CPA / Accounting License from North Carolina 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 North Carolina. 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina. 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, North Carolina → Rhode Island

Side-by-side: North Carolina vs Rhode Island (CPA / Accounting), verified 2026-07-21
	North Carolina (current)	Rhode Island (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)	$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	~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 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	North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners	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 North Carolina CPA license?

Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from North Carolina 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 North Carolina, practice privilege usually covers you with no Rhode Island license, notice, or fee.

What does the North Carolina-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 North Carolina CPA license after licensing in Rhode Island?

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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