Louisiana CPA Requirements

Louisiana Requirements & Education Options

General Requirement

Applicants must be of good moral character.

Residency Requirement: Louisiana residency is required to sit for the CPA Exam. U.S. citizenship is not required.

An examination candidate who passes all sections of the CPA Exam must meet Louisiana’s education and experience requirements before applying for licensure.

Education Requirement

CPA Exam candidates in Louisiana must complete a minimum of 120 semester hours of college education, including a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university recognized by the Louisiana State Board of Certified Public Accountants, in order to sit for the CPA Exam.

The required education must include at least 24 semester hours in accounting coursework and 24 semester hours in business-related subjects. Accounting coursework must cover areas such as financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and managerial accounting. Business coursework may include subjects such as business law, economics, finance, management, marketing, statistics, or information systems, as recognized by the Board.

To obtain a CPA license in Louisiana, an applicant must complete 150 total semester hours of college education, including a bachelor’s degree or higher with concentrations in accounting and business-related subjects acceptable to the Board.

In addition to the educational requirements, candidates must complete 1 year (2,000 hours) of qualifying professional experience in accounting under the supervision of a licensed CPA. The experience must involve the application of accounting, auditing, taxation, or consulting skills, as recognized by the Board.

A transcript from a post-secondary educational institution located outside the United States shall be certified by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s (NASBA) International Evaluation Service (NIES) or a credentialing agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc.