Missouri signs CPA pathway bills into law

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 1233 into law, creating an additional pathway to CPA licensure, effective Aug. 28, 2026.

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The new law, backed by the Missouri Society of CPAs, allows CPA candidates to apply for licensure with a bachelor’s degree, two years of experience and passage of the CPA exam. It also preserves practice mobility for out-of-state CPAs.

(Read more: “The 150-hour revolution in accounting.”)

“We are excited to see Missouri adopt these changes — expanding pathways to CPA licensure while preserving mobility,” commented Dena Hull, vice president of strategy and communications at the MOCPA. “It definitely marks an important step forward for the profession, increasing flexibility without compromising the rigor that defines the CPA designation.”

“We have simultaneously been working with our state board of accountancy to file rule revisions that contain details pertaining to the statute,” Hull continued. “These should be filed within the next couple of weeks.”

Missouri is the latest state to pass licensing reforms, as part of the nearly complete nationwide movement to address the professions’ talent shortage by making accounting more accessible. Only a few states and territories have yet to formalize changes.