How to Become a CPA in Maryland 2026

To meet the Maryland requirements to sit for the CPA exam, the Maryland CPA education requirements must be attained first. For Maryland applicants, you must have a bachelor’s degree or higher with 120 semester hours or 180 undergraduate quarter hours or the equivalent. 30 semester hours or 45 quarter credit hours in accounting and ethics education, which requires 27 semester or 41 quarter credit hours, must be in accounting and related subjects, a 3-semester credit hour course each in auditing, accounting information systems, U.S. federal income tax and accounting or business ethics, a minimum of 9 semester credit hours in financial accounting; and a minimum of 9 semester credits in elective accounting courses. And 3 semester credit hours or 4.5 quarter credit hours must be in ethics.

For licensure, Maryland requires 150 semester hours plus the business-related education requirements.

Once you have determined that you meet the educational requirements, you must apply for the Uniform CPA Examination Qualification review online.

Once your education requirements have been verified/approved. You can now register for the exams that you want to test here.

After you have submitted your registration, usually within 4 business days NASBA will send be sending you an email with instructions for the payment coupon.

Next, you will need to create a NASBA Exam Candidate account on the portal at NASBA and pay for the exam fees. The payment coupon will expire ninety 90 days after it is issued.

The NASBA fees include a $96.00 education evaluation application fee, a $96.00 exam application fee, and a $262.64 exam section fee.

Click here to see a breakdown of the Maryland 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.
The Notice to Schedule (NTS) will expire 180 days from the date of issuance so you will have to apply to sit for your first portion of the CPA exam.

Candidates should apply only when ready because the NTS is valid for a limited time and fees are forfeited if the section is not taken in that window.

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 score-release date of the first passed section. Maryland currently retains credit for passed sections for 30 months.

After passing the Uniform CPA Examination, you must complete the appropriate education requirements to become a licensed CPA, which totals 150 semester hours with a graduate degree and the required business-related courses. 21 undergraduate semester hours must be completed in at least five of nine subject areas. These subject areas are: statistics, economics, corporation or business finance, management, marketing, U.S. business law, business communication, quantitative methods, and computer science/information systems.

You would need to have your college or university re-send your official transcripts to be re-evaluated through email at DLOPLPublicAccountancy-LABOR@maryland.gov

To meet the Maryland CPA experience requirements, Maryland requires a minimum of one year or 2,000 hours of accounting-related work experience using accounting, attest, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills. The experience must be endorsed by an actively licensed CPA.

After passing the CPA exam, the candidate must also meet the Maryland CPA ethics exam requirements by taking one additional test to take: 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.

The Professional Ethics: The AICPA’s Comprehensive Course can be found here.

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.

Applicants should follow the board application instructions for where to send transcripts, ethics proof, and experience forms.

Maryland’s fees are a $67 Original examination application fee, a $24 license fee, and a $63 renewal fee.

Make sure that you have also sent in your updated educational requirements.

Maryland has enacted an additional CPA licensure pathway effective October 1, 2026. The new pathway allows candidates to qualify with a bachelor’s degree, passage of the CPA Exam, and two years of professional experience. The existing 150-hour and master’s-degree pathways remain available.

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

Maryland CPA licenses renew on a two-year license term. Licensees must complete 80 hours of qualifying continuing education each two-year term, including 4 hours in professional ethics. The current renewal fee is $63, and reinstatement/reactivation/expired renewal is $126.