CPA / Accounting License from Mississippi to North Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners ↗

Yes — North Carolina recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Mississippi. Apply to the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.

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Verdict

Full reciprocity

North Carolina recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Mississippi CPA license clears the bar on its own — the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Mississippi. What remains is North Carolina-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any North Carolina ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if North Carolina is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.

What changes, Mississippi → North Carolina

Side-by-side: Mississippi vs North Carolina (CPA / Accounting), verified 2026-07-21
	Mississippi (current)	North Carolina (destination)
Training hours	150	150
Application fee	$210 ($110 reciprocal CPA license registration fee + $100 board processing fee; nonrefundable)	$100 ($100 reciprocal application fee (the maximum allowed by G.S. 93-12(7a)); a temporary permit issues on receipt of the application and fee. If the package is not completed in time the $100 must be paid again)
Processing time	Board does not publish a processing time; issuance is contingent on the Board background check clearing	~2 weeks (Allow ~2 weeks to issue the temporary permit (valid 4 months / ~120 days); the full reciprocal package must be completed within 90 days of the temporary permit)
Licensing authority	Mississippi State Board of Public Accountancy	North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners

The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Carolina sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

Confirm North Carolina's current requirements on the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Hold a current, unrestricted license to practice public accounting (CPA title) in another US jurisdiction, under no discipline.
Complete the NC Accountancy Law course (NCACPA) within one year preceding application.
Submit the Interstate Exchange form completed by the licensing jurisdiction (and by the jurisdiction where the exam was taken).
Provide proof of US citizenship, resident-alien status, or a notarized declaration of intent to become a citizen.
Complete the moral-character disclosures and the Employee Fair Classification Act certification.
Pay the fees ($100 ($100 reciprocal application fee (the maximum allowed by G.S. 93-12(7a)); a temporary permit issues on receipt of the application and fee. If the package is not completed in time the $100 must be paid again)) and allow ~2 weeks (Allow ~2 weeks to issue the temporary permit (valid 4 months / ~120 days); the full reciprocal package must be completed within 90 days of the temporary permit).

Official links

North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners ↗North Carolina application ↗License verification ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does North Carolina accept a Mississippi CPA license?

Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Mississippi to North Carolina?

No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is never retaken; the jurisdiction where the applicant sat verifies the numerical exam scores and license status on the Board's Interstate Exchange form (national lookup at CPAverify.org). North Carolina additionally requires completion of the NC Accountancy Law course ('Ethics, Principles and Professional Responsibilities,' NCACPA) within the year before applying..

Do I need a North Carolina license, or does mobility cover the move?

If North Carolina becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving North Carolina clients from Mississippi, practice privilege usually covers you with no North Carolina license, notice, or fee.

What does the Mississippi-to-North Carolina move cost?

$100 ($100 reciprocal application fee (the maximum allowed by G.S. 93-12(7a)); a temporary permit issues on receipt of the application and fee. If the package is not completed in time the $100 must be paid again) ($100 reciprocal application fee (the maximum allowed by G.S. 93-12(7a)); a temporary permit issues on receipt of the application and fee. If the package is not completed in time the $100 must be paid again).

Can I keep my Mississippi CPA license after licensing in North Carolina?

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

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