Skip to content
LicenseReciprocity

CPA / Accounting License from New Jersey to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation ↗

Yes — Illinois recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including New Jersey. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.

Verify this exact pair in the checker

Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Full reciprocity

Illinois recognizes substantial equivalency, so your New Jersey CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from New Jersey. What remains is Illinois-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Illinois ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Illinois is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.

What changes, New Jersey → Illinois

Side-by-side: New Jersey vs Illinois (CPA / Accounting), verified 2026-07-21
New Jersey (current)Illinois (destination)
Training hours150150
Application fee$75–$265 (Confirmed current charge is the $75 application fee shown on the Board's online portal. Per the fee schedule at N.J.A.C. 13:29-1.13 a $100 CPA-by-endorsement fee plus a prorated initial three-year license fee ($30-$90 depending on the year within the triennial cycle) also apply; those amounts are from the codified fee schedule (readopted without amendment Nov 2024) and should be confirmed in the portal)$120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable)
Processing timeBoard does not publish a processing time; approval follows receipt of good-standing verification from the issuing jurisdiction(s)IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt.
Licensing authorityNew Jersey State Board of Accountancy (Division of Consumer Affairs)Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a current CPA license in another state/jurisdiction at the time of application.
  5. Have been originally licensed in a substantially-equivalent state, OR have at least 4 years of public-accounting experience (after passing the CPA exam) within the 10 years preceding application.
  6. Have the original and current/most-recent jurisdictions send certification of licensure status directly to IDFPR.
  7. Document at least one year of qualifying full-time experience.
  8. Pay the fees ($120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable)) and allow IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt..

Official links

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation ↗Illinois application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Illinois → New JerseyCPA / Accounting in New JerseyCPA / Accounting in IllinoisAll cpa / accounting states

Frequently asked questions

Does Illinois accept a New Jersey CPA license?

Yes — Illinois recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including New Jersey. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.

Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from New Jersey to Illinois?

No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant has the original jurisdiction send certification of licensure/exam status directly to IDFPR (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Illinois does not require a separate state ethics exam for endorsement applicants..

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

If Illinois becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Illinois clients from New Jersey, practice privilege usually covers you with no Illinois license, notice, or fee.

What does the New Jersey-to-Illinois move cost?

$120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable) ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable).

Can I keep my New Jersey CPA license after licensing in Illinois?

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