Transfer Your CPA / Accounting License to Louisiana: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana (Louisiana State Board of CPAs) ↗
Louisiana is a substantial-equivalency state — hold a good-standing CPA license anywhere in the US and the State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana (Louisiana State Board of CPAs) will issue a reciprocal license without retesting. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; a license verification from the originating jurisdiction confirming your active CPA license is uploaded with the online application. The Board's reciprocal-license requirements do not list a separate state ethics examination.. Expect $120 (reciprocal license application fee, submitted through the online Applicant Portal) in application fees.
Moving to Louisiana from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full reciprocity — honors all states
Because Louisiana recognizes substantial equivalency, the State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana (Louisiana State Board of CPAs) 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 Louisiana is not becoming your principal place of business — you are serving Louisiana clients from elsewhere, or the work is temporary — practice privilege usually lets you work there with no Louisiana license at all. Apply for the reciprocal license when Louisiana is where you will actually be based.
Louisiana deems its CPA requirements substantially equivalent to all NASBA jurisdictions (50 states plus DC, Guam, CNMI, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) and issues a reciprocal license to any active out-of-state CPA regardless of residence, so reciprocity runs on the national framework rather than a partner list. Separately, an out-of-state CPA may PRACTICE in Louisiana under practice privilege/mobility with no Louisiana license; the reciprocal license is required when Louisiana becomes the principal place of business. Non-resident licensees may qualify for CPE reciprocity by meeting their home state's CPE. Baseline education is 150 semester hours; reciprocal applicants normally satisfy education through their existing license.
Louisiana requirements at a glance
| Exam | The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; a license verification from the originating jurisdiction confirming your active CPA license is uploaded with the online application. The Board's reciprocal-license requirements do not list a separate state ethics examination. |
|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 hours |
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $120 (reciprocal license application fee, submitted through the online Applicant Portal) |
| Processing time | the Board does not publish a processing time for reciprocal license applications |
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana (Louisiana State Board of CPAs) website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana (Louisiana State Board of CPAs) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active CPA license in good standing from any US (NASBA) jurisdiction.
- Upload a license verification from the originating jurisdiction with the online application.
- Obtain the reciprocal license if you establish your principal place of business in Louisiana.
- Apply through the Board's online Applicant Portal.
- Pay the fees ($120 (reciprocal license application fee, submitted through the online Applicant Portal)) and allow the Board does not publish a processing time for reciprocal license applications.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Louisiana:
Frequently asked questions
Does my CPA license transfer to Louisiana?
Louisiana is a substantial-equivalency state — hold a good-standing CPA license anywhere in the US and the State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana (Louisiana State Board of CPAs) will issue a reciprocal license without retesting. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; a license verification from the originating jurisdiction confirming your active CPA license is uploaded with the online application. The Board's reciprocal-license requirements do not list a separate state ethics examination.. Expect $120 (reciprocal license application fee, submitted through the online Applicant Portal) in application fees.
Do I have to retake the CPA Exam to get licensed in Louisiana?
No. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; a license verification from the originating jurisdiction confirming your active CPA license is uploaded with the online application. The Board's reciprocal-license requirements do not list a separate state ethics examination..
Do I even need a Louisiana CPA license, or does mobility cover me?
If Louisiana is not your principal place of business, practice privilege (mobility) usually lets you serve Louisiana clients with no Louisiana license, notice, or fee. You apply to the State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana (Louisiana State Board of CPAs) for a reciprocal license when Louisiana becomes where you are principally based.
What does a Louisiana reciprocal CPA license cost?
$120 (reciprocal license application fee, submitted through the online Applicant Portal) (reciprocal license application fee, submitted through the online Applicant Portal).
How long does the Louisiana reciprocity process take?
the Board does not publish a processing time for reciprocal license applications — the Board does not publish a processing time for reciprocal license applications.
How does Louisiana's education requirement affect a reciprocal CPA license?
Louisiana'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 State Board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana (Louisiana State Board of CPAs).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Louisiana State Board of CPAs — CPA Resources / CPA Reciprocity ($120 reciprocal license; active license from any NASBA jurisdiction; license verification upload; required when principal place of business is in Louisiana) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Louisiana State Board of CPAs — Becoming a CPA (150 semester hours; 1-year / 2,000-hour experience) ↗ (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]