How to Become a CPA in Delaware 2024

Applicants who wish to be eligible to take the CPA exam will first need to pass the Delaware CPA education requirements. The Delaware State Board requires a bachelor’s degree or higher with 120 semester hours including 24-semester units in accounting subjects such as intermediate accounting, cost accounting, taxation, auditing, advanced accounting, accounting information systems and law. However, to be able to apply for a CPA license, applicants will have to accomplish the required 150 semester hours of related coursework.

When you’ve met the education requirements, register with NASBA to apply for the CPA exam. Have all your official transcripts sent directly from your college or university to CPA Examination Services – DE, PO Box 198469, Nashville, TN 37219. If your school offers official electronic transcripts, they may be emailed to etranscript@nasba.org.

Pay all fees at the time of application to NASBA. Examination fee per exam is $344.80.

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

Wait for your application to be approved and once accepted, NASBA will email or mail you the Notice to Schedule (NTS). Upon receiving the NTS, schedule your exam online through Prometric. You are able to apply for one or more sections of the examination at a time. The NTS is valid for one testing event or six months and must be presented for entry at the testing center.

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 each section with a score of 75 or higher within 18 months.

In order to qualify for a license, applicants are required to have at least one year of qualified work experience. It can consist of full or part-time work and must not be more than three years. It should also include at least 2,000 hours of performance of services which is described in the Delaware Board of Accountancy Regulation’s subsection 6.2.5.1.

After passing the CPA exam, the candidate must also meet the Delaware CPA ethics exam requirement by taking one additional test: the AICPA’s Ethics exam and then pass the exam with a score of no less than 90%. 

To obtain a Delaware CPA license, applicants need to apply for a Delaware CPA Certificate and Permit to Practice Certified Public Accountancy as it is required by the board that all CPAs have both documents in order to practice legally in the state. Register and apply to DELPROS. Applicants can apply for both certificates simultaneously.

The renewal of a CPA license in the state of Delaware is every two years. The license cycle occurs from July 1 to June 30 during odd years (biennial fixed). Each biennial reporting period ends on June 30 of each odd-numbered year. A renewal notice will be sent to the email address on the board’s record a few months before the renewal date. The notice will explain how to access your online renewal application. To be eligible for renewal, licensees must have completed the required Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

CPA licensee holders in Delaware will need to comply with the required Continuing Professional Education to be able to renew their license. The number of CPEs to be served will depend on when the license was issued during the full licensing period. A licensee holder applying for his or her first renewal or who was licensed less than one year is not required to do CPE. Those that are more than one year but less than two years are required to complete 40 hours of approved CPE.