Transfer Your CPA / Accounting License to Connecticut: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Connecticut State Board of Accountancy (Department of Consumer Protection) ↗

Connecticut is a substantial-equivalency state — hold a good-standing CPA license anywhere in the US and the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy (Department of Consumer Protection) will issue a reciprocal license without retesting. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; all four sections must already have been passed with grades of 75 or better and are confirmed through a license verification from your current board. Connecticut also requires passage of a professional ethics examination, unless the applicant qualifies under the five-years-experience-in-ten alternative, which exempts both the education and the ethics requirement.. Expect $150 (certificate initial issuance fee; a separate permit to practice / license renews at $565 per year and a certificate registration is $40 per year) in application fees.

Moving to Connecticut from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

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Verdict

Full reciprocity — honors all states

Because Connecticut recognizes substantial equivalency, the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy (Department of Consumer Protection) looks at your standing, not your origin: a CPA in good standing from any state qualifies for a reciprocal license, and the Uniform CPA Exam does not come back. Read the requirements below as the destination's own layer — a background check, a state ethics or rules-of-conduct exam where one applies, and proof your CPE is current — rather than a re-credentialing.

Settle the mobility question before you file. If Connecticut is not becoming your principal place of business — you are serving Connecticut clients from elsewhere, or the work is temporary — practice privilege usually lets you work there with no Connecticut license at all. Apply for the reciprocal license when Connecticut is where you will actually be based.

Connecticut grants a reciprocal CPA certificate to any CPA from a substantially-equivalent US jurisdiction (the national framework), with a prominent alternative track for applicants who have five years of public-accounting experience within the last ten (that track exempts the education and ethics requirements). Separate from the license transfer, an out-of-state CPA may practice in Connecticut under practice privilege/mobility with no Connecticut credential. Connecticut distinguishes a 'certificate' (the credential) from a 'license'/permit to practice (needed to offer services to the public), which explains the higher annual license fee.

Connecticut requirements at a glance

Out-of-state CPA license transfer requirements for Connecticut, verified 2026-07-21
Exam	The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; all four sections must already have been passed with grades of 75 or better and are confirmed through a license verification from your current board. Connecticut also requires passage of a professional ethics examination, unless the applicant qualifies under the five-years-experience-in-ten alternative, which exempts both the education and the ethics requirement.
Training hours	150 hours
Additional requirements	Hold a CPA certificate/license in good standing from another US state and submit a license verification from that board Either meet Connecticut's current education and ethics requirements, or document at least five years of public-accountancy experience within the immediately preceding ten years (which exempts education and ethics) Experience must be verified by a CPA who has held a license or practice privilege for at least three years Pass the professional ethics examination unless exempt under the five-in-ten experience test
Fees	$150 (certificate initial issuance fee; a separate permit to practice / license renews at $565 per year and a certificate registration is $40 per year)
Processing time	the Department of Consumer Protection does not publish a processing time for the reciprocal certificate

Step by step

Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy (Department of Consumer Protection) website — rules change.
Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy (Department of Consumer Protection) (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Hold a CPA certificate/license in good standing from another US state and submit a license verification from that board.
Either meet Connecticut's current education and ethics requirements, or document at least five years of public-accountancy experience within the immediately preceding ten years (which exempts education and ethics).
Experience must be verified by a CPA who has held a license or practice privilege for at least three years.
Pass the professional ethics examination unless exempt under the five-in-ten experience test.
Pay the fees ($150 (certificate initial issuance fee; a separate permit to practice / license renews at $565 per year and a certificate registration is $40 per year)) and allow the Department of Consumer Protection does not publish a processing time for the reciprocal certificate.

Official links

Connecticut State Board of Accountancy (Department of Consumer Protection) ↗Connecticut application ↗License verification ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Connecticut:

California → Connecticut Florida → Connecticut Georgia → Connecticut Illinois → Connecticut Michigan → Connecticut New Hampshire → Connecticut New York → Connecticut North Carolina → Connecticut Ohio → Connecticut Pennsylvania → Connecticut Texas → Connecticut

Frequently asked questions

Does my CPA license transfer to Connecticut?

Do I have to retake the CPA Exam to get licensed in Connecticut?

No. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; all four sections must already have been passed with grades of 75 or better and are confirmed through a license verification from your current board. Connecticut also requires passage of a professional ethics examination, unless the applicant qualifies under the five-years-experience-in-ten alternative, which exempts both the education and the ethics requirement..

Do I even need a Connecticut CPA license, or does mobility cover me?

If Connecticut is not your principal place of business, practice privilege (mobility) usually lets you serve Connecticut clients with no Connecticut license, notice, or fee. You apply to the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy (Department of Consumer Protection) for a reciprocal license when Connecticut becomes where you are principally based.

What does a Connecticut reciprocal CPA license cost?

$150 (certificate initial issuance fee; a separate permit to practice / license renews at $565 per year and a certificate registration is $40 per year) (certificate initial issuance fee; a separate permit to practice / license renews at $565 per year and a certificate registration is $40 per year).

How long does the Connecticut reciprocity process take?

the Department of Consumer Protection does not publish a processing time for the reciprocal certificate — the Department of Consumer Protection does not publish a processing time for the reciprocal certificate.

How does Connecticut's education requirement affect a reciprocal CPA license?

Connecticut's initial-licensure baseline is 150 semester hours. Reciprocal applicants normally satisfy education through the license they already hold rather than a fresh transcript review; if you were licensed before your state raised its education requirement, confirm your route with the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy (Department of Consumer Protection).

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21

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