Title of Regulation: 18VAC5-22. Board of Accountancy Regulations (amending 18VAC5-22-20, 18VAC5-22-40, 18VAC5-22-50, 18VAC5-22-70, 18VAC5-22-90, 18VAC5-22-120, 18VAC5-22-170, 18VAC5-22-180; adding 18VAC5-22-91).

Statutory Authority: §§ 54.1-4402 and 54.1-4403 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Hearing Information:

August 4, 2020 - 10 a.m. - 9960 Mayland Drive, Second Floor Conference Center, Henrico, Virginia 23233

Public Comment Deadline: August 21, 2020.

Agency Contact: Nancy Glynn, Executive Director, Board of Accountancy, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 402, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-8540, FAX (804) 527-4409, TTY (804) 367-9753, or email nancy.glynn@boa.virginia.gov.

Basis: Virginia Board of Accountancy (VBOA) regulations are promulgated under the general authority of § 54.1-4403 of the Code of Virginia, which gives the board the power and duty to promulgate regulations in accordance with the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia) as necessary to ensure continued competency, to prevent deceptive or misleading practices by licensees, and to effectively administer the regulatory system.

Purpose: The VBOA regularly receives informal and formal feedback about the agency's processes and rules. Feedback received includes concerns that the regulations are confusing. By simplifying the language where possible and making minor changes where appropriate, the proposed amendments should make the regulations more easily understandable. This includes making word choice and phrasing more consistent throughout the regulations so that the public and certified public accountants (CPAs) should be better able to understand the statutes and regulations associated with the VBOA.

Substance: Simple corrections or additions to the language are made for the purpose of clarity and consistency in 18VAC5-22-40, 18VAC5-22-50, and 18VAC-5-22-70.

Reporting requirements are clarified as well as added to 18VAC5-22-170; renewal requirements from 18VAC5-22-170 are moved into 18VAC5-22-180, and initial and reinstatement licensure provisions are clarified.

Three subsections of 18VAC5-22-90 are being moved to create new section 18VAC5-22-91, Documentation of continuing professional education. The language remaining in 18VAC5-22-90 is amended for clarification purposes.

Issues: The major advantage of the proposed amendments is that the regulation should be more clearly understood by the public, CPAs, and CPA applicants. Another advantage is that by requiring the disclosure of disciplinary sanctions against CPAs and CPA firms within 30 calendar days (18VAC5-22-170), the public will be better protected and more informed when seeking services from a CPA or a CPA firm. In addition, the section regarding the annual renewal of licenses (18VAC5-22-180) is greatly reduced and provides further clarification for renewal dates, particularly for new and recent licensees.

There are no known disadvantages to the public or businesses or for the agency or Commonwealth.

Periodic Review and Small Business Impact Review Report of Findings: This fast-track regulatory action serves as the report of the findings of the regulatory review pursuant to § 2.2-4007.1 of the Code of Virginia.

Department of Planning and Budget's Economic Impact Analysis:

Summary of the Proposed Amendments to Regulation. The Board of Accountancy (Board) proposes to require that certified public accountant (CPA) licensees notify the Board within 30 days of 1) any administrative disciplinary action that the licensee is the subject of or party to before any court, agency of the state or federal government, branch of the U.S. armed forces, or before the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants or their successors, 2) any conviction concerning a felony or misdemeanor, regardless of whether sentence is imposed, suspended, or executed, 3) any guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere, 4) any final judgment rendered against the holder in a civil court of law, or 5) any receipt of a peer review report or a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board firm inspection report containing criticisms of or identifying potential defects in the firm's quality control systems. The Board also proposes to: a) have licensure applications expire after six years, b) have licenses that start on or after March 1 not expire until June 30 of the following year, c) add current guidance document text on continuing professional education (CPE) to the regulation, and d) add clarifying text.

Background. The items the Board proposes to require licensees to report within 30 days are currently asked to be self-reported in various combinations when the following forms are filled out: exam application, license application, license renewal, and license reinstatement. The current regulation does not ask for such self-reporting outside of the forms.

There is no current expiration date on licensure applications. Under the current regulation, all licenses expire on June 30, regardless of when they start.

Estimated Benefits and Costs. According to Board staff, the Board would use the information required to be reported within 30 days to make decisions on discipline. To the extent this proposed requirement is complied with,¹ this would allow the Board to receive relevant information considerably sooner.

