What Counts as CPE? A Plain-English Guide

"Continuing professional education" covers more than sitting through courses. Here's what generally qualifies — and the rules that trip people up.

Activities that usually count

• Live webinars and seminars
• Self-study courses with an assessment
• Conferences and in-person training
• University courses in relevant subjects
• Authoring articles or materials (often capped)
• Teaching or presenting (often capped, first-time only)

The measuring stick

CPE is counted in 50-minute credit hours, and programs must be in approved fields of study (like Taxes, Accounting, Auditing, or Regulatory Ethics). Your provider should state the field and hours clearly.

Common gotchas

• Caps on non-technical fields and on self-study, writing, or teaching
• A required ethics course — sometimes state-specific
• Annual minimums within multi-year cycles
• Documentation: keep certificates in case of audit

When in doubt, verify

Rules vary by state and change over time. Confirm what qualifies with your state board, and check our state requirements pages for the specifics.

Ready to earn credit the easy way? Browse our free live CPE webinars.