penalty fees, and the cost of cramming a year's hours into a week.
Boards can move your license to inactive, delinquent, or suspended status when CPE isn't filed on time. Reinstatement involves extra hours, a penalty, and paperwork.
See the penalty rules →Certificates land in different inboxes, providers, and formats. By December, finding what you actually completed takes hours by itself.
A simpler tracking system →Most CPAs end up finishing 20 to 40 hours in the final two weeks. The webinars are real, the learning is not. There's a smarter way to handle the rush.
If you're already behind →The details that don't fit on the pillar page.
It depends on your state and license type. Most state boards of accountancy use a December 31 reporting deadline on an annual, biennial, or triennial cycle. Some tie CPE reporting to your license renewal date instead. Check your state board's CPE reporting page, then set a reminder for at least 60 days before that date.
Start with a reminder 90 days out. That gives you time to choose courses, register, complete them, and gather certificates. A second reminder at 30 days catches anything still pending. The December cram happens because most CPAs only get one reminder, and it fires too late.
Most state boards apply a monetary penalty (often $250 to $1,000), require you to complete the missing hours plus extra, and may place your license on inactive or delinquent status until you comply. Several boards also report non-compliance to your firm. The exact consequences vary by state.
Some boards send a renewal notice 60 or 90 days before your license expires. None of them follow up if you don't act. The notice often arrives at an outdated email or postal address, gets filed in a work inbox, and is forgotten. Treating the board notice as your only reminder is risky.
NASBA's CPE Audit Service tracks compliance only in jurisdictions that participate, and only for hours reported through it. AICPA tracks hours only for courses you complete through AICPA itself. Neither maintains your full record across all providers, which means you need your own log.
CPE (Continuing Professional Education) is the accountant-specific term used by state boards of accountancy. CPD (Continuing Professional Development) is the broader international term. CLE (Continuing Legal Education) is the lawyer equivalent. All three follow similar deadline-and-tracking patterns but have separate reporting bodies.
Free. No account. Takes 30 seconds. You'll get an email 90 days out, again at 30, and on the day — plus follow-ups if you don't act.
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