Currently, the information is not requested before annual license renewal. Appropriate discipline to help protect the public could be meted out potentially several months sooner than without the proposed requirement.

The Board's website has a CPA Licensure Lookup feature.² Members of the public considering hiring a CPA can check licensure status and any discipline received for CPAs being considered for hire. Since as described the proposal to report information within 30 days would likely result in discipline occurring considerably sooner, that information would also be recorded in CPA Licensure Lookup sooner. This would allow consumers to be better informed in considering potential CPAs to hire.

According to Board staff, under the current regulation an applicant can submit an application for licensure before having completed all requirements for licensure. The Board's proposal to have licensure applications expire after six years, and thus require that a new application be submitted, would effectively allow the Board to require that the applicant demonstrate continued competence. To the extent that objective is achieved, this would be beneficial for the public, though costly for the applicant who would have to pay another application fee (currently $75) and perhaps complete additional activities or courses to demonstrate continued competence.

Under the current regulation, by having all licenses expire on June 30 regardless of when they start, some new licenses are very short in duration and are not prorated. The proposal to have licenses that start on or after March 1 not expire until June 30 of the following year is substantially beneficial for affected CPAs.

Businesses and Other Entities Affected. The proposed amendments affect the 30,000 CPAs³ in the Commonwealth, as well as CPA licensure applicants. Since adverse impact is indicated if there is any increase in net cost or reduction in net revenue for any entity, even if the benefits of the proposal exceed the costs for all entities combined, adverse impact is indicated for this action because costs would increase for those applicants whose application for licensure expires after six years and who chose to submit a new application and pay the corresponding fees and demonstrate continued competence as instructed by the Board. Data are not available to indicate the number of persons who may be affected in this way.

Small Businesses⁴ Affected: The proposed amendments do not appear to directly affect small businesses.

Localities⁵ Affected.⁶ The proposed amendments neither disproportionately affect any particular locality nor introduce costs for local governments.

Projected Impact on Employment. The proposed amendments do not appear to affect total employment.

Effects on the Use and Value of Private Property. The proposed amendments do not substantially affect private property, and do not affect real estate development costs.

__________________________

¹The incentive to not report negative information may be countered by fines or harsher discipline than otherwise would be meted if found out by non-reported means after 30 days.

²See https://secure1.boa.virginia.gov/Verification/

3Approximate figures provided by the Board.

⁴Pursuant to § 2.2-4007.04 of the Code of Virginia, small business is defined as "a business entity, including its affiliates, that (i) is independently owned and operated and (ii) employs fewer than 500 full-time employees or has gross annual sales of less than $6 million."

⁵"Locality" can refer to either local governments or the locations in the Commonwealth where the activities relevant to the regulatory change are most likely to occur.

⁶§ 2.2-4007.04 defines "particularly affected" as bearing disproportionate material impact.

Agency's Response to Economic Impact Analysis: The Virginia Board of Accountancy (VBOA) concurs with the proposed regulation to report disciplinary sanctions within 30 days of the event, appropriate disciplinary action could be pursued sooner, helping to protect the public. The VBOA also concurs with the positive effects this would have with regard to the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Licensure Lookup feature.

The VBOA concurs that the proposal to have licensure applications expire after six years helps protect the public by ensuring the continued competence of the applicant. Although the additional application fee and potential additional activities to ensure compliance would be an increased cost to the applicant, the VBOA does not often encounter renewed efforts to seek licensure from applications who have reached this expiration mark.

The VBOA concurs that the proposal to adjust the window for future license renewal from newly established licensees is substantially beneficial to affected CPAs.

As the economic impact analysis states, the only adverse impact is for individuals whose application for licensure expires after six years and who wish to continue to pursue the license application at that point. The proposed regulation, however, should help to protect the public by ensuring continued competence. This is in line with the VBOA mission, which is to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth through a regulatory program of licensure and compliance of CPAs and CPA firms.

Summary:

As the result of a periodic review, the proposed amendments require that certified public accountant (CPA) licensees notify the board within 30 days of (i) any administrative disciplinary action that the licensee is the subject of or party to before any court, agency of the state or federal government, branch of the United States armed forces, or before the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, or their successors; (ii) any conviction concerning a felony or misdemeanor, regardless of whether sentence is imposed, suspended, or executed; (iii) any guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere; (iv) any final judgment rendered against the holder in a civil court of law; or (v) any receipt of a peer review report or a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board firm inspection report containing criticisms of or identifying potential defects in the firm's quality control systems.

