Maryland lawmakers have approved House Bill 643, a change to Cpa licensure that adds a new experience-based path while keeping the state’s existing education model intact. The full Senate gave the measure unanimous approval late Thursday after the bill cleared committee earlier this week without opposition.
The legislation now goes to Gov. Wes Moore for his signature and would take effect on Oct. 1, 2026. If signed, it would give Maryland candidates a third way to qualify for a license: a bachelor’s degree, two years of relevant professional experience and passage of the CPA Exam.
That matters because Maryland candidates have long had only two primary routes into the profession. One required a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in accounting plus 30 additional credit hours. The other required a master’s degree in accounting. Both paths also required passing the CPA Exam and completing at least one year of relevant professional experience.
House Bill 643 was sponsored by State Delegates Kriselda Valderrama, Lily Qi and William Wivell, and it earned unanimous approval in the House in early March before crossing to the Senate. The Senate’s Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee moved it forward earlier this week without opposition, and the full chamber followed with a unanimous vote late Thursday.
The law does not eliminate the 150-hour model, reduce examination requirements or weaken supervision standards. Instead, it keeps the current framework in place and adds another route intended to widen the pipeline into the profession. MACPA CEO Rebekah Olson said the new pathway will open doors for more CPA candidates and help employers address critical talent needs.
Olson called the vote “a tremendous victory for Maryland’s CPA profession” and said the change would “strengthen the pipeline without compromising the rigor and trust that define the CPA credential.” She also said lawmakers recognized the need to modernize licensure in a thoughtful, responsible way and that their support would mean substantial, meaningful change for the state’s CPAs, future CPAs and Maryland businesses.
Maryland is joining a broader national push to update CPA licensure rules, with dozens of states either enacting or considering similar changes in recent years. The new law keeps the credential’s core tests and oversight intact, but it gives candidates with work experience a direct path that had not previously existed in the state. The next step is Moore’s decision, and if he signs the bill, Maryland’s revised CPA rules will be set to begin in the fall of 2026.
