If you have ever wished there was an easier way to report your Continuing Professional Education, your wish is about to come true.
Beginning this fall, the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy (NBPA) is introducing a streamlined CPE reporting process through Certemy, the same secure licensing platform Nebraska CPAs already use to manage their permits. The new process replaces the old course-by-course data entry approach with something far simpler: upload a spreadsheet, review your information, and submit. That is really it.
The Board has heard from licensees for years that the existing reporting process was time-consuming and tedious. This change is a direct response to that feedback, and the Board is excited to finally deliver a better experience.
Who Is Affected First?
The new reporting process will roll out in two phases, following Nebraska’s even/odd birth-year renewal cycle:
- Even birth-year CPAs will be the first to use the new system, reporting their CPE earned during calendar years 2025 and 2026 in Certemy starting Dec. 1, 2026.
So, if you have an even birth year, now is a great time to start organizing your CPE records. If you have an odd birth year, your transition is just around the corner as well.
Your Reporting Timeline at a Glance
How the New Process Works
The single biggest improvement is that you no longer need to enter each course individually. Instead, you will simply upload a spreadsheet that summarizes your CPE for the full two-year reporting period. Any of the following formats are accepted:
- The NBPA’s Excel CPE Reporting Template (available on the Board’s website at nbpa.nebraska.gov);
- A CPE tracking report exported from your firm’s internal software;
- A report from the Nebraska Society of CPAs online CPE tracker; or
- Any spreadsheet that clearly lists course titles, sponsors, dates, and hours.
The bottom line: If you have been keeping up with your CPE throughout the reporting period, you are probably only a few clicks away from being done.
One important note for firm administrators: Because of the way Certemy is designed, each licensee must upload their own CPE within their individual Certemy account.
Keep Your Certificates Secure in Certemy
In addition to reporting CPE, Certemy also allows you to upload and store your certificates of completion, and the Board strongly encourages you to take advantage of this feature.
Each year, the Board conducts random CPE audits. CPAs selected for an audit receive a letter and have until June 1 to submit their documentation, which must include certificates of completion for each course taken during the audit period. Storing your certificates in Certemy means your documentation is already organized and ready to go if your name is selected.
Think of it as your personal digital filing cabinet for professional education records; no more hunting through email folders or digging through file cabinets when you need to prove compliance.
A Quick Refresher on Nebraska’s CPE Requirements
While the reporting process is getting simpler, the underlying requirements remain the same. Here is a quick overview:
- 80 hours of CPE required every two-year reporting period.
- Four of those hours must be in ethics.
- Nebraska does not require a state-specific ethics course. Any ethics course from a qualified sponsor focused on ethical principles, professional conduct, ethical decision-making, or another state’s ethics course will satisfy the requirement.
- Up to 16 hours of personal development courses may be reported.
- The AICPA Professional Ethics Exam taken for initial certification does NOT satisfy Nebraska’s ethics CPE requirement for permit renewal.
- CPE must be earned by Dec. 31 of the reporting period and reported by Jan. 31.
- Keep your CPE documentation for at least five years.
The Board also recommends (but does not require) that licensees who perform audits, reviews, or compilations earn at least 40% of their CPE hours in accounting and auditing subjects.
Start Now: Getting Ready for the New Process
You do not need to do anything differently today in terms of how you earn or document your CPE. Just keep doing what you are already doing. But as you look ahead, here are a few simple steps to set yourself up for a smooth experience this winter:
- Continue tracking your CPE throughout 2025 and 2026 using your preferred method.
- Download the NBPA’s CPE Reporting Spreadsheet from nbpa.nebraska.gov if you would like to use the Board’s recommended format.
- Log in to your Certemy account and make sure your contact information is current, so you receive the Board’s October email with instructions and the reporting form.
When Dec. 1 arrives, you will log in to Certemy, find your CPE Reporting task, upload your spreadsheet and submit. That is the whole process.
Questions? We Are Here to Help
The Board will send reminder emails and additional guidance about CPE Reporting on Oct. 1, 2026. In the meantime, if you have questions about CPE requirements, the audit process, or the new reporting system, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at (402) 471-3595 or megan.petersen@nebraska.gov. More information is available at nbpa.nebraska.gov.
The Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy looks forward to rolling out this updated process and appreciates the patience and continued dedication of Nebraska CPAs to professional excellence.
