After earning your CPA license, you are expected to keep up with your knowledge through continuing professional education. Learn the Michigan CPA CPE requirements and license renewal information so you can always remain in good standing.
Renewing your Michigan CPA license
Michigan requires all CPAs to renew their license every two years by July 31. The year of your renewal will occur two years after when your license is first issued, so if you receive it on March 15, 2023, you will have to meet the requirements and renew by July 31, 2025, and renew every two years after this. However, if you received your license March 15, 2024, it wouldn't be due for renewal until July 31, 2026.
To renew your CPA license in Michigan, follow these steps:
- Complete your CPE requirements by June 30 of the renewal year.
- Receive your renewal notification by around May 31, or 60 days before the due date
- Create an account or log in to the Michigan Professional Licensing User System (MiPLUS)
- Add your CPE information into the MICPA CPE tracker. You'll receive a tracking code which you can then enter into the MiPLUS portal.
- Pay the renewal fee and submit your application.
Make sure you print confirmation for your records.
Michigan CPE requirements
To meet your CPA CPE requirements, you will need to complete 80 hours of qualifying coursework by June 30 of each two-year renewal period. Within those 80 hours, you'll need to meet the following:
- Earn 40 hours of CPE every year
- Note: You can carry over 40 hours of CPE each year, but those only carry forward, and are not retroactive. For example, if you earn 80 hours in the first year of your renewal period, you can carry those hours forward. However, you can't earn 80 hours in the second year of renewal and have those count toward meeting your CPE requirements the first year.
- Eight hours of Accounting and Auditing CPE every year
- Two years of ethics CPE every year
- During the two-year renewal period, you must earn one hour of Michigan-specific ethics.
- No more than 20 hours of CPE can come from self-study or on-demand courses. The rest must come from live in-person sessions or live webcasts.
Becker's CPE course, Ethics, Integrity, and the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct provides three qualifying credits for general ethics in Michigan.
Meeting your Michigan CPA CPE requirements with Becker
Becker offers relevant courses in a flexible format to help you meet your CPE requirements more easily.
- NASBA-approved provider
- Over 1,000 live webcasts each year, 750 on-demand courses, plus weekly CPE podcasts
- CPE courses across 19 fields of study, including tax, accounting, audit, and ethics
- Experienced instructors who bring years of practical knowledge and real-world insights
- Monthly, quarterly, and annual update courses in tax, audit, and accounting to keep you aware and updated on the latest changes in laws, regulations, and court rulings.
Tips to meet your Michigan CPE requirements
Meeting your CPE requirements can seem challenging, but with these tips, you can help take some of the stress out of your continuing education.
Find CPE that works with your lifestyle
Finding time for CPE is probably the biggest hurdle to meeting your requirements. While you can only earn 50% of your credits through self-study, this flexibility allows you to earn credits at the best time for you, even on your lunch break or listening to a CPE podcast while walking the dog. Also, Becker's webcast calendar offers live courses at several times throughout the day, plus evenings and weekends.
Keep up with your progress
It’s difficult to remember how many hours you’ve completed, when it’s due, and if you’ve met the more specific CPE requirements that Michigan has. Using Becker’s CPE Compliance Tracker keeps all your CPE in one place (including from other sources) so you can easily see your progress, what you have left, and get recommendations for classes that align with your interests.
Block out time each month
Instead of scrambling to earn 40 hours of CPE in two or three months, especially right after busy season, block out a bit of time each month. Try to earn four hours of CPE each month, and this will give you a cushion if you miss a month near your renewal date.
Consider what you want to learn
Instead of thinking about education as a necessary hassle, reposition how you think of it. CPE helps you learn new skills that can help you succeed in your career. Perhaps you want to focus more on international tax — take CPE courses that help you build that foundational knowledge. If you're considering working in a particular industry, CPE courses in real estate accounting, pharmaceutical accounting, and other areas can help you transition your career. Consider what you want your career to look like and take courses to support it!