Vermont: CPE, firm permit and peer review rules for CPAs.

This page lists what the Vermont board of accountancy publishes for a CPA and a CPA firm: CPE hours and the reporting period, the ethics requirement, whether a firm permit or registration is required, whether peer review is required, the licence renewal cycle, and whether an out-of-state CPA may practise under a practice privilege.

It is built for owners of small accounting and bookkeeping firms, especially those licensed in one state and serving clients in another. Every entry is a snapshot of what the cited source published on the verification date; it is a research starting point, not licensing advice.

Vermont, field by field.

Board of accountancy

Vermont Board of Public Accountancy (administered by the Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation)

CPE hours & reporting period

80 hours per two-year renewal period ending July 31 of odd-numbered years. Board Rule 9.1(a): a licensee seeking regular biennial renewal "shall show that he or she has completed no fewer than 80 hours of continuing professional education during the two year period ending on the renewal date"; Rule 8.1(b): "Licenses renew on a fixed biennial schedule: July 31st of odd-numbered years." Rule 9.1(f): licensees "must successfully complete at least eight hours of continuing education in the subject area of accounting and auditing." The Board's CPA Renewal Instructions (February 2026) break the 80 credits into "a minimum of 4 credits in professional ethics, 8 credits in accounting and auditing, and 68 credits in accounting related matters"; a licensee who has held the licence for at least one year but not the full cycle must complete 40 credits (4 ethics, 8 accounting and auditing, 28 related). Rule 9.1 sets no annual minimum. Rule 9.1(d): a maximum of ten hours may be carried over from one biennium; the carryover hours cannot be the required eight accounting-and-auditing hours or the four ethics hours. Rule 9.3(b): documentation must be retained for five years. 26 V.S.A. § 54(b)(3) caps the Board's continuing education rules at 40 hours per year.

Ethics CPE requirement

4 hours per two-year renewal period. Rule 9.1(e): licensees "must successfully complete at least four hours of continuing education in the subject area of ethics for accountants." The rule names no Vermont-specific course. Ethics hours cannot be carried over (Rule 9.1(d)).

CPA firm permit / registration

Firm registration is required. 26 V.S.A. § 74(a): "A firm shall be required to obtain registration pursuant to this section if the firm" (1) has an office in Vermont practising public accounting, (2) has an office in Vermont using the "CPA" or "CPA firm" title, or (3) has no Vermont office but performs the services in § 13(1)(A)(i), (iii) or (iv) (SAS audits, SSAE examinations of prospective financial information, PCAOB engagements) for a client with its home office in Vermont. Rule 6.1(b): "A sole proprietor is considered a firm (See 26 V.S.A. §13(5)) and must apply for a firm registration." § 74(c): a simple majority of the ownership, in terms of equity, creditor and voting rights, must belong to certificate holders licensed in some state; owners whose principal place of business is in Vermont must hold a valid Vermont licence; nonlicensee owners are permitted under § 74(d) if the firm designates a responsible Vermont licensee and all nonlicensee owners are active participants. § 75(a): licences and firm registrations "shall be renewed every two years"; Rule 6.1(d): "Registrations must be renewed every two years." The OPR fee schedule (updated 7/1/2025) lists the Accounting Firm renewal date as July 31 of odd years, renewal fee $460 ($230 for a sole proprietor firm) and application fee $230; an "Accounting Firm with Mobility" registration carries the same fees. A firm with no Vermont office registers under the OPR's Non-Resident Accounting Firm by Mobility instructions (January 2026): the responsible individual who completes the application must hold a current CPA licence from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent licensure requirements (26 V.S.A. § 74c), and a firm performing attest functions in Vermont must provide evidence of a peer review conducted within the three years preceding application (Rule 10.7).

Peer review requirement

Required for firms that perform attest services; attested at each biennial renewal with a review within the preceding three years. Rule 10.7(a): "If no attest services were performed by a firm within the meaning of the Act, then no peer review is required"; each renewal or reinstatement application by a firm required to participate "shall include an attestation that the firm, within the three years immediately preceding the application, had been subjected to a peer review conducted in accordance with a peer review program approved by the Board." Rule 10.7(e): within 30 days of first performing an attest service the firm must notify the Board and provide proof of enrollment; the first peer review must occur within 18 months of the year-end of the first attest report and the final acceptance letter must be furnished within 28 months. Rule 10.7(c): a peer review report and letter of acceptance shall be submitted to the Board within 30 days of receipt. Statutory basis 26 V.S.A. § 75(c): peer reviews as a condition of firm registration renewal "no more frequently than once every three years." Firm Renewal Instructions (February 2026): "If your firm performs audits, you must upload a copy of a Peer Review conducted within the three years immediately preceding your renewal application submission."

Licence renewal cycle

Biennial; the individual licence expires July 31 of odd-numbered years (Rule 8.1(b); 26 V.S.A. § 75(a)). OPR fee schedule (updated 7/1/2025): Certified Public Accountant renewal date "July 31st of odd Years", renewal fee $255, application fee $115. CPA Renewal Instructions (February 2026): renewal applications open six weeks before the expiration date and are submitted through the Online Services System; late renewals are subject to penalties. Rule 8.1(b): an initial licence issued within 90 days of the renewal date is issued through the next full licence period.

Mobility / practice privilege

Yes, by statute. 26 V.S.A. § 74c(a): an individual whose principal place of business is not in Vermont and who holds a valid CPA licence from a state the Board deems substantially equivalent to the AICPA/NASBA Uniform Accountancy Act, or who obtains NASBA National Qualification Appraisal Service verification of substantial equivalency, "shall be presumed to have qualifications" substantially equivalent to Vermont's and has practice privileges without a Vermont licence. § 74c(f): practice-privilege holders "shall not be assessed a fee or be required to provide notice to the Board." § 74c(b): the individual and the employing firm consent to Board jurisdiction, compliance with Vermont law, cessation of practice if the home-state licence lapses or is restricted, appointment of the home-state licensing authority as agent for service of process, and practice only within the home-state scope. § 74c(c): SAS audits, SSAE examinations of prospective financial information and PCAOB engagements for Vermont home-office clients "may only" be provided "through a firm registered under section 74 of this title"; § 74c(d): an individual performing services that require firm registration is not required to obtain a Vermont licence. § 74(b): a firm with no Vermont office may perform the services in § 13(1)(A)(ii) (SSARS reviews and compilations), § 13(1)(A)(v) (other SSAE examinations, reviews or agreed-upon procedures) or § 13(3) (compilations) for a Vermont home-office client and use the "CPA" or "CPA firm" title without registration only if it meets § 74(c) and (d), meets § 75(c) (peer review) as applicable, and performs the services through an individual with § 74c practice privileges.