CPA / Accounting License from Michigan 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 Michigan. 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 Michigan 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 Michigan. 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, Michigan → Alaska

Side-by-side: Michigan vs Alaska (CPA / Accounting), verified 2026-07-21
	Michigan (current)	Alaska (destination)
Training hours	150	150
Application fee	Michigan charges an application processing fee plus a 2-year license fee (State License Fee Act, 1979 PA 152), collected on the CPA reciprocity application; the exact amounts are published on the LARA application forms but could not be confirmed on an accessible official page at time of research (LARA blocked automated retrieval, HTTP 403)	$500 ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately)
Processing time	LARA does not publish a processing time for the CPA reciprocity application	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	Michigan Board of Accountancy (Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing)	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

Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) ↗Alaska application ↗License verification ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does Alaska accept a Michigan CPA license?

Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Michigan 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 Michigan, practice privilege usually covers you with no Alaska license, notice, or fee.

What does the Michigan-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 Michigan CPA license after licensing in Alaska?

Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Michigan 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]