CPA / Accounting License from California to Nevada: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Nevada accept a California CPA license?
A CPA license transfers from California to Nevada by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nevada State Board of Accountancy, verify your California license, and meet Nevada's endorsement requirements. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the Board may accept the applicant's Uniform CPA Examination scores from another state and waive the manner in which they were obtained (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Nevada additionally requires an applicant for certification to have passed an examination in professional ethics acceptable to the Board (AICPA ethics exam) no earlier than three years before filing.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Nevada does not grant the automatic substantial-equivalency license to every out-of-state CPA, so moving from California means an individual review by the Nevada 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 California 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 Nevada's own.
What's different between California and Nevada
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Nevada. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
California to Nevada (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Nevada to California (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from California matter?
Coming from California does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Nevada.
- Application fee
Nevada lists $240 for an out-of-state applicant and California lists $650 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
California lists about 4 weeks for the reverse move; Nevada has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Education (semester hours)
Nevada's first-time-applicant standard is 150 semester hours of education for initial licensure; California's is 150.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Nevada and California carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Nevada (this move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the Board may accept the applicant's Uniform CPA Examination scores from another state and waive the manner in which they were obtained (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Nevada additionally requires an applicant for certification to have passed an examination in professional ethics acceptable to the Board (AICPA ethics exam) no earlier than three years before filing.
- California (the reverse move): California does not grant traditional reciprocity; the Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken, but the applicant must have their exam grades transferred from the state where they sat. Effective July 1, 2024 the PETH ethics examination was eliminated for licensure; instead a two-hour Regulatory Review CE course is required by the first license renewal (after licensure).
What changes, California → Nevada
| California (current) | Nevada (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Education (semester 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)) | $240 ($240 application fee for CPA Certification by Reciprocity per the Board's application packet (affidavit rev. 3/26); NAC 628.016 sets the reciprocity application fee at $200 plus the actual cost of the criminal-history investigation (not more than $100). Fingerprint cards taken by a law enforcement agency carry a separate per-card fee) |
| Processing time | ~4 weeks (The CBA states the review takes approximately four weeks from the date the application file is complete (initial review within 30 days of receipt); licensure cannot be completed until transcripts, transferred exam grades, experience verification, and fingerprint clearance are received) | the Board does not publish a processing time for certificate-by-reciprocity applications |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Accountancy (CBA) | Nevada State Board of Accountancy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Nevada sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Nevada's current requirements on the Nevada State Board of Accountancy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Nevada State Board of Accountancy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a valid CPA certificate then in effect issued under the laws of another US state or jurisdiction.
- Submit proof of at least 20 hours of continuing education completed within the 12 months before filing the reciprocity application.
- Have passed an examination in professional ethics acceptable to the Board within the prior three years.
- Undergo the Board's required background investigation.
- If not licensed for 4 or more of the last 10 years, have official transcripts sent directly from your college showing you meet Nevada's education requirement.
- 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 California to Nevada?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license.
Do I need a Nevada license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Nevada becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Nevada State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Nevada clients from California, practice privilege usually covers you with no Nevada license, notice, or fee.
Can I keep my California CPA license after licensing in Nevada?
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 2026-10-29.
- Nevada State Board of Accountancy — CPA Certification by Reciprocity Application Packet ($240 fee; fingerprint background investigation under NRS 628.190; transcripts waived if licensed 4+ of the last 10 years) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nevada State Board of Accountancy — Licensing/Certification Requirements (Reciprocity = application for individuals licensed in another state) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 628 (NRS 628.310 — certificate by reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 628 (NAC 628.016 reciprocity application fee $200 + investigation up to $100; NAC 628.070 20 hours CE within 12 months; NAC 628.030 professional-ethics exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NAC 628.016 — Fees of Board (certificate by reciprocity: $200 plus the actual cost of the investigation, not to exceed $100) [LII republication of the official code] ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NAC 628.070 — Certificate by reciprocity (holder of a CPA certificate then in effect from any US jurisdiction; exam scores accepted; 20 hours CE within 12 months) [LII republication of the official code] ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NAC 628.030 — Examinations: requirements (professional-ethics exam passed no earlier than 3 years before filing the application for certification) [LII republication of the official code] ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency and practice privilege (UAA Section 23) ↗ (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 2026-10-29)
- 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 2026-10-29)
- California Business and Professions Code 5087 and 5096, CBA compilation current as of January 1, 2026 (out-of-state licensee may be issued a CA license if the other state has comparable licensure requirements; practice privilege with no notice or fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- CBA Regulations, current as of July 1, 2026 — 16 CCR 36.1 Out-of-State Licensee (four of the last ten years in practice as a licensed CPA may satisfy education, examination, and experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- CBA — An Overview of the Renewal Process, revised 3/2026 (licensees issued on or after July 1, 2024 complete a Board-approved Regulatory Review course for the first renewal) ↗ (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