An excerpt from “California Board of Accountancy Update Winter 2018 Issue No. 88“

Want to make sure your license renewal goes smoothly? One critical element is to complete all required continuing education on time.

To renew an active license, CBA licensees are required to complete at least 20 hours of continuing education (CE) during each year of their two-year renewal period, with a minimum of 12 hours in technical subject areas (referred to as the “20/12 requirement”). Completing CE classes each year helps protect consumers by ensuring licensees receive regular and consistent education and training on key topics related to their area of practice.

Failing to comply with the 20/12 requirement is the most common CE-related violation. For the first three months of the current fiscal year (July 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2018) the CBA has issued 151 citations and fines due to compliance issues relating to the 20/12 requirement.

The initial fine amount for this violation is $150, with repeat violators possibly receiving a fine of up to $5,000. If those licensees continue to violate this CE requirement, they may be referred to the Office of the California Attorney General for formal discipline.

Licensees can expect further communication from the CBA on this important matter as we work to increase awareness of, and compliance with, the 20/12 requirement.

For more information on these and other CE licensing requirements, please visit www.cba.ca.gov, click on the “Licensees” tab, then click on the “License Renewal and Continuing Education” link.