It’s that time again—the 2027 triennial license renewal period for certified public accountants (CPAs) and CPA firms in Illinois will begin on or about June 30, 2027.
Coinciding with this renewal period, CPAs and CPA firms will need to renew their licenses through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s (IDFPR’s) new professional licensing system: the Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment (CORE). Considering the difficulties many licensees experienced during previous renewal years, the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) is working with IDFPR leadership to address issues, identify challenges, and learn new aspects of the updated renewal process and system ahead of time.
Our plan is to produce a series of columns dedicated to the 2027 license renewal process—at least until the new portal opens. Through these columns, I’ll focus on continuing professional education (CPE), the documentation submission process, and my learnings about the new process to keep everyone aware of what’s changing.
First things first, registered CPAs don’t have to complete CPE, but fully licensed CPAs must complete 120 hours of CPE credit as outlined in Section 1420.70 of the Illinois Administrative Code (IAC). Importantly, CPE reciprocity is available for Illinois-licensed CPAs who live outside of Illinois and hold active licenses in their states of residence.
Beginning with the 2027 license renewal process, Illinois-licensed CPAs will be required to upload CPE certificates for completed courses. This is different than in previous years when licensees just had to check a box attesting that they completed 120 hours of CPE. Further, for 2027, licensees will need to upload relevant documentation in three categories: sexual harassment prevention, ethics, and profession specific. Arguably, this is redundant, and ICPAS is working with IDFPR leadership to improve this within the new system’s parameters.
While CPAs will be able to upload CPE transcripts from licensed CPE providers (such as ICPAS), it’s uncertain what type of documentation will be required for non-verifiable CPE. Although, according to Subsection (b)(4)(B) of the IAC, acceptable evidence for completion of non-verifiable CPE hours includes:
Notably, CORE will be able to perform an automated audit of claimed CPE credits, and there will be a process for licensees to respond to automated flagged credits. (This is why retaining certificates and documentation is so important.)
For licensees who’ve encountered instances of extreme hardship, such as military service, an incapacitating illness, or other extenuating circumstances, there’s a formal waiver process you’ll have to complete in advance of the renewal period to avoid license renewal delays.
The good news in all this change is that other professions have been brought into the new CORE system ahead of ours, which means IDFPR has been correcting early bugs and other program shortcomings along the way. I suspect this will help make our profession’s renewal process more streamlined and less burdensome.
Of course, ICPAS will continue discussions and planning with IDFPR and, more importantly, communicate any important updates on the process as information becomes available.
For now, it’s time to get things in order for the 2027 renewal window. Now would be a good time to assemble a file of required certificates and other documents to avoid delays—or worse, your license not being renewed. In the meantime, licensees should review Section 1420.70 of the IAC.
