Transfer Your CPA / Accounting License to District of Columbia: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my CPA license transfer to District of Columbia?
A CPA license transfers to District of Columbia by reciprocity: because District of Columbia treats every US CPA as substantially equivalent, the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) grants its license on the strength of your existing one rather than re-qualifying you. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through the applicant's existing license (candidates transferring exam credit use a $175 transfer-of-grades application). The Board does not publish a separate District ethics or law exam requirement. Fee: $175 (DC CPA license fee (verified on the DLCP Board of Accountancy page); DC lists no separate initial-application fee. NASBA's DC page lists its own licensing-service fees (Initial $175, Transfer of Grades $175) and directs reciprocity applicants to the Board's OPLA portal instead.).
Moving to District of Columbia from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full reciprocity — honors all states
Because District of Columbia recognizes substantial equivalency, the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and 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 District of Columbia is not becoming your principal place of business — you are serving District of Columbia clients from elsewhere, or the work is temporary — practice privilege usually lets you work there with no District of Columbia license at all. Apply for the reciprocal license when District of Columbia is where you will actually be based.
The District grants licensure by reciprocity to CPAs from substantially-equivalent US jurisdictions (the national UAA framework), and on Dec 12, 2025 the Board expanded recognition to CPAs licensed under the 2025 alternative pathway (bachelor's plus two years of experience). Separate from the license transfer, an out-of-state CPA may practice in DC under practice privilege/mobility with no DC license. NASBA's DC page directs reciprocity applicants to apply directly to the DLCP Board through the OPLA portal (they bypass NASBA Licensing Services, which handles the exam-based pathway), although the DLCP Board page states generally that licensure applicants apply through NASBA — confirm the route with the Board. NASBA's DC page (read 2026-10-29) lists a bachelor's-degree-plus-two-years-of-experience education route; DLCP's Jan 15, 2026 release described that pathway as the Mayor's legislation then under consideration by the Council of the District of Columbia; its enactment and effective date were not confirmed on an official DC page.
District of Columbia requirements at a glance
| Education (semester hours) | 150 semester hours of education for initial licensure |
|---|---|
| Fees | $175 (DC CPA license fee (verified on the DLCP Board of Accountancy page); DC lists no separate initial-application fee. NASBA's DC page lists its own licensing-service fees (Initial $175, Transfer of Grades $175) and directs reciprocity applicants to the Board's OPLA portal instead.) |
| Processing time | The DLCP Board does not publish a processing time for reciprocity, and NASBA's DC page no longer states one |
Step by step
- Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements on the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a CPA license in good standing from another US jurisdiction that is substantially equivalent under the UAA.
- Meet the 150-semester-hour education (for degrees earned after 1/1/2000) and one-year (2,000-hour) experience baseline, normally satisfied through the existing license.
- Apply for licensure by reciprocity through the DLCP Board's OPLA online portal, as NASBA's DC page directs (the DLCP Board page says licensure applicants apply through NASBA, so confirm the route with the Board).
- As of Dec 12, 2025 the Board also recognizes reciprocity for CPAs licensed under the alternative pathway (bachelor's degree plus two years of experience).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into District of Columbia:
Nearby states
CPA / Accounting license transfer into the states bordering District of Columbia:
District of Columbia for other professions
- Nursing in District of Columbia
- Cosmetology / Barber in District of Columbia
- Real Estate in District of Columbia
- Contractor in District of Columbia
- Teaching in District of Columbia
- Electrician in District of Columbia
- Plumber in District of Columbia
- Engineering in District of Columbia
- Pharmacy in District of Columbia
- Physical Therapy in District of Columbia
- Psychology in District of Columbia
- Counseling in District of Columbia
- Social Work in District of Columbia
- Occupational Therapy in District of Columbia
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to retake the CPA Exam to get licensed in District of Columbia?
No. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through the applicant's existing license (candidates transferring exam credit use a $175 transfer-of-grades application).
Do I even need a District of Columbia CPA license, or does mobility cover me?
If District of Columbia is not your principal place of business, practice privilege (mobility) usually lets you serve District of Columbia clients with no District of Columbia license, notice, or fee. You apply to the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) for a reciprocal license when District of Columbia becomes where you are principally based.
How does District of Columbia's education requirement affect a reciprocal CPA license?
District of Columbia'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 District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- DC DLCP — Board of Accountancy (no application fee; license $175; permit to practice $175; 150 hours for degrees after 1/1/2000; Board page directs licensure applicants through NASBA) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- DC DLCP — Board announces licensure updates (Dec 12, 2025 recognition of alternative-pathway reciprocity via substantial equivalency) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — District of Columbia (reciprocity applicants apply directly to the DC Board at the OPLA portal; NASBA licensing-service fees Initial $175 / Transfer of Grades $175; lists a bachelor's + two-years-experience education route) ↗ (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