CPA / Accounting License from North Carolina to Alaska: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) ↗

Yes — Alaska recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including North Carolina. Apply to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.

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Verdict

Full reciprocity

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

What changes, North Carolina → Alaska

Side-by-side: North Carolina vs Alaska (CPA / Accounting), verified 2026-07-21
	North Carolina (current)	Alaska (destination)
Training hours	150	150
Application fee	$100 ($100 reciprocal application fee (the maximum allowed by G.S. 93-12(7a)); a temporary permit issues on receipt of the application and fee. If the package is not completed in time the $100 must be paid again)	$500 ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately)
Processing time	~2 weeks (Allow ~2 weeks to issue the temporary permit (valid 4 months / ~120 days); the full reciprocal package must be completed within 90 days of the temporary permit)	The division states average processing time varies by program and issues the license once the application is complete and all documents and fees are received; no fixed timeframe is published in the reciprocity instructions
Licensing authority	North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners	Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing)

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

Step by step

Confirm Alaska's current requirements on the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Have held your current CPA license in active status for at least two years (AS 08.04.195).
Complete the AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive course/exam for licensure.
Submit official verification (license history) from every jurisdiction where you hold or have held a license, plus interstate exchange of exam scores.
Submit a state criminal-justice (background) report for Alaska and for your primary state of residence, issued within 90 days.
Pay the fees ($500 ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately)) and allow The division states average processing time varies by program and issues the license once the application is complete and all documents and fees are received; no fixed timeframe is published in the reciprocity instructions.

Official links

Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) ↗Alaska application ↗License verification ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does Alaska accept a North Carolina CPA license?

Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from North Carolina to Alaska?

No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant authorizes interstate exchange of exam scores and official license verification from each state of licensure (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Alaska additionally requires completion of the AICPA Professional Ethics comprehensive course/exam for licensure..

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

If Alaska becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Alaska Board of Public Accountancy (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Alaska clients from North Carolina, practice privilege usually covers you with no Alaska license, notice, or fee.

What does the North Carolina-to-Alaska move cost?

$500 ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately) ($200 nonrefundable initial application fee + $300 CPA license fee = $500 total due with the application; background-report vendor fees paid separately).

Can I keep my North Carolina CPA license after licensing in Alaska?

Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the North Carolina 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

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