How to Become a CPA in Louisiana 2026

To meet the Louisiana requirements to sit for the CPA exam, the Louisiana CPA education requirements must be attained first. For Louisiana applicants, you must have a bachelor’s degree or higher and have completed an accounting concentration including 24 semester hours about introductory level or 21 semester hours at graduate level with 3 semester hours in cost accounting, 3 semester hours in income tax accounting, 3 semester hours in auditing covering public accounting attest and assurance services, 3 semester hours in either advanced financial accounting, not-for-profit accounting or accounting theory, and 6 semester hours in additional accounting above the introductory level. Must also complete 24 semester hours of business courses other than accounting, including at least 3 semester hours in business law exclusively covering the Uniform Commercial Code and forms of commercial transactions

Take note that applicants must have maintained continuous residence (physical presence) in Louisiana for a period of not less than 120 days within the one year period preceding the date of the initial examination. Students are exempted provided they return home when not taking classes, e.g., summer, holidays, etc.

Candidates must meet the college education requirements, good moral character requirement, residency requirement, and application/fee requirements to take the exam.

The first step to determining your eligibility is to complete Louisiana’s CPA Exam application process through NASBA’s CPA Portal.

Then submit an education evaluation application through NASBA. Louisiana’s fees include a $96.00 education evaluation application fee, a $96.00 exam application fee, and a $262.64 exam section fee.

You would need to have your college or university send your official transcripts through mail at:

Louisiana Coordinator
CPA Examination Services
PO Box 198469, Nashville
Tennessee 37219-8469

Or email it at etranscript@nasba.org

Once your educational requirements have been approved by NASBA advisory evaluation, NASBA will then send you an email notifying you that your payment coupon is ready for payment. You have 90 days to pay the fee.

Click here to see a breakdown of the Louisiana CPA exam costs.

Upon payment for the examination fees, you will receive a receipt of your NTS. Make sure that everything is correct as it will be used at the testing centers. If the names do not match, immediately contact the Board to request a correction. You will not be allowed to test if the name on the identification documents does not exactly match the name on the NTS.

With the NTS, then you can schedule your actual exam on the Prometric website at www.prometric.com.
You will have six months to apply and sit for your first portion of the CPA exam.

The CPA exam consists of the three core sections and candidates would need to select one of the three discipline to demonstrate deeper skills and knowledge, allowing candidates to choose a specialization. There is no set order in which the exam portions must be completed.

You must pass all four CPA Exam sections within a rolling 30-month period beginning on the date the first passed section was taken.

After passing the Uniform CPA Examination, you must complete the appropriate education requirements to become a licensed CPA, which totals 150 semester hours, including a baccalaureate or higher degree, with the required accounting and business coursework.

If you want detailed information on the required coursed, you can check it at the State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana.

You would need to have your college or university re-send your official transcripts to be re-evaluated through mail at:

CPA Examination Services – LA
PO Box 198469
Nashville, TN 37219

Or email it at etranscript@nasba.org

The Louisiana CPA experience requirement must involve one year of qualifying experience, verified by a licensed CPA who is in a position to know the work performed. The experience must be obtained within the four years preceding the license application and may include work in public practice, private industry, nonprofit, or government involving accounting, attest, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills.

Also, you must be 18 years of age and of good moral character to be able to get a CPA license in Louisiana.

After you have completed your professional education, passed the exams, and retain the necessary work experience, you have fulfilled a majority of the CPA exam requirements. You’ll need to complete the Application for Certificate (License) as a Certified Public Accountant form and the $100 certification application fee.

While most states require ethics before licensing, Louisiana candidates can become a CPA without it as there are no Louisiana CPA ethics exam requirements, but licensed CPAs must complete Board-approved ethics CPE in even-numbered years.

Now that you have completed all the necessary steps to be a Certified Public Accountant in Louisiana. You will be notified by the State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana of any missing documents in your application. If the application is complete, you’ll be issued a license allowing you to practice. Your certificate will be sent to you through the mail.

Louisiana CPA licenses renew annually by December 31. The current active CPA renewal fee is $120. Louisiana CPAs must report at least 80 hours of CPE over a rolling two-year period, with at least 20 hours each year. CPAs participating in attest engagements must complete at least 8 hours of accounting and auditing CPE, and all CPAs must complete a Board-approved ethics course in even-numbered years.