CPA / Accounting License from New York to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Kentucky State Board of Accountancy ↗
Yes — Kentucky recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including New York. Apply to the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Kentucky recognizes substantial equivalency, so your New York CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from New York. What remains is Kentucky-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Kentucky ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Kentucky is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, New York → Kentucky
| New York (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $427 ($427 Form 1 licensure and first-registration fee) | $100 (reciprocal license application fee (check or money order)) |
| Processing time | The Office of the Professions does not publish a fixed processing time; review begins once all forms and out-of-state verification are received | no published turnaround; applications are approved at the Board's next scheduled meeting and must be received at least one week beforehand |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Public Accountancy) | Kentucky State Board of Accountancy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active CPA license in good standing from another US jurisdiction.
- Submit a Certificate of Experience documenting at least 1 year / 2,000 hours of accounting or attest experience.
- Submit an Authorization for Interstate Exchange of Information verifying exam passage and active licensure.
- Application must be received at least one week before the Board meeting at which it will be considered.
- Pay the fees ($100 (reciprocal license application fee (check or money order))) and allow no published turnaround; applications are approved at the Board's next scheduled meeting and must be received at least one week beforehand.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kentucky accept a New York CPA license?
Yes — Kentucky recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including New York. Apply to the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from New York to Kentucky?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; you request transfer of your exam scores and verification of your active licensure from your current state board or NASBA (via an Authorization for Interstate Exchange of Information form). The Board does not list a separate state ethics examination among its reciprocal-license requirements..
Do I need a Kentucky license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Kentucky becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Kentucky clients from New York, practice privilege usually covers you with no Kentucky license, notice, or fee.
What does the New York-to-Kentucky move cost?
$100 (reciprocal license application fee (check or money order)) (reciprocal license application fee (check or money order)).
Can I keep my New York CPA license after licensing in Kentucky?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the New York 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.
- Kentucky State Board of Accountancy — Reciprocal License ($100 fee, Certificate of Experience 1 yr/2,000 hrs, Authorization for Interstate Exchange of Information, board-meeting cadence) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky State Board of Accountancy — Initial License requirements (Bachelor's + 30 hrs = 150 semester hours, 27 accounting hrs; 1 yr/2,000 hrs experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED Office of the Professions - Licensure by Endorsement for CPAs ($427 fee; 4 years post-licensure experience within last 10; significantly-comparable-state requirement; Forms 1/3/4B) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED - States with Significantly Comparable Licensure Requirements (all 50 states + DC, PR, Guam, USVI, CNMI; asterisks flag two-tier certificate-only states) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED - Initial License Requirements for CPAs (150 semester hours; one-year experience baseline; good moral character) ↗ (accessed 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]