The Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy recently published the following information for a "It's CPE Time" article in its latest newsletter.

As many of you are working on completing your annual CPE requirements, here are few important reminders. Sponsors of CPE While there are many sources of legitimate CPE, it’s important to know you are taking CPE that will qualify.  

First, CPE courses provided by the Alabama Society of CPAs, the AICPA, and any NASBA Registry Sponsor are acceptable without additional review. Additionally, you may find other opportunities beyond those sources. In those instances, either request or have the course sponsor representative request CPE Approval through the Board. The CPE Approval Request Form can be found on the Board website at https://asbpa.alabama.gov/. 

CPE Documentation What You Need and When You Need It 

The CPE Rules require that you have independent verification from the course sponsor that you either attended or successfully completed the course. You must retain from the course sponsor a signed certificate of completion that includes the following:

• Your name
• Title of course
• Field of study
• Dates of attendance or completion
• Delivery method 
• Number of hours earned

When do you need this documentation?

You must have your documentation of completion before you submit your annual registration. Each licensee must submit a signed statement under penalty of perjury that all courses have been successfully completed. If you have any question whether your documentation is acceptable, please submit it for review to Nicole Robinson. There are some rare instances where slightly different documentation from the course sponsor are acceptable, and in those such instances you should reach out to Nicole Robinson for verification. 

Documentation that is not sufficient includes but is not limited to the following:

• Registration for a course
• Meeting notice
• Payment for a course
• Travel documents
• A statement from a friend or co-worker that you attended a course
• Presentation slides
• Magazine articles