Transfer Your CPA / Accounting License to Missouri: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my CPA license transfer to Missouri?
A CPA license transfers to Missouri by reciprocity: because Missouri treats every US CPA as substantially equivalent, the Missouri State Board of Accountancy (MOSBA) grants its license on the strength of your existing one rather than re-qualifying you. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through the interstate exchange of examination and licensure information from your current board (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Missouri does not impose a separate state rules exam; the 'Reciprocity via 4 & 10' and general reciprocity applications require that you have passed an Ethics Exam acceptable to the Board (the AICPA ethics exam or your home state's ethics exam), while the streamlined 'Reciprocity via Licensure' application form (MO 375-1096, rev. 12-2024) does not ask about one. Fee: $165 (reciprocity application fee per the Board fee schedule).
Moving to Missouri from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full reciprocity — honors all states
Because Missouri recognizes substantial equivalency, the Missouri State Board of Accountancy (MOSBA) 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 Missouri is not becoming your principal place of business — you are serving Missouri clients from elsewhere, or the work is temporary — practice privilege usually lets you work there with no Missouri license at all. Apply for the reciprocal license when Missouri is where you will actually be based.
Missouri grants a reciprocal CPA license to any CPA in good standing from a substantially-equivalent US jurisdiction (all 55 jurisdictions are substantially equivalent); 2020 legislation created the streamlined one-year-of-licensure path. This is the LICENSE TRANSFER, separate from practice privilege/mobility (an out-of-state CPA may already practice in Missouri with no Missouri license; the reciprocal license is what is needed when Missouri becomes the principal place of business). Missouri lets candidates sit for the exam at 120 hours but licensure baseline is 150 hours; Senate Bill 1233 (effective August 28, 2026) added a licensure pathway of a baccalaureate degree with an accounting concentration plus two years of experience; the Board is revising its rules to match. Reciprocal applicants normally satisfy education through their existing license rather than a fresh Missouri education review.
Missouri requirements at a glance
| Education (semester hours) | 150 semester hours of education for initial licensure |
|---|---|
| Fees | $165 (reciprocity application fee per the Board fee schedule) |
| Processing time | MOSBA does not publish a processing time for reciprocity applications |
Step by step
- Confirm Missouri's current requirements on the Missouri State Board of Accountancy (MOSBA) website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Missouri State Board of Accountancy (MOSBA) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a CPA license in good standing in another US jurisdiction (the streamlined 'Reciprocity via Licensure' path requires at least one year of licensure elsewhere).
- Submit verification of licensure / Authorization for Interstate Exchange of Examination and Licensure Information from the original board.
- Reciprocity via 4 & 10 (and general reciprocity) applicants: have passed an Ethics Exam acceptable to the Board (AICPA or home-state ethics exam).
- Alternatively, apply under 'Reciprocity via 4 & 10': four years of experience as a licensed CPA outside Missouri within the ten years immediately preceding the application (applicants who do not meet the one-year licensure requirement are asked to contact the Board).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Missouri:
Nearby states
CPA / Accounting license transfer into the states bordering Missouri:
Missouri for other professions
- Nursing in Missouri
- Cosmetology / Barber in Missouri
- Real Estate in Missouri
- Contractor in Missouri
- Teaching in Missouri
- Electrician in Missouri
- Plumber in Missouri
- Engineering in Missouri
- Pharmacy in Missouri
- Physical Therapy in Missouri
- Psychology in Missouri
- Counseling in Missouri
- Social Work in Missouri
- Occupational Therapy in Missouri
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to retake the CPA Exam to get licensed in Missouri?
No. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through the interstate exchange of examination and licensure information from your current board (national lookup at CPAverify.org).
Do I even need a Missouri CPA license, or does mobility cover me?
If Missouri is not your principal place of business, practice privilege (mobility) usually lets you serve Missouri clients with no Missouri license, notice, or fee. You apply to the Missouri State Board of Accountancy (MOSBA) for a reciprocal license when Missouri becomes where you are principally based.
How does Missouri's education requirement affect a reciprocal CPA license?
Missouri'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 Missouri State Board of Accountancy (MOSBA).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- MOSBA — Board of Accountancy Forms (Reciprocity via Licensure application) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- MOSBA — Application for a License as a CPA by Reciprocity (via Licensure), MO 375-1096 rev. 12-2024 ($165 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- MOSBA — Application for License by Reciprocity via 4 & 10, MO 375-0133 (4 years as a licensed CPA within the preceding 10; Ethics Exam acceptable to the Board; $165) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- MOSBA — Fee schedule ($165.00 reciprocity fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- MOSBA — CPA Examination page (120 semester hours to sit; education overview) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- MOSBA — New Licensure Pathway for CPAs (SB 1233, effective August 28, 2026: baccalaureate + two years' experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency and practice privilege (UAA Section 23) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com