CPA / Accounting License from Georgia to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Alabama accept a Georgia CPA license?
Yes — Alabama recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Georgia. Apply to the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy (ASBPA) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full reciprocity
Alabama recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Georgia CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy (ASBPA) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Georgia. What remains is Alabama-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Alabama ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Alabama is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What's different between Georgia and Alabama
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Alabama. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Georgia to Alabama (this page): Full reciprocity.
Alabama to Georgia (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The two directions differ: Georgia and Alabama do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Georgia matter?
Coming from Georgia does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Alabama.
- Application fee
Alabama lists $120 for an out-of-state applicant and Georgia lists $220 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Education (semester hours)
Alabama's first-time-applicant standard is 150 semester hours of education for initial licensure; Georgia's is 150.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Alabama and Georgia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Alabama (this move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the reciprocal certificate is issued without examination once the board verifies the existing license (via NASBA's Accountancy Licensing Database, the issuing state's website, or an Interstate Exchange Form). Alabama does not require a separate state ethics examination for reciprocity (an ethics CPE course applies only at renewal).
- Georgia (the reverse move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through verification of your existing license/exam scores (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Georgia does not require a separate state ethics or rules-of-conduct examination for licensure.
What changes, Georgia → Alabama
| Georgia (current) | Alabama (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Education (semester hours) | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)) | $120 ($120 non-refundable reciprocal certificate application fee (rule 30-X-4-.07); waived for qualifying military spouses and other 'select individuals'; no separate fingerprint fee) |
| Processing time | Neither the Georgia board's reciprocal-license page nor NASBA's Georgia licensing page publishes a processing time | ASBPA does not publish a standard processing time; for 'select individuals' (e.g., military spouses) the board must issue within 30 days or grant a 360-day temporary license (rule 30-X-4-.03(3)) |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Board of Accountancy | Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy (ASBPA) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alabama sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy (ASBPA) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy (ASBPA) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a valid, unrevoked CPA certificate/license in good standing from another US jurisdiction (verified via NASBA's Accountancy Licensing Database or an Interstate Exchange Form).
- Qualify by substantial equivalency, OR have four years of CPA experience within the ten years preceding application, OR meet Alabama's current or then-applicable certificate requirements (rule 30-X-4-.03(2)).
- Be a US citizen or legally present with federal documentation, at least 19 years old, and of good moral character.
- Reciprocal certificate is issued without re-examination.
- 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 Georgia to Alabama?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license.
Do I need an Alabama license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Alabama becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy (ASBPA) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Alabama clients from Georgia, practice privilege usually covers you with no Alabama license, notice, or fee.
Can I keep my Georgia CPA license after licensing in Alabama?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Georgia 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 2026-10-29.
- ASBPA — Certificate by Reciprocity application package ($120 non-refundable reciprocal fee; license verified via ALD/Interstate Exchange Form) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 30-X-4 (rule 30-X-4-.03(2) reciprocal certificate; substantial equivalency + 4-of-10-years experience; 30-X-4-.06(5) issued without exam; 30-X-4-.07 $120 fee; 30-X-4-.06(3) three licensure pathways for candidates first sitting on or after 10/15/2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 30-X-3 (30-X-3-.04 mobility/practice privilege, no notice or fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 30-X-5 (30-X-5-.06(1)(a): Pathway 1 baccalaureate applicants need two years of experience; Pathways 2 and 3 need one year) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Reciprocal License (must hold active out-of-state license and meet GA education; apply through NASBA) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA Licensing — Georgia (reciprocal license fee $220; education pathways effective Jan 1, 2026 including a bachelor's degree plus two years of experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Frequently Asked Questions (reciprocal applicants; NASBA-processed) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency (UAA framework; all 55 US jurisdictions substantially equivalent) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
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