Alabama Continuing Education Requirements
Continuing education (CE) for licensed professionals in Alabama is set by each profession's own state board — Alabama State Board for Registration of Architects, Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy, Alabama Board of Physical Therapy, Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC), and Alabama Board of Nursing. Every board sets its own contact-hour total, renewal cycle, and mandatory subjects. Compare all 7 professions below, then open a profession for the full Alabama breakdown.
Alabama CE Requirements at a Glance
| Profession | Contact Hours | Renewal Cycle | Online? | Key Topics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architect | 12 | 1 yr | Yes | Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) | View → |
| CPA (Certified Public Accountant) | 40 | 1 yr | Yes | Accounting and Auditing, Ethics | View → |
| Physical Therapist (PT) | 10 | 1 yr | Yes | Alabama Physical Therapy Jurisprudence (Practice Act & Administrative Code), Direct Access supplemental CE (professional standard of care) | View → |
| Professional Engineer (PE) | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Professional ethics, Standards of Practice for Surveying in the State of Alabama | View → |
| Real Estate Agent / Broker | 15 | 2 yr | Yes | Risk Management: Initial Contact to Accepted Offer, Mandatory Broker CE | View → |
| Registered Nurse (RN) | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | Nurse Practice Act | View → |
Notable Alabama Requirements
Specific mandates Alabama boards impose that often trip up license holders:
- Architect Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) — 12 hours — All 12 CEH each calendar year must be devoted to health, safety, and welfare (HSW) subjects related to the practice of architecture and earned in a structured setting. Full Architect details →
- CPA Accounting and Auditing — 8 hours — At least 8 of the 40 hours must be in accounting and auditing subjects. Full CPA details →
- CPA Ethics — 2 hours — At least 2 hours per year in a qualifying ethics course covering rules of professional conduct. Full CPA details →
- PT Alabama Physical Therapy Jurisprudence (Practice Act & Administrative Code) — 2 hours — Required with EVERY licensee's first renewal (2 of the 10 hours for new-exam licensees; 2 jurisprudence + 8 general = 10 total for endorsement/score-transfer licensees). Full PT details →
- PT Direct Access supplemental CE (professional standard of care) — 2 hours — Only required for PTs who plan to see patients without a physician referral (Direct Access practice). Full PT details →
- PLS Professional ethics — 1 hour — All professional land surveyors must complete at least 1 PDH on ethics every year (2 PDH across a biennial cycle). Full PLS details →
Browse by Profession
Alabama Licensing Boards
CE requirements on this page are sourced from each profession's official Alabama board:
- Architect
- CPA
- PT
- PE
- PLS
- Real Estate
- RN
Other States
Browse CE requirements for another state: