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LicenseReciprocity

CPA / Accounting License from Illinois 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 Illinois. 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 Illinois 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 Illinois. 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, Illinois → Arizona

Side-by-side: Illinois vs Arizona (CPA / Accounting), verified 2026-07-21
Illinois (current)Arizona (destination)
Training hours150150
Application fee$120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable)$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 timeIDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt.The Arizona State Board of Accountancy does not publish a standard processing time for certification by reciprocity
Licensing authorityIllinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional RegulationArizona 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 → IllinoisCPA / Accounting in IllinoisCPA / Accounting in ArizonaAll cpa / accounting states

Frequently asked questions

Does Arizona accept a Illinois CPA license?

Yes — Arizona recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Illinois. 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 Illinois 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 Illinois, practice privilege usually covers you with no Arizona license, notice, or fee.

What does the Illinois-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 Illinois CPA license after licensing in Arizona?

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.

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

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