How to Become a CPA in Arizona 2026

To meet the Arizona requirements to sit for the CPA exam, the Arizona CPA education requirements must be attained first. For Arizona applicants, you must have a bachelor’s degree, at least 24 semester hours of non-duplicative accounting courses of which 12 hours are upper level, and shall also include at least 18 semester hours in related courses.

To learn more about the specific required courses, you can check their FAQ page.

The first step after determining that your education requirements are eligible. You’ll need to create an account at the Arizona State Board of Accountancy.

Once you have logged in, you will need to complete the Initial Application form for the CPA Exam and the fee of $100.

You would need to have your college or university send your official transcripts through the Transcript Request Form and send them to:

ARIZONA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTANCY
100 N. 15th Avenue, Suite 165
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Or email it at info@azaccountancy.gov

After your Initial Application has been approved by the Arizona State Board of Accountancy. They will send an ATT to you and also to NASBA so they can process you a Payment Coupon.

Once your ATT has been received by NASBA, 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.

Arizona CPA exam costs include a $100 initial exam application fee, $50 re-exam application fee, $265.57 per CPA Exam section, $1,062.28 for all four sections.

Click here to see a breakdown of the Arizona 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.

Arizona CPA Exam credit is currently valid for 30 months from the score-release date, replacing the old 18-month window.

After passing the Uniform CPA Examination, you must complete the appropriate education requirements to become a licensed CPA, which is 150 semester hours, including 36 non-duplicative semester hours in accounting courses, at least 30 of which must be upper-level, and 30 semester hours in related courses.

Arizona has also enacted new CPA licensure pathway changes effective around December 31, 2026 / January 1, 2027, so candidates should verify the current pathway rules with the Arizona Board before applying.

You would need to have your college or university re-send your official transcripts through the Transcript Request Form and send them to:

ARIZONA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTANCY
100 N. 15th Avenue, Suite 165
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Or email it at info@azaccountancy.gov

To meet the Arizona CPA experience requirements, you must have had at least 2000 hours of paid or unpaid experience either before or after passing all sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, that has been exposed or provided with experience in the practice of accounting. Experience should cover critical inquiry and analysis of financial accounting information, including balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and tax returns, and the applicant’s ability to communicate, either orally or in writing, on the results of an inquiry or analysis of that information to an employer, client or a third party.

The Certificate of Experience Form should be completed by each of your supervisors during the years you are using to qualify for experience. The COE(s) you submit need to show a minimum of 2,000 hours of accounting experience.

After passing the CPA exam, the candidate must also meet the Arizona CPA ethics exam requirements by taking one additional test: the AICPA’s Ethics exam. The association offers an 11-hour self-study course, after which you can take the open-book test. The Ethics Examination is not expected to be particularly tough, but you must pass with a minimum score of 90 to get your license within the two years immediately preceding the certification application.

You can purchase the AICPA Ethics Exam through ASCPA at a discounted price.

You must also request a Verification Form of Uniform CPA Exam through the Arizona State Board of Accountancy member portal that you’ll need to submit to the board. It doesn’t have a fee to request one.

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 Arizona Certification Application form and the $100 certification application fee.

Arizona CPA licensing costs include a $100 initial CPA license registration fee, a $300 biennial license registration fee, and a $50 late renewal fee.

Now that you have completed all the necessary steps to be a Certified Public Accountant in Arizona. You will be notified by Arizona’s Board of Accountancy 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.

Arizona CPA certificates renew every two years based on the licensee’s birth month. Arizona CPAs must complete 80 CPE hours each renewal period, including 4 hours of ethics, at least 16 hours in classroom or live-interactive webinar format, at least 40 hours in accounting, auditing, taxation, business law, or consulting services, and at least 16 of those 40 hours in accounting, auditing, or taxation.

The current biennial renewal fee is $300, and the late fee is $50.