How to Check a CPE Course Is NASBA Approved: Sponsor ID and Registry Tools

Before you pay for CPE, you want to know it will count. The practical check is to look for a Registry Sponsor ID on the sponsor's Certificate of Completion and confirm it with NASBA's Confirm Registry Sponsor tool, then check that your own state board accepts the sponsor. NASBA says the ID is located on each certificate. This guide walks through the check, explains what the tool asks for, and covers the point that surprises most CPAs: your board, not NASBA, has the final say. For the background on NASBA's role, see our what NASBA does, and for the rest of the CPE rules read our CPA CPE requirements guide.

At a glance

Step one: find the sponsor ID

Start with the certificate of completion, or the course page before you buy. NASBA says the Registry Sponsor ID is located on each certificate. A sponsor that holds Registry approval should be able to tell you its ID before you enrol. If a provider says it is NASBA approved but cannot give an ID, treat that as a warning sign and ask before you pay.

Step two: use the Confirm Registry Sponsor tool

NASBA's Confirm Registry Sponsor tool is the official check. It asks for three things: the Registry Sponsor ID, the delivery method and the program date. The delivery method matters because a sponsor is approved for specific methods. We did not find a statement that a sponsor approved for one method is covered for the others, so check the method that matches the course you are buying.

Step three: use the sponsor directory

If you only have the name, NASBA's Registry sponsor list can be searched by keyword or browsed from A to Z, and listed sponsors show a National Registry icon. The directory has no filter for self-study sponsors. Use it to find a sponsor and its ID, then run the confirmation check with the details from the certificate.

What CPAverify does not do

CPAverify, the NASBA tool people often confuse with this check, looks up CPA licences. It does not tell you whether a sponsor or a course is approved, so do not use it for this purpose. Our CPA mobility and CPE guide covers where licence verification does matter.

Step four: check your state board

NASBA approval is not the end of the check. The AICPA says state boards of accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit, and NASBA's own tool page says some boards require credits from National Registry sponsors. The Registry says all jurisdictions accept courses from Registry sponsors to a certain extent, which means acceptance is common but the extent varies. Read your board's CPE page before you buy.

What a few boards say

New York's page lists taking a course from a NASBA-registered provider among the ways to meet its requirement, and also names providers registered by another state's board. Illinois's FAQ lists members of NASBA's National Registry and of NASBA's Quality Assurance Service among acceptable sources, alongside others. Ohio's rule accepts providers approved by NASBA, among other sponsors. Florida's provider page says self-study credit in accounting, auditing and technical business subjects must come from sponsors approved by NASBA's Quality Assurance Service, but we could not read the rule itself. Texas points to its own CPE Sponsor Search tool, and we could not confirm there how it treats NASBA sponsors. We could not confirm California's current rule. Treat these as pointers, not a substitute for your board's page.

Keep the certificate

Even a verified sponsor does not remove the need for records. Keep the certificate, the course details and your payment record in case your board audits you. Our CPE audit records guide covers what boards ask for, and our CPE tracking log template gives you a layout to track credits.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know a CPE course is NASBA approved?

Find the Registry Sponsor ID on the certificate of completion, then confirm it with NASBA's Confirm Registry Sponsor tool using the ID, the delivery method and the program date.

Is NASBA approval enough for my state board?

Not always. The AICPA and NASBA both say state boards have the final authority on accepting individual courses, and some boards require National Registry sponsors.

Does CPAverify check CPE providers?

No. CPAverify looks up CPA licences, not sponsors or courses.

Can I search for a sponsor by name?

Yes. The NASBA Registry sponsor list can be searched by keyword or browsed from A to Z.

What if a provider will not give a sponsor ID?

Ask before you pay, and check your board's approved sponsor information. We could not confirm another way to verify a sponsor without the ID.

Next steps

Read the self-study rules by state and the nano-learning limits by state to see how boards treat different delivery methods. If you are comparing study options, see our Learnsignal pricing page.

Source: NASBA Confirm Registry Sponsor page, NASBA Registry sponsor list, NASBA article on CPAverify (November 2023), AICPA notice on CPE credit, the Registry page on jurisdictions that accept Registry sponsors, and the New York, Illinois, Ohio, Florida and Texas board pages. Checked October 2026.