West Virginia and Nebraska just became the latest states to ditch the 150-hour rule.

Both states signed alternative CPA licensure pathways into law this week, joining roughly 30 other states that have already made the shift. The message is clear: the profession is done gatekeeping.

West Virginia’s law goes into effect May 24. Nebraska’s kicks in three months after the legislative session ends (exact date TBD).

In both states, you can now become a CPA with a bachelor’s degree, two years of experience, and passing the CPA exam. No master’s required. No extra year of credits.

West Virginia’s Three Pathways

Governor Patrick Morrisey signed House Bill 4088 into law on Monday, creating three routes to licensure:

• Bachelor’s + 30 credits in accounting + 1 year of experience

• Bachelor’s with accounting concentration + 2 years of experience

• Master’s or graduate degree in accounting + 1 year of experience

All paths still require passing the CPA exam. But the 150-hour barrier is gone.

“We realize there’s an accounting shortage and we are proactively taking care of ourselves,” Megan Kueck, CEO of the West Virginia Society of CPAs, told CFO Dive.

Translation: we need CPAs more than we need purity tests.

Nebraska Follows the Same Model

On February 26, Governor Jim Pillen signed LB718 into law, creating nearly identical pathways:

• Bachelor’s + 2 years of experience

• Bachelor’s + 30 credits + 1 year of experience

• Master’s + 1 year of experience

Again, all paths require passing the CPA exam.

The law goes into effect three months after the legislative session wraps. Nebraska’s session runs through mid-April, so expect the new pathways to kick in around late July.

The 150-Hour Rule Is Dying

For decades, becoming a CPA meant 150 semester hours of college credit — the equivalent of a bachelor’s plus a master’s, or a bachelor’s plus an extra year of random credits.

The argument for it: CPAs need deep expertise. More education = better accountants.

The reality: it became a financial and time barrier that kept talented people out of the profession. Students looked at the cost of an extra year of school, the delayed earnings, and the debt load — and chose something else.

Now, with the talent shortage hitting crisis levels, states are reversing course. West Virginia and Nebraska are just the latest.

What This Means for Firms

If you’re hiring in West Virginia or Nebraska, your candidate pool just expanded. You can now recruit bachelor’s-level grads, get them two years of training, and have them sit for the CPA exam without waiting for them to finish a master’s program.

For students, the calculus just changed. You can enter the workforce sooner, start earning, and get licensed without taking on another year of tuition debt.

For the profession, this is survival. Fewer barriers = more CPAs. And right now, that’s what matters.

The Bigger Picture

West Virginia and Nebraska aren’t outliers. They’re part of a national trend. Roughly 30 states now offer alternative CPA pathways that don’t require 150 hours.

Nevada passed similar legislation in February (effective Feb. 27). Colorado, Utah, and others have been on this path for years.

The 150-hour rule isn’t dead everywhere yet. But it’s on life support.

And for a profession desperate to fill seats, that’s progress.