California Continuing Education Requirements
Continuing education (CE) for licensed professionals in California is set by each profession's own state board — California Architects Board, California Board of Accountancy, Physical Therapy Board of California, Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, California Department of Real Estate (DRE), and California Board of Registered 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 California breakdown.
California CE Requirements at a Glance
| Profession | Contact Hours | Renewal Cycle | Online? | Key Topics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architect | 10 | 2 yr | Yes | Disability access requirements, Zero Net Carbon Design (ZNCD) | View → |
| CPA (Certified Public Accountant) | 80 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics, Regulatory Review | View → |
| Physical Therapist (PT) | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Basic Life Support (hands-on), Ethics, Laws and Regulations | View → |
| Professional Engineer (PE) | None | — | — | — | View → |
| Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) | None | — | — | — | View → |
| Real Estate Agent / Broker | 45 | 4 yr | Yes | Ethics, Agency | View → |
| Registered Nurse (RN) | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Implicit Bias, Gerontology / Dementia Care | View → |
Notable California Requirements
Specific mandates California boards impose that often trip up license holders:
- Architect Disability access requirements — 5 hours — Five hours of coursework on disability access requirements must be completed each two-year renewal cycle. Full Architect details →
- Architect Zero Net Carbon Design (ZNCD) — 5 hours — Five hours of coursework on zero net carbon design must be completed each two-year renewal cycle. Full Architect details →
- CPA Ethics — 4 hours — Ethics hours are not interchangeable with Regulatory Review hours. Full CPA details →
- CPA Regulatory Review — 2 hours — Board-approved Regulatory Review course required every 6 years. Full CPA details →
- PT Basic Life Support (hands-on) — 4 hours — Any BLS course comparable to or more advanced than the American Heart Association's BLS for Health Care Providers course is credited at a flat 4 hours regardless of actual duration, and the hands-on skills component is required (cannot be satisfied purely online). Full PT details →
- PT Ethics, Laws and Regulations — 2 hours — Two hours in ethics, laws and regulations, or some combination thereof. Full PT details →
Browse by Profession
California Licensing Boards
CE requirements on this page are sourced from each profession's official California board:
- Architect
- CPA
- PT
- PE
- PLS
- Real Estate
- RN
Other States
Browse CE requirements for another state: