Certified Public Accountant — License Requirements by State
Files and audits financial statements. Requires 150 credit hours, the Uniform CPA Exam (AICPA), and work experience.
12 of 51 states populated with official data (retrieved 2026-08-20).
By The LicenseFig Editorial Team · independent editorial research project
How to get your Certified Public Accountant license
- Check your state requirements. Open the requirements table for your state on this page — education hours, exam vendor, fees and retake rules.
- Complete pre-license education. Finish the required education hours (or approved equivalent) from an accepted provider.
- Pass the background check. Submit fingerprints and clear the required criminal background check where applicable.
- Register and pass the exam. Register with the exam vendor (PSI, Pearson VUE or Prometric), then pass the national and state portions.
- Pay the license fee. Submit the application and license fee to the state board to receive your license.
- Keep it active. Track renewal dates and continuing-education hours using the License Renewal Calculator.
How much does it cost to get your Certified Public Accountant license?
Costs vary by state. Most charge a modest application or license fee — often between $0 and $120 — and a handful of states also require a small exam fee. A few occupations add pre-license education tuition. See the Fees column in the table below for your state, then compare costs across states with the Exam Cost Compare tool.
| State | Education | Exam | Pass % | Fees | Retake | Reciprocity | Official |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AK | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AZ | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | App $100 · Lic $100 | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | Arizona State Board of Accountancy ↗ |
| AR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CA | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | California Board of Accountancy ↗ |
| CO | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FL | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | Florida Board of Accountancy ↗ |
| GA | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | App $93 | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | Georgia State Board of Accountancy ↗ |
| HI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ID | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IL | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | Illinois Board of Examiners (IDFPR) ↗ |
| IN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| KS | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| KY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ME | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MI | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | Michigan Board of Accountancy (LARA) ↗ |
| MN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MS | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MO | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NH | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NM | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NY | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | New York State Board of Public Accountancy (NYSED) ↗ |
| NC | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners ↗ |
| ND | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OH | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | Accountancy Board of Ohio ↗ |
| OK | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| OR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PA | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy ↗ |
| RI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TX | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | Texas State Board of Public Accountancy ↗ |
| UT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| VT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| VA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WA | — | · 75% · $262.64 | — | — | — | Yes — NASBA CPA mobility / substantial equivalency | Washington State Board of Accountancy ↗ |
| WV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
● Data updated 2026-08-20Data retrieved 2026-08-20 from state boards, PSI, Pearson VUE and CMS. Requirements change — verify with your state board before enrolling or paying. Dash (—) = not published / pending verification.