CPA / Accounting License from Texas to District of Columbia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does District of Columbia accept a Texas CPA license?
Yes — District of Columbia recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Texas. Apply to the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full reciprocity
District of Columbia recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Texas CPA license clears the bar on its own — the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Texas. What remains is District of Columbia-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any District of Columbia ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if District of Columbia is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What's different between Texas and District of Columbia
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into District of Columbia. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Texas to District of Columbia (this page): Full reciprocity.
District of Columbia to Texas (the reverse move): Full reciprocity.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Texas matter?
Coming from Texas does not change the answer: every origin (the 50 states) gets the same result for a move into District of Columbia.
- Application fee
District of Columbia lists $175 for an out-of-state applicant and Texas lists $100 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Education (semester hours)
District of Columbia's first-time-applicant standard is 150 semester hours of education for initial licensure; Texas's is 150.
The two standards are the same.
- Exam rules on record
District of Columbia and Texas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- District of Columbia (this move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through the applicant's existing license (candidates transferring exam credit use a $175 transfer-of-grades application). The Board does not publish a separate District ethics or law exam requirement.
- Texas (the reverse move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through the letter of good standing from your current board. Texas additionally requires a board-approved 4-credit ethics course and passage of an open-book examination on the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct.
What changes, Texas → District of Columbia
| Texas (current) | District of Columbia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Education (semester hours) | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $100 (reciprocal application fee; fingerprint vendor fee paid separately) | $175 (DC CPA license fee (verified on the DLCP Board of Accountancy page); DC lists no separate initial-application fee. NASBA's DC page lists its own licensing-service fees (Initial $175, Transfer of Grades $175) and directs reciprocity applicants to the Board's OPLA portal instead.) |
| Processing time | TSBPA does not publish a processing time; approval cannot be finalized until the fingerprint background check clears | The DLCP Board does not publish a processing time for reciprocity, and NASBA's DC page no longer states one |
| Licensing authority | Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) | District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — District of Columbia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements on the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a CPA license in good standing from another US jurisdiction that is substantially equivalent under the UAA.
- Meet the 150-semester-hour education (for degrees earned after 1/1/2000) and one-year (2,000-hour) experience baseline, normally satisfied through the existing license.
- Apply for licensure by reciprocity through the DLCP Board's OPLA online portal, as NASBA's DC page directs (the DLCP Board page says licensure applicants apply through NASBA, so confirm the route with the Board).
- As of Dec 12, 2025 the Board also recognizes reciprocity for CPAs licensed under the alternative pathway (bachelor's degree plus two years of experience).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Texas to District of Columbia?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license.
Do I need a District of Columbia license, or does mobility cover the move?
If District of Columbia becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving District of Columbia clients from Texas, practice privilege usually covers you with no District of Columbia license, notice, or fee.
Can I keep my Texas CPA license after licensing in District of Columbia?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Texas 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 2026-10-29.
- DC DLCP — Board of Accountancy (no application fee; license $175; permit to practice $175; 150 hours for degrees after 1/1/2000; Board page directs licensure applicants through NASBA) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- DC DLCP — Board announces licensure updates (Dec 12, 2025 recognition of alternative-pathway reciprocity via substantial equivalency) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — District of Columbia (reciprocity applicants apply directly to the DC Board at the OPLA portal; NASBA licensing-service fees Initial $175 / Transfer of Grades $175; lists a bachelor's + two-years-experience education route) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- TSBPA — Reciprocal Application ($100 fee, exam not retaken, 4-credit ethics course within six months, open-book Rules of Professional Conduct exam, letter of good standing, fingerprint background check, tiered CPE up to 120 hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency and practice privilege (UAA Section 23; all 55 US jurisdictions substantially equivalent) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TSBPA — New Pathway for CPA Exam and Certification (Pathway B effective August 1, 2026; bachelor's degree, 120 semester hours, two years of CPA-supervised experience) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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