Section 193A.10.5. Basic requirement.

         10.5(1) Except as provided in subrules 10.5(2) to 10.5(7), an applicant for renewal shall have completed 120 hours of qualifying continuing professional education during the three-year period ending on the December 31 or June 30 preceding the July 1 renewal date of the certificate or license. The following conditions shall apply:

            a.               On each online or paper renewal, a CPA or LPA shall self-select December 31 or June 30 as the date by which continuing education requirements must be satisfied in order to be eligible to renew the certificate or license.

            b.               A CPA or LPA applying to renew a certificate or license may declare a continuing education deadline of December 31 in one renewal cycle and a continuing education deadline of June 30 in a subsequent renewal cycle, and vice versa.

            c.               Licensees shall maintain continuing education records in a manner that corresponds with the self-selected continuing education deadline of December 31 or June 30.

            d.               When declaring a June 30 continuing education deadline, licensees must be cautious to ensure that the continuing education is fully completed on or prior to the date the renewal application is submitted to the board.

            e.               Licensees who renew with penalty during the 30-day grace period following June 30 must declare either December 31 or June 30 as the continuing education deadline and may not extend the deadline beyond June 30.

         10.5(2) At the first annual renewal date of July 1 that is less than 12 months from the date of filing of the initial application for the certificate or license, the certificate holder or license holder shall not be required to report continuing professional education.

         10.5(3) At the annual renewal date of July 1 that is 12 months or more than 12 months, but less than 24 months, from the date of filing of the initial application for the certificate or license, the certificate holder or license holder shall report 40 hours of continuing professional education earned in the one-year period ending December 31 or June 30 prior to the July 1 renewal date.

         10.5(4) At the annual renewal date of July 1 that is 24 months or more than 24 months, but less than 36 months, from the date of filing of the initial application for the certificate or license, the certificate holder or license holder shall report 80 hours of continuing professional education earned in the two-year period ending December 31 or June 30 prior to the July 1 renewal date.

         10.5(5) A licensee shall be deemed to have complied with the requirements of this rule if, for the period that the licensee is a resident of another state or district having a continuing professional education requirement, the licensee met the resident state’s mandatory requirement.

         10.5(6) The board shall have authority to make exceptions for reasons of individual hardship including health, certified by a medical doctor, military service, foreign residency, retirement, or other good cause. No exceptions shall be made solely because of age. Applicants entitled to a full or partial exception under the provisions of Iowa Code section 272C.2, subsection 4, for active military service or government service outside of the United States may request an exception by submitting acceptable documentation as applicable to the exception requested. Applicants seeking an exception on other grounds of undue hardship must submit an application for waiver or variance as provided in 193—Chapter 5.

         10.5(7) Licensees who apply to reinstate a lapsed or inactive certificate or license to active status pursuant to 193A—subrule 5.6(3) or 5.9(7) shall satisfy the basic requirement of 120 hours of continuing professional education earned in the preceding three-year period prior to the date of the application, including all required mandatory education described in rule 193A—10.7(542). Once the certificate or license is reinstated, the basic requirement shall apply at each subsequent renewal. The 120-hour requirement described in this subrule shall be modified as needed to incorporate the phase-in schedule for initial licensees described in subrules 10.5(2) to 10.5(4).

[ARC 9002B, IAB 8/11/10, effective 1/1/11; ARC 1360C, IAB 3/5/14, effective 4/9/14; ARC 2152C, IAB 9/30/15, effective 11/4/15]