CPA / Accounting License from South Dakota to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Georgia State Board of Accountancy ↗
Yes — Georgia recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including South Dakota. Apply to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Georgia recognizes substantial equivalency, so your South Dakota CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Georgia State Board of Accountancy cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from South Dakota. What remains is Georgia-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Georgia ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Georgia is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, South Dakota → Georgia
| South Dakota (current) | Georgia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $100 (reciprocal certificate fee $100 (add a $100 late fee if applying after establishing a principal place of business in South Dakota)) | $220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)) |
| Processing time | The Board does not publish a processing time; issuance depends on receipt of the interstate exchange authorization from the home board. | ~2 weeks (NASBA states it processes a completed file (application, fees and all required materials received) in up to two weeks) |
| Licensing authority | South Dakota Board of Accountancy (Department of Labor and Regulation) | Georgia State Board of Accountancy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia State Board of Accountancy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia 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 in the state you are reciprocating from.
- Meet Georgia's 150-semester-hour education requirement (satisfied through your existing licensure and documented via NASBA).
- Document qualifying accounting experience (upload resume and previous experience verification).
- Apply through NASBA Licensing Services, which administers Georgia licensure and processes reciprocal applications.
- Pay the fees ($220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure))) and allow ~2 weeks (NASBA states it processes a completed file (application, fees and all required materials received) in up to two weeks).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia accept a South Dakota CPA license?
Yes — Georgia recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including South Dakota. Apply to the Georgia 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 South Dakota to Georgia?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through verification of your existing license/exam scores (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Georgia does not require a separate state ethics or rules-of-conduct examination for licensure..
Do I need a Georgia license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Georgia becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Georgia clients from South Dakota, practice privilege usually covers you with no Georgia license, notice, or fee.
What does the South Dakota-to-Georgia move cost?
$220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)) (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)).
Can I keep my South Dakota CPA license after licensing in Georgia?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the South Dakota 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.
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Reciprocal License (must hold active out-of-state license and meet GA education; apply through NASBA) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NASBA Licensing — Georgia (reciprocal license fee $220; up to two weeks to process a completed file) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Frequently Asked Questions (reciprocal applicants; NASBA-processed) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency (UAA framework; all 55 US jurisdictions substantially equivalent) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SD Board of Accountancy — Application for Reciprocal Certificate (Form BOA 30, rev. 06/2026): $100 fee, interstate exchange authorization, professional ethics exam requirement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SD Board of Accountancy — Mobility / substantial equivalency (South Dakota is a substantially-equivalent state) ↗ (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]