CPA / Accounting License from Pennsylvania to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Delaware Board of Accountancy (Division of Professional Regulation) ↗
Yes — Delaware recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Pennsylvania. Apply to the Delaware Board of Accountancy (Division of Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Delaware recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Pennsylvania CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Delaware Board of Accountancy (Division of Professional Regulation) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Pennsylvania. What remains is Delaware-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Delaware ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Delaware is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Delaware
| Pennsylvania (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $65 ($65 non-refundable initial-licensure application fee; biennial renewal is $100) | $187 (CPA Permit to Practice fee from the Division of Professional Regulation fee schedule) |
| Processing time | The Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy does not publish a processing time | the Delaware Board of Accountancy / Division of Professional Regulation does not publish a processing time |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy | Delaware Board of Accountancy (Division of Professional Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Board of Accountancy (Division of Professional Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Delaware Board of Accountancy (Division of Professional Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active CPA license/permit in good standing from another US jurisdiction.
- Substantial-equivalency route: submit a NASBA NQAS individual substantial-equivalency evaluation report.
- Non-equivalent route: document at least four years of experience completed after passing the CPA exam and within the past ten years (Affidavit of Supervised Work Experience).
- Provide CPA examination scores; provide CPE documentation if the license was issued more than four years before applying.
- Pay the fees ($187 (CPA Permit to Practice fee from the Division of Professional Regulation fee schedule)) and allow the Delaware Board of Accountancy / Division of Professional Regulation does not publish a processing time.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Delaware accept a Pennsylvania CPA license?
Yes — Delaware recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Pennsylvania. Apply to the Delaware Board of Accountancy (Division of Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Pennsylvania to Delaware?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant submits their CPA examination scores / license verification. Delaware adds no state law exam; an out-of-state applicant qualifies either through a NASBA National Qualification Appraisal Service (NQAS) individual substantial-equivalency evaluation or, if the jurisdiction is not substantially equivalent, by documenting the required experience..
Do I need a Delaware license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Delaware becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Delaware Board of Accountancy (Division of Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Delaware clients from Pennsylvania, practice privilege usually covers you with no Delaware license, notice, or fee.
What does the Pennsylvania-to-Delaware move cost?
$187 (CPA Permit to Practice fee from the Division of Professional Regulation fee schedule) (CPA Permit to Practice fee from the Division of Professional Regulation fee schedule).
Can I keep my Pennsylvania CPA license after licensing in Delaware?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Pennsylvania 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.
- Delaware DPR — CPA Permit to Practice (two reciprocal routes: substantial equivalency vs four-years-experience, exam scores) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Delaware DPR — Board of Accountancy fee schedule ($187 CPA permit) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Delaware DPR — Board of Accountancy FAQs (substantial equivalency and practice privilege) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pennsylvania Department of State — CPA Licensure Requirements Snapshot (domestic reciprocity, Act 41 endorsement, $65 initial / $100 biennial renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy — Board Resources and Documents (CPA Domestic Reciprocity Application: $65 fee, 150 hours, 1 year experience within preceding 5 years, 80 CPE hours; 5-years-without-lapse track) ↗ (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]