CPA / Accounting License from Alabama to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Georgia accept an Alabama CPA license?
A CPA license transfers from Alabama to Georgia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy, verify your Alabama license, and meet Georgia's endorsement requirements. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through verification of your existing license/exam scores (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Georgia does not require a separate state ethics or rules-of-conduct examination for licensure.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Georgia does not grant the automatic substantial-equivalency license to every out-of-state CPA, so moving from Alabama means an individual review by the Georgia State Board of Accountancy — often against an experience test counted in years of recent practice rather than a straight credential match. Nothing about coming from Alabama speeds it up or slows it down; you keep your CPA Exam passage and your existing license as the basis of the review, and the requirements below are Georgia's own.
What's different between Alabama and Georgia
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Georgia. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Alabama to Georgia (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Georgia to Alabama (the reverse move): Full reciprocity.
The two directions differ: Alabama and Georgia do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Alabama matter?
Coming from Alabama does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Georgia.
- Application fee
Georgia lists $220 for an out-of-state applicant and Alabama lists $120 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Education (semester hours)
Georgia's first-time-applicant standard is 150 semester hours of education for initial licensure; Alabama's is 150.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Georgia and Alabama carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Georgia (this move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through verification of your existing license/exam scores (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Georgia does not require a separate state ethics or rules-of-conduct examination for licensure.
- Alabama (the reverse move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the reciprocal certificate is issued without examination once the board verifies the existing license (via NASBA's Accountancy Licensing Database, the issuing state's website, or an Interstate Exchange Form). Alabama does not require a separate state ethics examination for reciprocity (an ethics CPE course applies only at renewal).
What changes, Alabama → Georgia
| Alabama (current) | Georgia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Education (semester hours) | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $120 ($120 non-refundable reciprocal certificate application fee (rule 30-X-4-.07); waived for qualifying military spouses and other 'select individuals'; no separate fingerprint fee) | $220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)) |
| Processing time | ASBPA does not publish a standard processing time; for 'select individuals' (e.g., military spouses) the board must issue within 30 days or grant a 360-day temporary license (rule 30-X-4-.03(3)) | Neither the Georgia board's reciprocal-license page nor NASBA's Georgia licensing page publishes a processing time |
| Licensing authority | Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy (ASBPA) | Georgia State Board of Accountancy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia State Board of Accountancy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active CPA license in good standing in the state you are reciprocating from.
- Meet Georgia's education requirement even though licensed in another state (150 semester hours, a master's in accounting or tax, or — since Jan 1, 2026 — a bachelor's degree with 30 accounting and 18 business hours plus two years of experience), documented via NASBA.
- Document qualifying accounting experience (upload resume and previous experience verification).
- Apply through NASBA Licensing Services, which administers Georgia licensure and processes reciprocal applications.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Alabama to Georgia?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license.
Do I need a Georgia license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Georgia becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Georgia clients from Alabama, practice privilege usually covers you with no Georgia license, notice, or fee.
Can I keep my Alabama CPA license after licensing in Georgia?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Alabama license active (its renewal and CPE run separately) and mobility covers the states where you hold none.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Reciprocal License (must hold active out-of-state license and meet GA education; apply through NASBA) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA Licensing — Georgia (reciprocal license fee $220; education pathways effective Jan 1, 2026 including a bachelor's degree plus two years of experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Frequently Asked Questions (reciprocal applicants; NASBA-processed) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency (UAA framework; all 55 US jurisdictions substantially equivalent) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ASBPA — Certificate by Reciprocity application package ($120 non-refundable reciprocal fee; license verified via ALD/Interstate Exchange Form) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 30-X-4 (rule 30-X-4-.03(2) reciprocal certificate; substantial equivalency + 4-of-10-years experience; 30-X-4-.06(5) issued without exam; 30-X-4-.07 $120 fee; 30-X-4-.06(3) three licensure pathways for candidates first sitting on or after 10/15/2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 30-X-3 (30-X-3-.04 mobility/practice privilege, no notice or fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 30-X-5 (30-X-5-.06(1)(a): Pathway 1 baccalaureate applicants need two years of experience; Pathways 2 and 3 need one year) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com