CPA / Accounting License from Kansas to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy ↗
Yes — Pennsylvania recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Kansas. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Pennsylvania recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Kansas CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Kansas. What remains is Pennsylvania-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Pennsylvania ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Pennsylvania is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, Kansas → Pennsylvania
| Kansas (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $250 (non-refundable CPA certificate-by-reciprocity fee; a separate permit to practice costs $165 if applied for at the same time) | $65 ($65 non-refundable initial-licensure application fee; biennial renewal is $100) |
| Processing time | 2–7 weeks (under 2021 Sub. for HB 2066 (Option 1), military spouses/service members are processed within 15 days and other applicants who reside or intend to reside in Kansas within 45 days; the K.S.A. 1-307 track (Option 2) has no separately published timeline) | The Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy does not publish a processing time |
| Licensing authority | Kansas Board of Accountancy | Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a CPA certificate in full force and effect issued by another state following passage of the Uniform CPA Examination.
- Have current licensure and examination grades verified directly from your licensing state.
- If licensed less than 5 years (or lapsed within the last 5 years): verify 1 year (1,600 hours) of experience within the preceding 5 years, submit transcripts, and document 80 CPE hours.
- Applicants licensed 5 or more years without lapse are exempt from the education, experience, and CPE documentation.
- Pay the fees ($65 ($65 non-refundable initial-licensure application fee; biennial renewal is $100)) and allow The Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy does not publish a processing time.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Kansas CPA license?
Yes — Pennsylvania recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Kansas. Apply to the Pennsylvania 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 Kansas to Pennsylvania?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; verification of current licensure and examination grades is submitted directly to the board from the state where you hold a license and/or passed the exam. Pennsylvania imposes no separate state ethics examination (4 CPE credits in ethics are required each biennial renewal instead)..
Do I need a Pennsylvania license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Pennsylvania becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Pennsylvania clients from Kansas, practice privilege usually covers you with no Pennsylvania license, notice, or fee.
What does the Kansas-to-Pennsylvania move cost?
$65 ($65 non-refundable initial-licensure application fee; biennial renewal is $100) ($65 non-refundable initial-licensure application fee; biennial renewal is $100).
Can I keep my Kansas CPA license after licensing in Pennsylvania?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Kansas 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.
- Pennsylvania Department of State — CPA Licensure Requirements Snapshot (domestic reciprocity, Act 41 endorsement, $65 initial / $100 biennial renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy — Board Resources and Documents (CPA Domestic Reciprocity Application: $65 fee, 150 hours, 1 year experience within preceding 5 years, 80 CPE hours; 5-years-without-lapse track) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kansas Board of Accountancy — Application for CPA Certificate by Reciprocity (instructions + form): $250 non-refundable fee, K.S.A. 1-307 waiver / four-years-in-ten experience, board-approved ethics exam, 15-day/45-day processing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kansas Board of Accountancy — FAQs (reciprocity qualification and AICPA ethics exam) ↗ (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]