CPA / Accounting License from New Jersey to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Texas accept a New Jersey CPA license?
Yes — Texas recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including New Jersey. Apply to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) 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.
Verdict
Full reciprocity
Texas recognizes substantial equivalency, so your New Jersey CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from New Jersey. What remains is Texas-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Texas ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Texas is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What's different between New Jersey and Texas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Texas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New Jersey to Texas (this page): Full reciprocity.
Texas to New Jersey (the reverse move): Full reciprocity.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from New Jersey matter?
Coming from New Jersey does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Texas.
- Application fee
Texas lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and New Jersey lists $75–$265 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Education (semester hours)
Texas's first-time-applicant standard is 150 semester hours of education for initial licensure; New Jersey's is 150.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
Texas and New Jersey carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Texas (this move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through the letter of good standing from your current board. Texas additionally requires a board-approved 4-credit ethics course and passage of an open-book examination on the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct.
- New Jersey (the reverse move): The Uniform CPA Examination is never retaken; passage is confirmed through written verification of good standing from every jurisdiction in which the applicant holds or has held a license. New Jersey imposes no separate state ethics or rules-of-conduct examination for licensure (a 4-credit New Jersey Law & Ethics CPE course applies only at triennial renewal).
What changes, New Jersey → Texas
| New Jersey (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Education (semester hours) | 150 | 150 |
| 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) | $100 (reciprocal application fee; fingerprint vendor fee paid separately) |
| Processing time | Board does not publish a processing time; approval follows receipt of good-standing verification from the issuing jurisdiction(s) | TSBPA does not publish a processing time; approval cannot be finalized until the fingerprint background check clears |
| Licensing authority | New Jersey State Board of Accountancy (Division of Consumer Affairs) | Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a CPA license in good standing from another US jurisdiction (letter of good standing required).
- Complete a Texas board-approved 4-credit ethics course within the last six months.
- Pass the open-book examination on the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct.
- Fingerprint-based FBI and Texas DPS background check.
- Meet Texas CPE requirements scaled to length of prior licensure (up to 120 hours).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from New Jersey to Texas?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license.
Do I need a Texas license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Texas becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Texas clients from New Jersey, practice privilege usually covers you with no Texas license, notice, or fee.
Can I keep my New Jersey CPA license after licensing in Texas?
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 New Jersey 2026-07-21, Texas 2026-10-29.
- TSBPA — Reciprocal Application ($100 fee, exam not retaken, 4-credit ethics course within six months, open-book Rules of Professional Conduct exam, letter of good standing, fingerprint background check, tiered CPE up to 120 hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency and practice privilege (UAA Section 23; all 55 US jurisdictions substantially equivalent) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPA — New Pathway for CPA Exam and Certification (Pathway B effective August 1, 2026; bachelor's degree, 120 semester hours, two years of CPA-supervised experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NJ State Board of Accountancy - Applications & Forms (apply by Endorsement if you hold an active out-of-state license; $75 application fee to submit) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NJ State Board of Accountancy - FAQ (150 semester hours incl. 24 accounting + 24 general business) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- N.J.A.C. 13:29 (Board rules) - 13:29-1.8 license by endorsement and 13:29-1.13 fee schedule ($75 application, $100 endorsement, $30-$90 initial license) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 57 N.J.R. 55(a) - Readoption of N.J.A.C. 13:29 (eff. 11/26/2024; Subchapter 4 governs practice privilege/mobility) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources New Jersey 2026-07-21, Texas 2026-10-29
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