Guide for obtaining continuing education credits for CPFOs

The following information is applicable to CPFOs that choose to follow the original reporting requirements. This option is for CPFOs that earned the designation before 12/31/2020. CPFOs that earn the designation after 1/1/2021 will follow these requirements.

Applicable topics

A Legacy CPFO is required to obtain 30 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credits each year in order to be considered an Active CPFO. CPE credits that may be applied towards the CPFO designation must fall into one or more of the six topic areas of the Certified Public Finance Officers Program listed below:

• Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting
• Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal Policy, including “Economic Development and Capital Planning”
• Governmental Debt Management
• Managerial Skills and Ethics
• Retirement and Benefits, Risk Management, and Procurement
• Treasury and Investment Management

Applicable programs and calculating CPE credit

One CPE Credit Hour is earned for each 50 minutes of active participation.

CPE earned that meets the requirements of a state board of accountancy to maintain a CPA designation can also be used to maintain the CPFO designation.

CPE credit may be obtained in the following ways to maintain the CPFO designation in instances where a state board of accountancy may not have recognized CPE credit for maintaining a CPA designation:

• Training. This includes participation in training seminars, annual conferences, and internet training (for example, training offered by GFOA and state GFOAs, or other applicable training). The number of CPE hours granted should be based on the CPE provider’s recommended number of CPE hours for the program.
• Self-study programs. The number of CPE hours granted should be based on the CPE provider’s recommended number of CPE hours for the program.
• Curriculum of a University, college, or other educational institution. CPE course credit awarded at the rate of 15 hours for each semester hour and 10 hours for each quarter hour of school credit awarded.
• Reviewing reports for the GFOA Awards Programs. Two CPE credits per report can be earned specifically for maintaining the GFOA CPFO designation when reviewing reports in the GFOA Awards Programs, Budget program, and Popular Reporting program. The maximum number of CPE hours that can be earned by reviewing reports per year is six.
• GFOA Standing Committee. Committee members of GFOA’s national standing technical committees can earn a maximum of 4 hours per year by attending committee meetings in Washington DC and in conjunction with GFOA’s annual conference.
• Instructor, speaker, or discussion leader of an approved course. CPE credit is allowed for actual presentation time plus actual preparation time of up to 2 hours for each hour of presentation. No preparation or presentation time is allowed for repeat presentations of the same course within a two-year period.

The GFOA LMS will track CPEs from events that you attended through GFOA. For non-CPE activities or those earned outside of GFOA, you can self-report those through the GFOA LMS.

To submit non-GFOA CPEs and credits, please read the instructions here.

To view a short overview video of the submission process, click here.

CPFOs who do not meet the annual reporting requirements for five consecutive years will have their designation permanently revoked. The only exception is if a CPFO previously requested the CPFO retired status, they can become an active CPFO by paying a fee of $100 to reinstate and meet the required CPE beginning in that current calendar year.