Transfer Your CPA / Accounting License to Georgia: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Georgia State Board of Accountancy ↗
Yes — Georgia recognizes substantial equivalency, so the Georgia State Board of Accountancy issues a reciprocal CPA license to any CPA already licensed and in good standing in another state. 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.. Application fee: $220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)).
Moving to Georgia from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full reciprocity — honors all states
Because Georgia recognizes substantial equivalency, the Georgia State Board of Accountancy 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 Georgia is not becoming your principal place of business — you are serving Georgia clients from elsewhere, or the work is temporary — practice privilege usually lets you work there with no Georgia license at all. Apply for the reciprocal license when Georgia is where you will actually be based.
Georgia grants a reciprocal CPA license to any CPA in good standing from a substantially-equivalent US jurisdiction (all 55 jurisdictions are substantially equivalent), so there is no fixed partner list. NASBA Licensing Services administers Georgia licensure and processes the Initial Reciprocal Application. Separate from this license transfer, an out-of-state CPA may already PRACTICE in Georgia under practice-privilege/mobility with no Georgia license; the reciprocal license is what is needed when Georgia becomes the principal place of business. No separate state ethics exam and no fingerprint background check are listed on the board's or NASBA's Georgia pages as of 2026-07-21. New reciprocal licensees are exempt from CPE for the remainder of the first calendar year of licensure.
Georgia requirements at a glance
| Exam | 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. |
|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 hours |
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)) |
| Processing time | ~2 weeks (NASBA states it processes a completed file (application, fees and all required materials received) in up to two weeks) |
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia State Board of Accountancy website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active CPA license in good standing in the state you are reciprocating from.
- Meet Georgia's 150-semester-hour education requirement (satisfied through your existing licensure and documented via NASBA).
- Document qualifying accounting experience (upload resume and previous experience verification).
- Apply through NASBA Licensing Services, which administers Georgia licensure and processes reciprocal applications.
- Pay the fees ($220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure))) and allow ~2 weeks (NASBA states it processes a completed file (application, fees and all required materials received) in up to two weeks).
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Georgia:
All 50 origin states
Frequently asked questions
Does my CPA license transfer to Georgia?
Yes — Georgia recognizes substantial equivalency, so the Georgia State Board of Accountancy issues a reciprocal CPA license to any CPA already licensed and in good standing in another state. 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.. Application fee: $220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)).
Do I have to retake the CPA Exam to get licensed in Georgia?
No. 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..
Do I even need a Georgia CPA license, or does mobility cover me?
If Georgia is not your principal place of business, practice privilege (mobility) usually lets you serve Georgia clients with no Georgia license, notice, or fee. You apply to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license when Georgia becomes where you are principally based.
What does a Georgia reciprocal CPA license cost?
$220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)) (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)).
How long does the Georgia reciprocity process take?
~2 weeks (NASBA states it processes a completed file (application, fees and all required materials received) in up to two weeks) — NASBA states it processes a completed file (application, fees and all required materials received) in up to two weeks.
How does Georgia's education requirement affect a reciprocal CPA license?
Georgia'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 Georgia State Board of Accountancy.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Reciprocal License (must hold active out-of-state license and meet GA education; apply through NASBA) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NASBA Licensing — Georgia (reciprocal license fee $220; up to two weeks to process a completed file) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Frequently Asked Questions (reciprocal applicants; NASBA-processed) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency (UAA framework; all 55 US jurisdictions substantially equivalent) ↗ (accessed 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]