How to Become a CPA in Idaho 2024

To meet the Idaho requirements to sit for the CPA exam, the Idaho CPA education requirements must be attained first. For Idaho applicants, candidates will have to present that they are of good moral character and that they are either a resident of Idaho, have been a resident or intends to immediately become a resident of the state. Idaho board requires applicants to earn a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent by completing 120 semester hours, including 30 or more semester hours in business administration subjects, of which at least 20 semester hours are in accounting subjects. However, to be licensed, candidates must complete at least 24 semester hours in accounting at the undergraduate or 15 semester hours at the graduate level, or an equivalent combination thereof the subjects of financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting.

After meeting the education requirements, candidates can now apply for the exam by submitting their application form and original transcripts to the board. Include all important documents and have your form and transcripts mailed to the board directly from your school. Once the board approves the application, they will notify NASBA to proceed with payment and scheduling.

When NASBA receives confirmation from the board, they will send you a payment coupon to pay all examination fees. First-time applicants are required to pay both an application fee of $100 and an examination fee per exam of $226.15. Re-examination applicants (re-takes for failed sections) will pay a registration fee of $50 and the same examination fee of $226.15. Once payment is received, NASBA will issue your Notice to Schedule (NTS) for the exam.

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

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.

After passing all four exams, applicants may only proceed with the application if they have completed the education requirements, the experience requirements and successfully passed the AICPA Ethics course for the license eligibility.

To meet the Idaho CPA experience requirements, a candidate needs to provide evidence of 1 year of experience. The experience consists of full or part-time employment that extends over a period of no less than 1 year and no more than 3 years with no fewer than two thousand (2,000) hours earned within the 10-year period immediately preceding the latest application for licensure. It must consist of providing any type of services or advice using accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills. Acceptable experience includes employment in industry, government, academia, or public practice. Have the experience verified by a licensee through the experience form and both parties shall maintain records should the candidate be called to appear before the board to supplement or verify evidence of experience.

To meet the Idaho CPA ethics exam requirements and become a CPA, candidates must complete the Professional Ethics: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Comprehensive Course (For Licensure) from AICPA. This is a self-study ethics course and candidates must obtain a passing grade of no less than 90% on the examination after the course.

To apply for the license, complete the application form and submit all documents that show you have completed the education, experience and ethics requirements to the Idaho board.

Renewal for Idaho licenses is annually and licenses expire on June 30 of each year. To be eligible for renewal, licensee holders will have to accomplish Continuing Professional Education (CPE).

Licensee holders are expected to complete 80 hours of CPE during the two calendar years immediately preceding the date the reporting form is required. Four of the 80 hours must be in ethics. CPE courses approved on NASBA’s National Registry of CPE Sponsors, the AICPA and state societies are deemed to meet the CPE requirements. Any course certificate that specifies it is an ethics course as the Field of Study will count toward the CPE ethics requirement. The minimum CPE record per year is of 30 hours and the maximum is 50 hours. Online CPE reporting will be made through the board’s website.