Alaska CPA Requirements

Alaska Requirements & Education Options

General Requirement

Applicants must be at least 19 years of age.

Applicants must be of good moral character.

U.S. citizenship is required to apply for a CPA license in Alaska.

Alaska residency is not required to sit for the CPA Exam or to apply for licensure.

Candidates who pass all sections of the CPA Exam must meet Alaska’s education and experience requirements before applying for licensure.

Education Requirement

An applicant must obtain a bachelor’s degree with an accounting concentration or equivalent from a college or university acceptable to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy. The accounting concentration must include 24 semester hours of accounting coursework, such as accounting principles, intermediate accounting, income tax, cost accounting, auditing, advanced accounting, accounting theory, governmental accounting, or fraud detection. The education must also include 9 semester hours of business-related coursework, such as business law, economics, statistics, computer science, or mathematics.

A college or university acceptable to the board includes the University of Alaska, a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association recognized by the University of Alaska, or a foreign college or university whose degree program has been evaluated and determined equivalent by the NASBA International Evaluation Service (NIES) or another credential evaluation service recognized by the board.

Legislative Update: Alaska Alternative Licensure Pathway

Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Alaska repealed the 150-semester-hour education requirement for CPA licensure under HB 121. Applicants are no longer required to complete 150 semester hours or post-baccalaureate study to qualify for licensure. Instead, candidates may qualify with a bachelor’s degree with an accounting concentration, provided they also pass the CPA Exam and complete the required professional accounting experience established by the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy. Applicants should review the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy for complete rule details and guidance.