CPA / Accounting License from California to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Colorado State Board of Accountancy (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) ↗
Yes — Colorado recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including California. Apply to the Colorado State Board of Accountancy (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Colorado recognizes substantial equivalency, so your California CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Colorado State Board of Accountancy (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from California. What remains is Colorado-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Colorado ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Colorado is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, California → Colorado
| California (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $650 ($250 initial application fee + $400 initial license fee (due on approval) = $650; $49 hard-copy fingerprint processing fee billed separately (Live Scan)) | $195 (reciprocal certificate application fee processed by NASBA/CPAES; the AICPA ethics course/exam is purchased separately) |
| Processing time | The CBA does not publish a fixed processing time; licensure cannot be completed until transcripts, transferred exam grades, experience verification, and fingerprint clearance are received | ~6 weeks (NASBA/CPAES, which processes Colorado applications, advises allowing up to six weeks from file completion) |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Accountancy (CBA) | Colorado State Board of Accountancy (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado State Board of Accountancy (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado State Board of Accountancy (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active CPA license in good standing from a substantially-equivalent US jurisdiction.
- Pass the AICPA Professional Ethics: AICPA's Comprehensive Course examination (8-hour).
- Complete a 2-hour Colorado Rules and Regulations course within six months following licensure (or within the six months immediately preceding certification).
- Affirm compliance with all licensure requirements of the reciprocal state and meet Colorado CPE obligations.
- Pay the fees ($195 (reciprocal certificate application fee processed by NASBA/CPAES; the AICPA ethics course/exam is purchased separately)) and allow ~6 weeks (NASBA/CPAES, which processes Colorado applications, advises allowing up to six weeks from file completion).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Colorado accept a California CPA license?
Yes — Colorado recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including California. Apply to the Colorado State Board of Accountancy (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from California to Colorado?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through your active out-of-state CPA license (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Colorado imposes no separate state law exam, but reciprocal applicants must have passed the 8-hour AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive course and examination and must complete a 2-hour Colorado Rules and Regulations course within six months of licensure..
Do I need a Colorado license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Colorado becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Colorado State Board of Accountancy (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Colorado clients from California, practice privilege usually covers you with no Colorado license, notice, or fee.
What does the California-to-Colorado move cost?
$195 (reciprocal certificate application fee processed by NASBA/CPAES; the AICPA ethics course/exam is purchased separately) (reciprocal certificate application fee processed by NASBA/CPAES; the AICPA ethics course/exam is purchased separately).
Can I keep my California CPA license after licensing in Colorado?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the California 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 2026-07-21.
- NASBA/CPAES — Colorado Application for CPA Certificate Reciprocity (active out-of-state license, AICPA ethics exam, Colorado Rules and Regulations course) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NASBA Licensing — Colorado (reciprocal certificate fee $195, up to six weeks processing, substantial-equivalency requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Colorado DPO — Board of Accountancy CPA Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CBA — Initial Licensing FAQs ($250 application, $400 initial license, $49 hard-copy fingerprint fee; PETH ethics exam eliminated effective 7/1/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- CBA — Applying for a California CPA License (quick tips: 150 units incl. 24 accounting/24 business/20 accounting study/10 ethics study; 12 months experience; fingerprint clearance) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California Business and Professions Code 5087 (out-of-state licensee may be issued a CA license only if the other state's requirements are comparable to California's) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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