D.C. May Let CPA Candidates Skip The Fifth Year

The 150-hour rule is not gone. But the map around it is getting crowded. D.C. just moved toward the same alternate route that most states are already building.

The New Route Is Simple

The D.C. Council unanimously advanced Bill 26-494. It would create a third path to the CPA license.

Candidates could qualify with a bachelor's degree, two years of experience, and a passing CPA exam score.

That extra year of work would stand in for the 150 college credits that usually mean a fifth year of school.

That is the part students and firms care about. The profession has been asking people to pay for more school before they can earn the credential. D.C. is now saying work experience can do some of that job.

It Is Not Law Yet

The bill still has two gates left.

Mayor Muriel Bowser has to review it. Then Congress gets its review window because D.C. laws do not move like normal state laws.

That sounds like a real delay risk. But the politics may be easier than usual because most lawmakers now come from states that already moved in this direction.

The Holdouts Are Running Out

Since early last year, about 44 states plus Puerto Rico have put similar CPA licensing changes on their books.

Michigan and Massachusetts are expected to move this year. North Dakota, Florida, Maine, and Wyoming may follow by the end of next year.

That means the third path is no longer a weird experiment. It is becoming the default direction of travel.