(a) To qualify for the certified public accountant license, an applicant who is applying under this section shall meet the education, examination, and experience requirements specified in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), or otherwise prescribed pursuant to this article. The board may adopt regulations as necessary to implement this section.

(b) An applicant for the certified public accountant license shall present satisfactory evidence that the applicant has completed a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a college or university, meeting, at a minimum, the standards described in Section 5094, the total educational program to include a minimum of 24 semester units in accounting subjects and 24 semester units in business related subjects. This evidence shall be provided prior to admission to the examination for the certified public accountant license, except that an applicant who applied, qualified, and sat for at least two subjects of the examination for the certified public accountant license before May 15, 2002, may provide this evidence at the time of application for licensure.

(c) An applicant for the certified public accountant license shall pass an examination prescribed by the board pursuant to this article.

(d) The applicant shall show, to the satisfaction of the board, that the applicant has had two years of qualifying experience. This experience may include providing any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills. To be qualifying under this section, experience shall have been performed in accordance with applicable professional standards. Experience in public accounting shall be completed under the supervision or in the employ of a person licensed or otherwise having comparable authority under the laws of any state or country to engage in the practice of public accountancy. Experience in private or governmental accounting or auditing shall be completed under the supervision of an individual licensed by a state to engage in the practice of public accountancy.

(e) This section shall become inoperative on January 1, 2014, but shall become or remain operative if the educational requirements in ethics study and accounting study established by subdivision (b) of Section 5093, Section 5094.3, and Section 5094.6 are reduced or eliminated.

(f) The amendment to subdivision (d) of Section 5094.3 made by the measure adding this subdivision shall not be deemed to reduce or eliminate the educational requirements of Section 5094.3 for purposes of subdivision (e) of this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 634, Sec. 1. (SB 1479) Effective January 1, 2017. Conditionally inoperative on January 1, 2014, as provided in subd. (e).)