CPA / Accounting License from Illinois to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maine Board of Accountancy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation) ↗
Yes — Maine recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Illinois. Apply to the Maine Board of Accountancy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Maine recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Illinois CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Maine Board of Accountancy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Illinois. What remains is Maine-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Maine ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Maine is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, Illinois → Maine
| Illinois (current) | Maine (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable) | $35 ($35 license fee; a $21 criminal records check fee is added for a total required payment of $56) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt. | the Board does not publish a processing time and asks applicants not to call to check status; the issued license is emailed to the applicant |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation | Maine Board of Accountancy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine Board of Accountancy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine Board of Accountancy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a CPA license in good standing from another US jurisdiction whose qualifications are substantially equivalent (verified by a national association / NASBA).
- Submit the Authorization for Licensure Information form completed by your home board.
- Pass a criminal history records check (required of all applicants).
- If not substantially equivalent, meet Maine's current requirements and, if licensed 4+ years, show 40 hours of CPE in the prior 12 months or four years of experience within the prior ten years.
- Pay the fees ($35 ($35 license fee; a $21 criminal records check fee is added for a total required payment of $56)) and allow the Board does not publish a processing time and asks applicants not to call to check status; the issued license is emailed to the applicant.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept a Illinois CPA license?
Yes — Maine recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Illinois. Apply to the Maine Board of Accountancy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Illinois to Maine?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; your out-of-state license is verified via the Authorization for Licensure Information form completed by your home board, together with a national association's verification that your qualifications are substantially equivalent. The out-of-state license application checklist does not include a separate ethics examination..
Do I need a Maine license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Maine becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Maine Board of Accountancy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Maine clients from Illinois, practice privilege usually covers you with no Maine license, notice, or fee.
What does the Illinois-to-Maine move cost?
$35 ($35 license fee; a $21 criminal records check fee is added for a total required payment of $56) ($35 license fee; a $21 criminal records check fee is added for a total required payment of $56).
Can I keep my Illinois CPA license after licensing in Maine?
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.
- Maine Board of Accountancy — Application for Licensure on the Basis of an Out-of-State License (fee $56 = $35 license + $21 criminal records check; Authorization for Licensure Information; substantial equivalency) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine 32 MRS 12231 — Application for licensure on the basis of an out-of-state license or certificate (substantial equivalency; four-years-in-ten experience / 40-hours-CPE alternative) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine OPOR — Public Accountant and Certified Public Accountant licensing page (150-hour education, two years experience, criminal background check requirement) ↗ (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]