How to become a CPA in New Jersey 2024

To meet the New Jersey requirements to sit for the CPA exam, the New Jersey CPA education requirements must be attained first. For New Jersey applicants, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or higher in any field of study. Completing a minimum of 120 semester hours with 24 semester hours in accounting and 24 semester hours in business. However, to apply for a license, applicants must complete 150 semester hours which can be accomplished through a master’s degree.

After completion of education requirements, register an account in NASBA for the exam application. Have all your official transcripts sent directly from your college or university to CPA Examination Services (CPAES) at CPA Examination Services – NJ, 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. First-time applicants are required to pay both an application fee and an examination fee. Re-examination candidates are required to pay both a registration fee and an examination fee.

Click here to see a breakdown of the New Jersey 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 from its issuance 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 apply for a CPA license and become a Certified Public Accountant in New Jersey, after passing the exam, you must accomplish the New Jersey CPA experience requirement. The requirement is one year of experience in the practice of public accounting or its equivalent and must be documented by the applicant and supervised by an active CPA licensee. The supervisor must accomplish the State of Experience Form and email it to the board.

After fulfilling the experience requirement, you may now apply for a CPA license. Along with the State of Experience Form, accomplish the Application for Licensure as a Certified Public Accountant and a Criminal History Information. Have all documents emailed to the board’s office email at accountancy@dca.lps.state.nj.us.

Contact the board’s office at (973) 504-6380 for further application details.

After 6 months of initial licensure, licensees are required to take the New Jersey Law & Ethics course as part of the New Jersey CPA ethics exam requirement. This is a four-credit orientation course provided by a sponsor that is approved by the board. A copy of the course completion certificate should be sent to the board within 30 days of completing the course.

CPAs licensed in the state of New Jersey are required to renew their license every three years. Licensees are required to accomplish a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) prior to the renewal application.

To maintain your CPA license, complete a CPE of 120 hours every three years. A minimum of 20 hours is required per year. Licensees must keep records of CPE completion for at least 5 years.

The board will send a notice of renewal to each of its license holders at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the license or certificate. Instructions will be given and if the notice to renew is not sent at least 60 days prior to the expiration date, no monetary penalties or fines will be given to the licensee. However, the licensee must renew the license within 60 days from the date the notice is sent.