CPA / Accounting License from New York to Rhode Island: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Rhode Island Board of Accountancy (Department of Business Regulation) ↗

Yes — Rhode Island recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including New York. Apply to the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy (Department of Business Regulation) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.

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Verdict

Full reciprocity

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

What changes, New York → Rhode Island

Side-by-side: New York vs Rhode Island (CPA / Accounting), verified 2026-07-21
	New York (current)	Rhode Island (destination)
Training hours	150	150
Application fee	$427 ($427 Form 1 licensure and first-registration fee)	$375 (three-year CPA certificate/permit fee; RIGL 5-3.1-7 sets the permit fee at not less than $375 and the DBR fee schedule lists $375. No separate reciprocity-application surcharge is published)
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	The Board does not publish a processing time; however, upon filing a completed reciprocity application the applicant is deemed qualified to practice pending board review
Licensing authority	New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Public Accountancy)	Rhode Island Board of Accountancy (Department of Business Regulation)

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

Step by step

Confirm Rhode Island's current requirements on the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy (Department of Business Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy (Department of Business Regulation) (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Hold a valid CPA certificate/permit in good standing from another US state whose licensure requirements are substantially equivalent (RIGL 5-3.1-7(g); all 55 US jurisdictions are substantially equivalent).
File the Reciprocity Application for Rhode Island; upon filing a completed application the applicant is deemed qualified to practice public accounting pending board review.
Baseline RI licensure requires 150 semester hours, one year (1,820 hours) of experience, and a 90%+ grade on the AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive course (satisfied through the existing substantially-equivalent license).
Comply going forward with RI CPE (120 hours per three-year cycle, including at least 6 hours of ethics).
Pay the fees ($375 (three-year CPA certificate/permit fee; RIGL 5-3.1-7 sets the permit fee at not less than $375 and the DBR fee schedule lists $375. No separate reciprocity-application surcharge is published)) and allow The Board does not publish a processing time; however, upon filing a completed reciprocity application the applicant is deemed qualified to practice pending board review.

Official links

Rhode Island Board of Accountancy (Department of Business Regulation) ↗Rhode Island application ↗License verification ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does Rhode Island accept a New York CPA license?

Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from New York to Rhode Island?

No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant retains credit for sections passed in another state and licensure is verified through the existing out-of-state certificate (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Rhode Island's licensure standard includes a grade of 90% or better on the AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive course, which a substantially-equivalent applicant will already have satisfied through the existing license..

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

If Rhode Island becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy (Department of Business Regulation) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Rhode Island clients from New York, practice privilege usually covers you with no Rhode Island license, notice, or fee.

What does the New York-to-Rhode Island move cost?

$375 (three-year CPA certificate/permit fee; RIGL 5-3.1-7 sets the permit fee at not less than $375 and the DBR fee schedule lists $375. No separate reciprocity-application surcharge is published) (three-year CPA certificate/permit fee; RIGL 5-3.1-7 sets the permit fee at not less than $375 and the DBR fee schedule lists $375. No separate reciprocity-application surcharge is published).

Can I keep my New York CPA license after licensing in Rhode Island?

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.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]