CPA / Accounting License from California to Vermont: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Vermont Board of Public Accountancy (Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation) ↗
Yes — Vermont recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including California. Apply to the Vermont Board of Public Accountancy (Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Vermont recognizes substantial equivalency, so your California CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Vermont Board of Public Accountancy (Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from California. What remains is Vermont-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Vermont ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Vermont is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, California → Vermont
| California (current) | Vermont (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)) | $115 (OPR application-for-licensure fee set by 26 V.S.A. Sec. 56 (biennial renewal is $255)) |
| 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 | OPR does not publish a processing time for accountancy licensure; applications are handled through the OPR Online Services platform |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Accountancy (CBA) | Vermont Board of Public Accountancy (Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Vermont sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Vermont's current requirements on the Vermont Board of Public Accountancy (Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Vermont Board of Public Accountancy (Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active CPA license in good standing from another US jurisdiction.
- Submit the Verification of Licensure Standing form from the issuing board.
- Qualify by substantial equivalency OR show five years of public-accounting experience within the preceding ten years.
- Provide proof of completing the AICPA professional ethics course.
- Pay the fees ($115 (OPR application-for-licensure fee set by 26 V.S.A. Sec. 56 (biennial renewal is $255))) and allow OPR does not publish a processing time for accountancy licensure; applications are handled through the OPR Online Services platform.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Vermont accept a California CPA license?
Yes — Vermont recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including California. Apply to the Vermont Board of Public Accountancy (Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from California to Vermont?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is never retaken; passage is confirmed through the Verification of Licensure Standing form from your current board (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Vermont does not impose a separate state rules exam, but it requires evidence of having completed the AICPA professional ethics course, which reciprocal applicants have normally already satisfied at initial licensure..
Do I need a Vermont license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Vermont becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Vermont Board of Public Accountancy (Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Vermont clients from California, practice privilege usually covers you with no Vermont license, notice, or fee.
What does the California-to-Vermont move cost?
$115 (OPR application-for-licensure fee set by 26 V.S.A. Sec. 56 (biennial renewal is $255)) (OPR application-for-licensure fee set by 26 V.S.A. Sec. 56 (biennial renewal is $255)).
Can I keep my California CPA license after licensing in Vermont?
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.
- Vermont Secretary of State / OPR — Accountancy Initial Licensing forms & instructions ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Vermont Statutes Online — 26 V.S.A. Chapter 1 (substantial-equivalency reciprocity, five-of-ten experience track, Sec. 56 fee schedule) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency (UAA framework) ↗ (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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