The timing, plainly
When should CPAs finish CPE for license renewal?
Before busy season gets a vote. CPE hours and renewal cycles vary by state board of accountancy — check yours for the exact numbers — but the shape of the problem is the same everywhere: the requirement is measured in dozens of hours, the deadline is fixed, and the months you’d catch up in are the months you can’t. Accountants don’t miss CPE from ignorance; they miss it from January through April. Spread the hours across the off-season on a schedule, keep the certificates as you go, and confirm the credits are recorded before you file the renewal — a CPA license that lapses takes your signature with it.
The renewal deadline ignores filing season. Hours done early and logged as you go turn the renewal into paperwork; hours deferred to the deadline turn it into an emergency during your worst month.
Where it sits in the year
Ordered from this month, the way it would look on your timeline.
How many CPE hours do CPAs need?
It varies by state board — total hours per cycle, per-year minimums, and subject requirements like ethics all differ, and boards adjust rules between cycles. Your state board of accountancy is the only reliable source; the reminder’s job is making sure you look early.
What happens if my CPA license lapses?
You can’t hold out or sign as a CPA on a lapsed license, and reinstatement typically stacks fees and CE proof that grow with the lapse. See our guide on letting a license lapse for the general ladder; your board sets the specifics.
The date is the easy part. Remembering is the product.
Reviewal keeps windows like this on one page — the whole year of them — and emails you before each one opens. Your calendar handles what's today; this is the layer above it. Free to start: 40 events, 3 sections, reminders included.
Tracking this in a spreadsheet or calendar today? See exactly what changes: vs. a spreadsheet · vs. calendar reminders