Transfer Your CPA / Accounting License to Alaska: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my CPA license transfer to Alaska?
Yes — Alaska recognizes substantial equivalency, so the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) issues a reciprocal CPA license to any CPA already licensed and in good standing in another state. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant authorizes interstate exchange of exam scores and official license verification from each state of licensure (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Alaska additionally requires completion of the AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive course/exam for licensure. Application fee: $500 ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately).
Moving to Alaska from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full reciprocity — honors all states
Because Alaska recognizes substantial equivalency, the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) looks at your standing, not your origin: a CPA in good standing from any state qualifies for a reciprocal license, and the Uniform CPA Exam does not come back. Read the requirements below as the destination's own layer — a background check, a state ethics or rules-of-conduct exam where one applies, and proof your CPE is current — rather than a re-credentialing.
Settle the mobility question before you file. If Alaska is not becoming your principal place of business — you are serving Alaska clients from elsewhere, or the work is temporary — practice privilege usually lets you work there with no Alaska license at all. Apply for the reciprocal license when Alaska is where you will actually be based.
Alaska grants licensure by reciprocity (AS 08.04.195) to a CPA from any US jurisdiction who has held a current license in active status for at least two years — a tenure condition, not a named-state list or education re-check — so any long-held good-standing US CPA qualifies. Separate from this transfer, an out-of-state CPA may practice in Alaska under mobility/practice privilege; the reciprocal license is needed when Alaska becomes the principal place of business. Alaska no longer sets a semester-hour total: effective Jan 1, 2026 (HB 121) the 150-semester-hour requirement was repealed and AS 08.04.120(a) now requires a baccalaureate degree with an accounting concentration plus two years of accounting experience; reciprocal applicants satisfy education through their existing license. Application/verification documents older than 12 months are treated as stale and must be resubmitted.
Alaska requirements at a glance
| Fees | $500 ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately) |
|---|---|
| Processing time | The division states average processing time varies by program and issues the license once the application is complete and all documents and fees are received; no fixed timeframe is published in the reciprocity instructions |
Step by step
- Confirm Alaska's current requirements on the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Have held your current CPA license in active status for at least two years (AS 08.04.195).
- Complete the AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive course/exam for licensure.
- Submit official verification (license history) from every jurisdiction where you hold or have held a license, plus interstate exchange of exam scores.
- Submit a state criminal-justice (background) report for Alaska and for your primary state of residence, issued within 90 days.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Alaska:
Alaska for other professions
- Nursing in Alaska
- Cosmetology / Barber in Alaska
- Real Estate in Alaska
- Contractor in Alaska
- Teaching in Alaska
- Electrician in Alaska
- Plumber in Alaska
- Engineering in Alaska
- Pharmacy in Alaska
- Physical Therapy in Alaska
- Psychology in Alaska
- Counseling in Alaska
- Social Work in Alaska
- Occupational Therapy in Alaska
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to retake the CPA Exam to get licensed in Alaska?
No. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant authorizes interstate exchange of exam scores and official license verification from each state of licensure (national lookup at CPAverify.org).
Do I even need an Alaska CPA license, or does mobility cover me?
If Alaska is not your principal place of business, practice privilege (mobility) usually lets you serve Alaska clients with no Alaska license, notice, or fee. You apply to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license when Alaska becomes where you are principally based.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Alaska Board of Public Accountancy — CPA by Reciprocity Application Instructions #08-4985 (two-year active license, $200 + $300 = $500 fees, background reports, AICPA ethics course, interstate exchange of scores) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Alaska Board of Public Accountancy — Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alaska Board of Public Accountancy — Statutes and Regulations, January 2026 (AS 08.04.120(a): baccalaureate degree with accounting concentration plus two years of experience; AS 08.04.195 reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Alaska Board of Public Accountancy — Rule Changes Beginning January 1, 2026 (HB 121: 150 semester hour requirement repealed effective 1/1/2026) ↗ (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