CPA requirements in New Jersey
New Jersey licenses CPAs through the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy. Exam eligibility: 120 semester hours including accounting and business coursework. Licensure: 150 semester hours, or a bachelor's plus two years of experience under the 2026 pathway. Experience: one year under the 150-hour route; two years under the bachelor's pathway.
$100,830
median accountant wage, New JerseyBLS OEWS · May 2025
$110,590
mean annual wageBLS OEWS · May 2025
42,250
accounting jobs in the stateBLS OEWS · May 2025
Requirements
The sheet
| Exam eligibility (education) | 120 semester hours including accounting and business coursework |
| License education | 150 semester hours, or a bachelor's plus two years of experience under the 2026 pathway |
| Experience | One year under the 150-hour route; two years under the bachelor's pathway |
| Ethics requirement | No separate pre-license ethics exam; New Jersey law and ethics CPE required each cycle |
| CPE after licensure | 120 hours per three-year cycle, including four hours in New Jersey law and ethics |
Compiled 2026-08-02 from the board's published framework. Rules change; New Jersey State Board of Accountancy is the source of record before you file anything.
Pathway status
The 120-hour question in this state
Enacted. New Jersey's additional pathway (bachelor's degree plus two years of experience plus the exam) took effect February 11, 2026 (NJCPA advocacy page, checked 2026-08-02). Cross-jurisdiction context: AICPA/NASBA model legislation, May 2025NASBA · May 2025, and NASBA's licensure-pathways list.
Moving
Reciprocity
Reciprocity for substantially equivalent licensees.
Neighbouring sheet: CPA requirements in New York. Path overview: how to become a CPA; exam detail: the CPA exam; all states: the master table.