CPA / Accounting License from California to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy (Maryland Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) ↗
Yes — Maryland recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including California. Apply to the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy (Maryland Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Maryland recognizes substantial equivalency, so your California CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy (Maryland Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from California. What remains is Maryland-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Maryland ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Maryland is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, California → Maryland
| California (current) | Maryland (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)) | $75–$99 ($75 application-for-reciprocity fee plus $24 license fee on approval; nonrefundable. Home-state verification of licensure/exam scores may carry a separate fee charged by that board) |
| 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 | Board does not publish a processing time; review begins only when the last required document (home-state verification) is received, and no expedited service is offered |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Accountancy (CBA) | Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy (Maryland Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy (Maryland Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy (Maryland Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active CPA license in another US jurisdiction (substantial equivalency).
- Have your home board send verification of licensure and CPA examination scores directly to the Maryland Board.
- File the reciprocal license application online through the Maryland Board's licensing system.
- Pay the fees ($75–$99 ($75 application-for-reciprocity fee plus $24 license fee on approval; nonrefundable. Home-state verification of licensure/exam scores may carry a separate fee charged by that board)) and allow Board does not publish a processing time; review begins only when the last required document (home-state verification) is received, and no expedited service is offered.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maryland accept a California CPA license?
Yes — Maryland recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including California. Apply to the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy (Maryland Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from California to Maryland?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed when your current board sends verification of your CPA licensure and examination scores to the Maryland Board. Maryland does not impose a separate state ethics or rules exam on reciprocal applicants (its initial-licensure pathway requires the AICPA Professional Ethics course at 90%)..
Do I need a Maryland license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Maryland becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy (Maryland Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Maryland clients from California, practice privilege usually covers you with no Maryland license, notice, or fee.
What does the California-to-Maryland move cost?
$75–$99 ($75 application-for-reciprocity fee plus $24 license fee on approval; nonrefundable. Home-state verification of licensure/exam scores may carry a separate fee charged by that board) ($75 application-for-reciprocity fee plus $24 license fee on approval; nonrefundable. Home-state verification of licensure/exam scores may carry a separate fee charged by that board).
Can I keep my California CPA license after licensing in Maryland?
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.
- Maryland Board of Public Accountancy — Apply for an Original License via Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Public Accountancy — Forms & Fees ($75 reciprocity application, $24 license fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maryland Board of Public Accountancy — Licensing FAQs (150 hours, AICPA ethics course, reciprocity process) ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]