Virginia Law

A. Continuing professional education acceptable to the board may be obtained through a variety of forums, provided there is a means of demonstrating that the education was obtained. The acceptable forums are:

1. Attending seminars and educational conferences, provided that the instructors have appropriate knowledge of the subject matter and use appropriate teaching materials and that attendance is monitored in a manner that can be verified by the board;

2. Completing courses at an accredited institution for credit;

3. Completing self-study courses, provided there is a method for determining that the person met the learning objectives;

4. Making a presentation at a professional seminar, educational conference, or in a classroom setting, provided the person has appropriate knowledge of the subject matter and uses appropriate teaching materials;

5. Writing material that is relevant to providing services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer that is formally reviewed by an independent party and that is published in a book, magazine, or similar publication; and

6. Passing examinations and obtaining certifications that have been approved by the board.

Whether other forums are acceptable shall be determined by the board on a case-by-case basis.

B. In determining whether a person has obtained the required number of hours of continuing professional education:

1. Repeat presentations, examinations, and courses shall not be considered.

2. No more than 30 hours from preparing for and making presentations shall be considered during each three-calendar-year period.

3. One semester-hour of credit for courses at an accredited institution constitutes 15 hours of continuing professional education, and one quarter-hour of credit constitutes 10 hours of continuing professional education.

4. Credit for examination and certification shall be awarded for the calendar year in which the examination was passed and certification was received. If passage of the examination and certification occur in different calendar years, credit shall be awarded for the calendar year in which the examination was passed. The board shall determine how many hours are credited per certification.

5. No more than 60 hours from examination and certification shall be considered during each three-calendar-year period.

C. Depending on the facts and circumstances, the board may waive all or part of the continuing professional education requirement for one or more calendar years or grant additional time for complying with the continuing professional education requirement, provided that the waiver or deferral is in the public interest.

D. Evidence of satisfactory completion of the continuing professional education requirements shall include:

1. Certificates of completion or some other form of documentation from the continuing professional education sponsor, including the sponsor's name, participant's name, course or content name, date taken, and hours of continuing professional education earned;

2. Official transcripts of the college or university for earning course credit at an accredited college or university;

3. A syllabus or agenda and a signed statement from the sponsoring individual or sponsoring organization indicating the length of the presentation for making a presentation;

4. A copy of the published article, book, written material, or other proof of publication for producing written material relevant to CPAs who provide services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer; or

5. In the case of exams and certifications that have been approved by the board, a letter from the administering organization that identifies the passage of the exam or the certification, the participant's name, and the date of passage or certification;

The board shall not accept receipts, registration confirmations, canceled checks, outlines, presentation slides, or sign-in sheets as valid evidence of satisfactory completion of the continuing professional education requirements. Whether other documentation is acceptable shall be determined by the board on a case-by-case basis.

E. A person who holds a Virginia license shall retain evidence of his satisfactory completion of the continuing professional education requirements for a period of four years preceding the current calendar year.

F. One continuing professional education hour is satisfied by 50 minutes of participation in a program of continuing professional education.