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LicenseReciprocity

CPA / Accounting License from Florida to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Arizona State Board of Accountancy ↗

Yes — Arizona recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Florida. Apply to the Arizona State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.

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Verdict

Full reciprocity

Arizona recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Florida CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Arizona State Board of Accountancy cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Florida. What remains is Arizona-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Arizona ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Arizona is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.

What changes, Florida → Arizona

Side-by-side: Florida vs Arizona (CPA / Accounting), verified 2026-07-21
Florida (current)Arizona (destination)
Training hours150150
Application fee$300 (non-refundable DBPR CPA 3 Licensure by Endorsement application fee; no fingerprint/background-check surcharge (Florida does not fingerprint CPA applicants))$100 ($100 application fee; a separate biennial registration fee (statutory $100-$300; recently set at $275) is due upon approval to activate the certificate; fee waivers available for low-income applicants and qualifying military spouses/veterans)
Processing timethe Florida Board of Accountancy / DBPR does not publish a processing time for endorsementThe Arizona State Board of Accountancy does not publish a standard processing time for certification by reciprocity
Licensing authorityFlorida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation)Arizona State Board of Accountancy

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arizona sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona State Board of Accountancy website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona State Board of Accountancy (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a CPA certificate, registration, or license from a jurisdiction the board finds substantially equivalent to Arizona (A.R.S. 32-721).
  5. If not substantially equivalent, qualify through experience: three or more years of CPA employment (with 150 hours), OR five of the last ten years, OR ten of the last fifteen years of CPA employment.
  6. Show a passing score (90% or higher) on a professional ethics examination (AICPA) taken within the two years preceding application.
  7. Pay the biennial registration fee upon approval to activate the certificate.
  8. Pay the fees ($100 ($100 application fee; a separate biennial registration fee (statutory $100-$300; recently set at $275) is due upon approval to activate the certificate; fee waivers available for low-income applicants and qualifying military spouses/veterans)) and allow The Arizona State Board of Accountancy does not publish a standard processing time for certification by reciprocity.

Official links

Arizona State Board of Accountancy ↗Arizona application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Arizona → FloridaCPA / Accounting in FloridaCPA / Accounting in ArizonaAll cpa / accounting states

Frequently asked questions

Does Arizona accept a Florida CPA license?

Yes — Arizona recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Florida. Apply to the Arizona State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.

Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Florida to Arizona?

No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is accepted through the existing substantially-equivalent license (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Arizona separately requires applicants for certification to show a passing score of 90% or higher on a professional ethics examination (the AICPA ethics exam) taken within the two years immediately preceding application..

Do I need a Arizona license, or does mobility cover the move?

If Arizona becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Arizona State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Arizona clients from Florida, practice privilege usually covers you with no Arizona license, notice, or fee.

What does the Florida-to-Arizona move cost?

$100 ($100 application fee; a separate biennial registration fee (statutory $100-$300; recently set at $275) is due upon approval to activate the certificate; fee waivers available for low-income applicants and qualifying military spouses/veterans) ($100 application fee; a separate biennial registration fee (statutory $100-$300; recently set at $275) is due upon approval to activate the certificate; fee waivers available for low-income applicants and qualifying military spouses/veterans).

Can I keep my Florida CPA license after licensing in Arizona?

Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Florida 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.

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

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]