In addition to clarifying text and reorganizing text, the proposed amendments also require licensure applications expire after six years, allow licenses that start on or after March 1 to expire June 30 of the following year, and add continuing professional education requirements that had formerly been only in guidance.

18VAC5-22-20. Fees.

A. The board shall charge the following fees for services it provides:

Processing an initial application to take one or more sections of the CPA examination	$120
Processing additional applications to take one or more sections of the CPA examination	$20
Processing an application for issuance of a Virginia license to a person	$75
Processing an application for issuance of a Virginia license to a firm	$100
Processing an application for the timely renewal of a person's Virginia license except as provided in subsection B of 18VAC5-22-180	$60
Processing an application for the timely renewal of a firm's Virginia license except as provided in subsection B of 18VAC5-22-180	$75
Additional fee for processing an application for the renewal of a person's Virginia license that is not timely	$100
Additional fee for processing an application for the renewal of a firm's Virginia license that is not timely	$100
Processing an application for reinstatement of a person's Virginia license	$350
Processing an application for reinstatement of a firm's Virginia license	$500
Processing an application for lifting the suspension of the privilege of using the CPA title in Virginia	$350
Processing an application for lifting the suspension of the privilege of providing attest services, compilation services, or financial statement preparation services for persons or entities located in Virginia	$500
Providing or obtaining information about a person's grades on sections of the CPA examination	$25
Processing requests for verification that a person or firm holds a Virginia license:
1. Online request	$25
2. Manual request	$50
Providing an additional CPA wall certificate	$25
Additional fee for not responding within 30 calendar days to any request for information by the board under subsection A of 18VAC5-22-170	$100
Additional fee for not using the online payment option for any service provided by the board	$25

B. All fees for services the board provides are due when the service is requested and are nonrefundable.

C. Any original application for a CPA license in Virginia will expire six years from the original application date, and a new application with the corresponding fees and requirements will need to be submitted.

18VAC5-22-40. Determining whether a person who holds a Virginia license is providing services to the public using the CPA title or to or on behalf of an employer using the CPA title.

For the purpose of determining whether a person who holds a Virginia license is providing services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer, those terms are to be defined in accordance with § 54.1-4400 of the Code of Virginia.

18VAC5-22-50. Determining whether the principal place of business of a person or of a firm is in Virginia.

Complying with subdivision A 1 of § 54.1-4409.1, subsection B of § 54.1-4411, or subsection B of § 54.1-4412.1 of the Code of Virginia requires the person or firm to use reasonable judgment in determining whether Virginia is the principal place of business in which:

1. The person provides services to the public; or

2. The firm provides attest services, or compilation services, or financial statement preparation services.

The determination shall be reasonable considering the facts and circumstances and can be based on quantitative or qualitative assessments. The determination shall be reconsidered for changes in facts and circumstances that are not temporary.

18VAC5-22-70. Education.

A. In order for a person to take the CPA examination through Virginia, he must have obtained from one or more accredited institutions at least 120 semester hours of education, a baccalaureate or higher degree, and an accounting concentration or equivalent prior to taking any part of the CPA examination.

B. For the purpose of complying with subsection A of this section and with subdivision A 1 a of § 54.1-4409.2 of the Code of Virginia, obtaining an accounting concentration or equivalent requires obtaining at a minimum:

1. 24 semester hours of accounting courses, including that must include courses in auditing, financial accounting, management accounting, and taxation; and

2. 24 semester hours of business courses, no more than six semester hours of which could be considered accounting courses.

Principles or introductory accounting courses cannot be considered in determining whether a person has obtained the 48 minimum number of semester hours required for an accounting concentration or equivalent.

18VAC5-22-90. Continuing professional education.

A. If during the current calendar year a person holds a Virginia license and has not been granted an exemption from meeting continuing professional education requirements by the board pursuant to subsection C of this section, he shall have obtained at least 120 hours of continuing professional education during the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year. For each of the calendar years in that period, he shall have obtained at least 20 hours of continuing professional education, including an ethics course of at least two hours., which conforms to the requirements prescribed by the board. If a person holds an active license in another state and his principal place of business is not located in Virginia and:

1. If the person also holds the license of another state and Virginia is not his principal place of business, the ethics course taken to comply with this subsection either shall conform with the requirements prescribed by the board or shall be an ethics course acceptable to the board of accountancy of another state in which the person holds a license. The other state has a continuing professional education requirement for ethics, he is eligible for an exemption from meeting the continuing professional education requirements of Virginia if he meets the continuing professional education requirements in the other state in which he holds an active license, or

2. Otherwise, the ethics course shall conform to the requirements The other state does not have a continuing professional education requirement for ethics, he is eligible for an exemption from meeting the continuing professional education requirements of Virginia if he meets the continuing professional education requirements in the other state in which he holds an active license and in addition he meets the continuing professional education requirement for ethics in Virginia as prescribed by the board.

B. If during the current calendar year a person who holds a Virginia license provided services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer, has not been granted an exemption by the board pursuant to subsection C of this section, and did not hold a Virginia license or the license of another state during one or both of the two preceding calendar years, he shall determine whether he has complied with the requirements of subsection A of this section as follows:

1. If the person became licensed during the current calendar year, he shall be considered to have met the requirements of subsection A of this section for the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year.

2. If the person became licensed during the preceding calendar year, he shall be considered to have met the requirements of the subsection for the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year if during the current calendar year he obtained at least the minimum number of hours of continuing professional education required by subsection A of this section for the current calendar year, including an ethics course of at least two hours.

3. If the person became licensed during the calendar year prior to the preceding calendar year, he shall be considered to have met the requirements of the subsection for the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year if during the current calendar year and the preceding calendar year he obtained at least the minimum number of hours of continuing professional education required by subsection A of this section for each of the years, including for each year an ethics course of at least two hours.

C. If during the current calendar year a person who holds a Virginia license did not provide services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer, including on a volunteer basis, and has demonstrated to the board that he does not provide those services been granted an exemption from continuing professional education requirements in writing by the board, he is not required to have obtained meet the continuing professional education requirements during the three-calendar-year period ending with the current calendar year for which the exemption was granted. Any person who holds a Virginia license to whom an exemption has been granted shall annually affirm and certify to the board his continued eligibility for the exemption in that he does not provide services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer. However, in order to begin providing those services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer, including on a volunteer basis:

1. He is required to have obtained at least 120 hours of continuing professional education prior to providing the services, including an ethics course of at least two hours.

2. The ethics course shall conform to the requirements prescribed by the board for the calendar year in which the person begins providing the services.

Continuing professional education obtained during the three calendar years prior to the current calendar year and from the start of the current calendar year to when he begins providing the services shall be considered in determining whether the person has complied with the requirements of this subsection.

D. If a person who has not held the license of any state applies for a Virginia license within the same calendar year in which he passes the CPA examination, he does not need to obtain continuing professional education for that calendar year. If a person who has not held the license of any state applies for a Virginia license after the end of the calendar year in which he passes the CPA examination, he shall obtain continuing professional education prior to applying for the license, including an ethics course of at least two hours.

1. The required minimum number of hours of continuing professional education shall be 40, 80, or 120 depending on whether he applies for the Virginia license by the end of the first calendar year after the calendar year in which he passes the CPA examination, by the end of the second calendar year, or later.

2. The ethics course shall conform to the requirements prescribed by the board for the calendar year in which the person applies for the license.

Continuing professional education obtained subsequent to passing the CPA examination but during the three calendar years prior to the calendar year in which the person applies for the license and from the start of that calendar year to when he applies for the license shall be considered in determining whether he has complied with this requirement.

E. Continuing professional education acceptable to the board may be obtained through a variety of forums, provided there is a means of demonstrating that the education was obtained. The acceptable forums are:

1. Attending seminars and educational conferences, provided that the instructors have appropriate knowledge of the subject matter and use appropriate teaching materials and that attendance is monitored in a manner that can be verified by the board;

2. Taking courses at an accredited institution for credit;

3. Completing self-study courses, provided there is a method for determining that the person met the learning objectives;

4. Making a presentation at a professional seminar, educational conference, or in a classroom setting, provided the person has appropriate knowledge of the subject matter and uses appropriate teaching materials;

5. Writing material that is relevant to providing services to or on behalf of an employer or to the public that is formally reviewed by an independent party and that is published in a book, magazine, or similar publication; and

6. Passing examinations and obtaining certifications that have been approved by the board.

Whether other forums are acceptable shall be determined by the board on a case-by-case basis.

F. In determining whether a person has obtained the required number of hours of continuing professional education:

1. Repeat presentations shall not be considered.

2. No more than 30 hours from preparing for and making presentations shall be considered during each three-calendar-year period.

