CPA / Accounting License from Florida to Wisconsin: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Wisconsin accept a Florida CPA license?
A CPA license transfers from Florida to Wisconsin by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Wisconsin Accounting Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services), verify your Florida license, and meet Wisconsin's endorsement requirements. The Uniform CPA Examination is never retaken; passage is verified by your licensing state (Form 131 verification of examination, or a form letter from that state; NASBA can also send the exam scores; national lookup at CPAverify.org). Wisconsin additionally requires passing the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Examination, an untimed online exam on Wis. Stat. chapters 440 and 442 and administrative code chapters Accy 1-6 and SPS 1-9 (80% or higher to pass).
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Wisconsin does not grant the automatic substantial-equivalency license to every out-of-state CPA, so moving from Florida means an individual review by the Wisconsin Accounting Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) — often against an experience test counted in years of recent practice rather than a straight credential match. Nothing about coming from Florida speeds it up or slows it down; you keep your CPA Exam passage and your existing license as the basis of the review, and the requirements below are Wisconsin's own.
What's different between Florida and Wisconsin
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Wisconsin. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Florida to Wisconsin (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Wisconsin to Florida (the reverse move): Full reciprocity.
The two directions differ: Florida and Wisconsin do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Florida matter?
Coming from Florida does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Wisconsin.
- Application fee
Wisconsin lists $43 for an out-of-state applicant and Florida lists $300 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Education (semester hours)
Wisconsin's first-time-applicant standard is 150 semester hours of education for initial licensure; Florida's is 150.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Wisconsin and Florida carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Wisconsin (this move): The Uniform CPA Examination is never retaken; passage is verified by your licensing state (Form 131 verification of examination, or a form letter from that state; NASBA can also send the exam scores; national lookup at CPAverify.org). Wisconsin additionally requires passing the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Examination, an untimed online exam on Wis. Stat. chapters 440 and 442 and administrative code chapters Accy 1-6 and SPS 1-9 (80% or higher to pass).
- Florida (the reverse move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant files the DBPR CPA 5012-1 Authorization for Interstate Exchange of Examination and Licensure Information so Florida can confirm passage through the existing license. Florida requires no separate state ethics or law exam.
What changes, Florida → Wisconsin
| Florida (current) | Wisconsin (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Education (semester hours) | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $300 (non-refundable DBPR CPA 3 Licensure by Endorsement application fee; no fingerprint/background-check surcharge (Florida does not fingerprint CPA applicants)) | $43 (CPA credential (license) fee via DSPS LicensE (DSPS credential fee list: Accountant, Certified Public $43); retaking the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Examination requires Form 2699 and a separate fee) |
| Processing time | the Florida Board of Accountancy / DBPR does not publish a processing time for endorsement | DSPS states submitted materials are reviewed within approximately 10 days by the credentialing team (a first review, not a total processing time); applications via reciprocity/endorsement may need Department legal review, which adds processing time |
| Licensing authority | Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) | Wisconsin Accounting Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Wisconsin sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Wisconsin's current requirements on the Wisconsin Accounting Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Wisconsin Accounting Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Establish substantial equivalence to Wisconsin's initial-licensure requirements, as judged by the Accounting Examining Board (DSPS collects the full initial-licensure documents from all applicants).
- Show a bachelor's or higher degree meeting Wisconsin's 150-credit-hour education requirement (official transcripts plus Form 3178 accounting and business course work).
- Document 1 year of accounting employment experience gained within the last five years (Forms 127 and 128).
- Have your licensing state verify your Uniform CPA Exam passage (Form 131 or that state's form letter).
- Pass the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Examination (80% or higher).
- Apply under Licensure by Endorsement and pay the credential fee through the DSPS LicensE system.
- 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 Florida to Wisconsin?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license.
Do I need a Wisconsin license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Wisconsin becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Wisconsin Accounting Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Wisconsin clients from Florida, practice privilege usually covers you with no Wisconsin license, notice, or fee.
Can I keep my Florida CPA license after licensing in Wisconsin?
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 Florida 2026-07-21, Wisconsin 2026-10-29.
- Wisconsin DSPS — Accountant, Certified Public (CPA) profession page (application methods, renewal and CPE, legal review of reciprocity/endorsement applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Wisconsin DSPS — CPA Licensure by Endorsement (substantial equivalence to initial-licensure requirements; 150 credits; 1 year of experience within five years; Forms 3178, 127, 128, 131; Statutes and Rules Examination; review within approximately 10 days) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Credential Fees and Renewal Dates (Accountant, Certified Public: $43) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Wisconsin Statutes 442.05 / 442.04 — grant of certificate to holder of another state's certificate on substantial equivalence (NASBA NQAS) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Florida DBPR — CPA Licensure by Endorsement (experience pathways, other-state license issued on/after 8/15/2014, $300 fee, 150 hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Florida DBPR — CPA Initial Licensure Requirements (150 semester hours with accounting and business hour breakdown) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Florida 2026-07-21, Wisconsin 2026-10-29
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