CPA / Accounting License from California to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Texas accept a California CPA license?
Yes — Texas recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including California. Apply to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full reciprocity
Texas recognizes substantial equivalency, so your California CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from California. What remains is Texas-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Texas ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Texas is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What's different between California and Texas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Texas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
California to Texas (this page): Full reciprocity.
Texas to California (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The two directions differ: California and Texas do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- 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 Texas.
- Application fee
Texas lists $100 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; Texas has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Education (semester hours)
Texas'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
Texas and California carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Texas (this move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through the letter of good standing from your current board. Texas additionally requires a board-approved 4-credit ethics course and passage of an open-book examination on the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct.
- 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 → Texas
| California (current) | Texas (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)) | $100 (reciprocal application fee; fingerprint vendor fee paid separately) |
| 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) | TSBPA does not publish a processing time; approval cannot be finalized until the fingerprint background check clears |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Accountancy (CBA) | Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a CPA license in good standing from another US jurisdiction (letter of good standing required).
- Complete a Texas board-approved 4-credit ethics course within the last six months.
- Pass the open-book examination on the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct.
- Fingerprint-based FBI and Texas DPS background check.
- Meet Texas CPE requirements scaled to length of prior licensure (up to 120 hours).
- 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 Texas?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license.
Do I need a Texas license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Texas becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Texas clients from California, practice privilege usually covers you with no Texas license, notice, or fee.
Can I keep my California CPA license after licensing in Texas?
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.
- TSBPA — Reciprocal Application ($100 fee, exam not retaken, 4-credit ethics course within six months, open-book Rules of Professional Conduct exam, letter of good standing, fingerprint background check, tiered CPE up to 120 hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency and practice privilege (UAA Section 23; all 55 US jurisdictions substantially equivalent) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPA — New Pathway for CPA Exam and Certification (Pathway B effective August 1, 2026; bachelor's degree, 120 semester hours, two years of CPA-supervised experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 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