3. One semester-hour of credit for courses at an accredited institution constitutes 15 hours of continuing professional education, and one quarter-hour of credit constitutes 10 hours of continuing professional education.

4. Credit for examination and certification shall be awarded for the calendar year in which the examination was passed and certification was received. If passage of the examination and certification occur in different calendar years, credit shall be awarded for the calendar year in which the examination was passed. The board shall determine how many hours are credited per certification.

5. No more than 60 hours from examination and certification shall be considered during each three-calendar-year period.

G. Depending on the facts and circumstances, the board may waive all or part of the continuing professional education requirement for one or more calendar years or grant additional time for complying with the continuing professional education requirement, provided that the waiver or deferral is in the public interest.

18VAC5-22-91. Documentation of continuing professional education.

A. Continuing professional education acceptable to the board may be obtained through a variety of forums, provided there is a means of demonstrating that the education was obtained. The acceptable forums are:

1. Attending seminars and educational conferences, provided that the instructors have appropriate knowledge of the subject matter and use appropriate teaching materials and that attendance is monitored in a manner that can be verified by the board;

2. Completing courses at an accredited institution for credit;

3. Completing self-study courses, provided there is a method for determining that the person met the learning objectives;

4. Making a presentation at a professional seminar, educational conference, or in a classroom setting, provided the person has appropriate knowledge of the subject matter and uses appropriate teaching materials;

5. Writing material that is relevant to providing services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer that is formally reviewed by an independent party and that is published in a book, magazine, or similar publication; and

6. Passing examinations and obtaining certifications that have been approved by the board.

Whether other forums are acceptable shall be determined by the board on a case-by-case basis.

B. In determining whether a person has obtained the required number of hours of continuing professional education:

1. Repeat presentations, examinations, and courses shall not be considered.

2. No more than 30 hours from preparing for and making presentations shall be considered during each three-calendar-year period.

3. One semester-hour of credit for courses at an accredited institution constitutes 15 hours of continuing professional education, and one quarter-hour of credit constitutes 10 hours of continuing professional education.

4. Credit for examination and certification shall be awarded for the calendar year in which the examination was passed and certification was received. If passage of the examination and certification occur in different calendar years, credit shall be awarded for the calendar year in which the examination was passed. The board shall determine how many hours are credited per certification.

5. No more than 60 hours from examination and certification shall be considered during each three-calendar-year period.

C. Depending on the facts and circumstances, the board may waive all or part of the continuing professional education requirement for one or more calendar years or grant additional time for complying with the continuing professional education requirement, provided that the waiver or deferral is in the public interest.

D. Evidence of satisfactory completion of the continuing professional education requirements shall include:

1. Certificates of completion or some other form of documentation from the continuing professional education sponsor, including the sponsor's name, participant's name, course or content name, date taken, and hours of continuing professional education earned;

2. Official transcripts of the college or university for earning course credit at an accredited college or university;

3. A syllabus or agenda and a signed statement from the sponsoring individual or sponsoring organization indicating the length of the presentation for making a presentation;

4. A copy of the published article, book, written material, or other proof of publication for producing written material relevant to CPAs who provide services to the public or to or on behalf of an employer; or

5. In the case of exams and certifications that have been approved by the board, a letter from the administering organization that identifies the passage of the exam or the certification, the participant's name, and the date of passage or certification;

The board shall not accept receipts, registration confirmations, canceled checks, outlines, presentation slides, or sign-in sheets as valid evidence of satisfactory completion of the continuing professional education requirements. Whether other documentation is acceptable shall be determined by the board on a case-by-case basis.

E. A person who holds a Virginia license shall retain evidence of his satisfactory completion of the continuing professional education requirements for a period of four years preceding the current calendar year.

F. One continuing professional education hour is satisfied by 50 minutes of participation in a program of continuing professional education.

18VAC5-22-120. Supervision of firm personnel.

To comply with subdivision C 2 of § 54.1-4412.1 of the Code of Virginia, a person's work must be planned, supervised, and reviewed by a person who either (i) holds a an active Virginia license or (ii) holds the active license of another state and complies with the substantial equivalency provisions of § 54.1-4411 of the Code of Virginia.

18VAC5-22-170. Communication with the board.

A. Pursuant to § 54.1-4425 of the Code of Virginia, each licensee or applicant shall respond within 30 calendar days to any board request for information regarding compliance with any statutes or regulations pertaining to the board or any of the programs that may be in another title of the Code of Virginia for which the board has regulatory responsibility. When the requested response is not produced by the licensee or applicant within 30 calendar days, this nonproduction shall be deemed a violation of this rule, unless otherwise determined by the board.

