Iowa CPA Requirements

Historically known for agriculture, Iowa's diversified economy also includes strong manufacturing, biosciences, and financial services industries. The state's tax policies attract business investment, positioning the state for continued long-term growth.

Like many other states, Iowa continues to grapple with a shortage of qualified accountants. By earning your certified public accountant (CPA) licensure in Iowa, you can qualify for accounting roles that pay higher-than-average wages.

Iowa CPA requirements include common stipulations like a minimum of a bachelor's degree and 150 semester credits of college coursework, plus relevant professional experience and passing scores on the Uniform CPA Examination. Some important details differ from other states, though. Read on to learn all about them.

Education Requirements for Becoming a CPA in Iowa

CPA candidates can meet Iowa's education requirements in multiple ways. All pathways share one common feature: They require at least 150 semester credits or the equivalent. Standard bachelor's programs cover 120 credits, which means you must complete 30 additional units.

To obtain those extra credits, you can:

• Enroll in standalone college courses at an accredited school
• Complete a postbaccalaureate certificate program
• Obtain a master's degree in accounting

You can also pursue an accelerated bachelor's-to-master's accounting program. Purpose-built to meet CPA education requirements, these programs cover the full 150 credits required for licensure and award graduates both bachelor's and master's degrees on a condensed timeline.

Concentrations, Credits, and Course Acceptance

Iowa does not specify an overall minimum number of college credits you must hold to sit for the CPA exam. Instead, it identifies four paths you can follow for licensure: Two involve graduate degrees, and two require only a bachelor's degree.

Qualifying With a Graduate Degree

For graduate students, the first and most direct path involves obtaining an advanced degree in accounting. The degree must hold accreditation from an organization with Iowa Accountancy Examining Board approval.

You can also qualify with a graduate business degree that holds accreditation from a Board-recognized agency. Your education must include at least 24 semester hours or the equivalent in each of the following areas:

• Auditing
• Financial accounting
• Management accounting
• Taxation

You must study these subjects above the introductory level.

Qualifying With a Bachelor's Degree

You can also qualify with a bachelor's degree in accounting or any other subject. If you major in accounting, your program must hold Board-recognized agency accreditation. Accounting majors must also satisfy the same 24-credit accounting requirements listed above.

Non-accounting majors must meet the same 24-credit accounting requirements, and they must also complete 24 additional semester credits — or the equivalent — of business coursework. Acceptable business subjects include:

• Business law
• Management
• Economics
• Finance
• Marketing

If you have fewer than 150 credits when you pass the CPA exam, you cannot fully qualify for licensure until you satisfy the coursework requirements. The Iowa Accountancy Examining Board does not recognize credits earned through internship programs or transfer credits granted for life experience.

Iowa Experience Requirements

Iowa's CPA experience requirements stipulate you hold at least 2,000 hours of professional experience performing one or more of the following duties:

• Accounting
• Attestation
• Compilation
• Financial or management advisory services
• Taxation or tax consulting

Qualifying work settings include academia, the government, public practice, and private industry.

Iowa also maintains the following stipulations for work experience:

• Part-time and full-time employment both qualify, as do unpaid internship experiences.
• You must accrue all qualifying experience in no fewer than 12 months and no more than 36 months.
• A CPA whose license has been valid for at least three years must supervise and verify your work.

Teaching may count toward your experience if it covers at least 24 semester hours of college-level accounting courses. If your work covers attestation, you instead need two years' experience: one year of attestation, and another year of general accounting.

CPA Exam Requirements

The Uniform CPA Examination is a four-part test all aspiring CPAs must pass to obtain licensure. While all states use the same exam, eligibility details differ. The following subsections review state-specific Iowa CPA requirements for exam eligibility and scheduling.

Eligibility to Take the Exam

Before you sit for the CPA exam in Iowa, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) needs to confirm your eligibility. Though you need professional experience to earn licensure, Iowa's exam eligibility criteria focuses only on education.

You must complete all coursework and degrees at institutions with accreditation from Iowa Accountancy Examination Board-approved organizations. If you are within 120 days of graduating with your degree and have completed 150 credits, you can sit for the exam.

You also need to pass the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) professional ethics exam to obtain your initial license. Iowa has no age, citizenship, or residency requirements for CPA exam or licensure eligibility.

Applying for and Scheduling the Exam

To schedule your exam, apply through NASBA's Iowa page. NASBA examines your credentials to confirm your eligibility. Once approved, you can register for the exam. After registration, you receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS) by email. Follow your NTS instructions to schedule the exam section(s) you wish to take.

NASBA requires the following materials from exam applicants:

• Official transcripts from all educational institutions listed on your application
• An international credential evaluation, if you studied outside the United States
• An Iowa certificate of enrollment, if you apply within 120 days of completing a qualifying undergraduate or graduate degree

Your educational institution(s) must submit your academic transcripts and certificate of enrollment — if applicable — directly to NASBA. You can have NASBA's International Evaluation Services send your credential evaluation to NASBA for you, or you can submit it yourself.

The CPA exam consists of four sections. You can take each section individually and in any order. All examinees must take the following three sections: auditing and attestation, taxation and regulation, and financial accounting and reporting.

For the fourth section, you can select one of three disciplines: business analysis and reporting, information systems and control, or tax compliance and planning. You can select your discipline when you schedule that section of the exam.

In Iowa, your NTS remains valid for six months. If you plan to take one or more exam sections individually, you need a separate NTS for each section.

It usually takes up to six weeks for NASBA to determine your exam eligibility and issue your first NTS. From there, it usually takes only a few days to get your NTS for additional exam section(s). Ensure you submit all the necessary materials, or you must reapply, which can cause delays.

As of August 2024, Iowa charges an education evaluation application fee of $90.00. You must also pay an exam section application fee of $354.80 per section.

Iowa CPA requirements mandate that you must pass all four CPA exam sections within 30 months, a deadline that starts on the date you passed your first section. If you fail a section, you can reapply to take it again.

After Passing the Exam

Once you pass all four sections of the CPA exam within 30 months, Iowa recognizes your passing scores for life. They do not expire.

When you meet all Iowa CPA requirements, you can apply for your license through the state's Professional Licensing Bureau (PLB). As a CPA candidate, you must make an online account to access the PLB system to complete and submit your application. Note that you must have a valid U.S. Social Security number to receive an Iowa CPA license.

Iowa's PLB can also verify your CPA license to prospective clients and employers. To request a verification, use the Iowa PLB's license search portal.

Maintaining Licensure

Iowa operates on an annual license renewal cycle, and the state's CPA licenses expire on June 30 every year, regardless of when you received your initial licensure. Consequently, June 30 is the annual renewal deadline, though the state offers a 30-day grace period. If these extra 30 days pass without a successful renewal, your license lapses into inactive status. To reactivate your licensure, you must pay reinstatement and registration fees.

Every time you renew your license, you must demonstrate that you completed at least 120 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) during the past three years. Iowa does not stipulate a yearly number of CPE hours as long as you satisfy the cumulative three-year CPE requirement.

The Iowa Society of CPAs (ISCPA) maintains a list of suitable CPE opportunities. You can research these through ISCPA's CPE catalog and events portal.

Iowa recognizes valid CPA licenses from other states. You can use an existing license to qualify for licensure in Iowa if you earned your license in a jurisdiction "substantially equivalent" to Iowa. For full details, consult this official reciprocity and substantial equivalency document.

You do not need a CPA license to hold an ownership stake in an Iowa CPA firm as long as licensed CPAs are majority owners of the firm.

Questions About CPAs in Iowa