CPA / Accounting License from Illinois to Alaska: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) ↗
Yes — Alaska recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Illinois. Apply to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Alaska recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Illinois CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Illinois. What remains is Alaska-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Alaska ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Alaska is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, Illinois → Alaska
| Illinois (current) | Alaska (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable) | $500 ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt. | The division states average processing time varies by program and issues the license once the application is complete and all documents and fees are received; no fixed timeframe is published in the reciprocity instructions |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation | Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alaska sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alaska's current requirements on the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Have held your current CPA license in active status for at least two years (AS 08.04.195).
- Complete the AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive course/exam for licensure.
- Submit official verification (license history) from every jurisdiction where you hold or have held a license, plus interstate exchange of exam scores.
- Submit a state criminal-justice (background) report for Alaska and for your primary state of residence, issued within 90 days.
- Pay the fees ($500 ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately)) and allow The division states average processing time varies by program and issues the license once the application is complete and all documents and fees are received; no fixed timeframe is published in the reciprocity instructions.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Alaska accept a Illinois CPA license?
Yes — Alaska recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Illinois. Apply to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Illinois to Alaska?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant authorizes interstate exchange of exam scores and official license verification from each state of licensure (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Alaska additionally requires completion of the AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive course/exam for licensure..
Do I need a Alaska license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Alaska becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Alaska clients from Illinois, practice privilege usually covers you with no Alaska license, notice, or fee.
What does the Illinois-to-Alaska move cost?
$500 ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately) ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately).
Can I keep my Illinois CPA license after licensing in Alaska?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Illinois 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.
- Alaska Board of Public Accountancy — CPA by Reciprocity Application Instructions #08-4985 (two-year active license, $200 + $300 = $500 fees, background reports, AICPA ethics course, interstate exchange of scores) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alaska Board of Public Accountancy — Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — (065) Licensed CPA Application Checklist / User Guide (Endorsement method; substantial equivalency OR 4 years in 10; $120 fee all methods; no ethics exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — License qualifications for Certified Public Accountant (065), revised 09/2025 (endorsement path; exam certification sent directly to IDFPR) ↗ (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]