B. Each holder of a Virginia license shall notify the board in writing within 30 calendar days of any:

1. Any change in the holder's legal name or in the postal and electronic addresses where the person or firm may be reached;

2. Any administrative disciplinary action that the holder is the subject of or party to before any court, agency of the state or federal government, branch of the armed forces of the United States of America, or before the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, or their successors;

3. Any conviction concerning a felony or misdemeanor, regardless of whether sentence is imposed, suspended, or executed;

4. Any guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere;

5. Any final judgment rendered against the holder in a civil court of law; or

6. Any receipt of a peer review report or a PCAOB firm inspection report containing criticisms of or identifying potential defects in the firm's quality control systems.

C. The board shall transmit license renewal notices electronically unless a person or firm is unable to communicate electronically. The responsibility for renewing a Virginia license is on its holder, and that responsibility is not affected by whether the holder receives a license renewal notice Upon the renewal, reinstatement of, or the application for a Virginia license each person or entity shall notify the board in writing if any of the sanctions in subsection B of this section have occurred.

18VAC5-22-180. Issuance, renewal, and reinstatement of licenses.

A. Any Virginia license issued, renewed, or reinstated on or after February 26, 2018, and on or before June 30, 2018, shall expire on June 30, 2019, and its holder shall pay the fee prescribed in 18VAC5-22-20 upon submission of a completed license application.

B. Any Virginia license expiring between July 31, 2018, and on or before March 31, 2019, that is renewed pursuant to this subsection shall expire on June 30, 2019. Any Virginia license expiring between April 30, 2019, and on or before May 31, 2019, that is renewed pursuant to this subsection shall expire on June 30, 2020.

1. A person who holds a Virginia license that expires between July 31, 2018, and May 31, 2019, shall pay a prorated renewal fee as prescribed in this subdivision upon submission of a completed license renewal application.

Current Expiration Date	Renewal Fee	Expiration Date Following Renewal
July 31, 2018	$55	June 30, 2019
August 31, 2018	$50	June 30, 2019
September 30, 2018	$45	June 30, 2019
October 31, 2018	$40	June 30, 2019
November 30, 2018	$35	June 30, 2019
December 31, 2018	$30	June 30, 2019
January 31, 2019	$25	June 30, 2019
February 28, 2019	$20	June 30, 2019
March 31, 2019	$15	June 30, 2019
April 30, 2019	$60	June 30, 2020
May 31, 2019	$60	June 30, 2020

2. A firm that holds a Virginia license that expires between July 31, 2018, and May 31, 2019, shall pay a prorated renewal fee as prescribed in this subdivision upon submission of a completed license renewal application.

Current Expiration Date	Renewal Fee	Expiration Date Following Renewal
July 31, 2018	$68	June 30, 2019
August 31, 2018	$62	June 30, 2019
September 30, 2018	$56	June 30, 2019
October 31, 2018	$50	June 30, 2019
November 30, 2018	$43	June 30, 2019
December 31, 2018	$37	June 30, 2019
January 31, 2019	$31	June 30, 2019
February 28, 2019	$25	June 30, 2019
March 31, 2019	$18	June 30, 2019
April 30, 2019	$75	June 30, 2020
May 31, 2019	$75	June 30, 2020

C. Any Virginia license issued or reinstated from July 1, 2018, to on or before March 31, 2019, shall expire on June 30, 2019, and its holder shall pay the fee prescribed in 18VAC5-22-20 upon submission of a completed license application. Beginning April 1, 2019, any Virginia license issued or reinstated during the months of April, May, or June shall expire on June 30 of the succeeding calendar year, and its holder shall pay the fee prescribed in 18VAC5-22-20 upon submission of a completed license application.

D. A. For Virginia licenses expiring on June 30, 2019, or later, the holder of a Virginia license shall annually renew his license on or before June 30 of each calendar year by submitting a completed license renewal application and paying to the board a renewal fee as prescribed in 18VAC5-22-20.

B. If a person or entity applies for an initial license or reinstatement on or after March 1 of a calendar year, the license will not expire until June 30 of the following calendar year.

C. The board shall transmit license renewal notices electronically unless a person or firm is unable to communicate electronically. The responsibility for renewing a Virginia license is on its holder, and that responsibility is not affected by whether the holder receives a license renewal notice.