CPA / Accounting License from Texas to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Tennessee accept a Texas CPA license?
Yes — Tennessee recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Texas. Apply to the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy (Department of Commerce and Insurance) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Tennessee recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Texas CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy (Department of Commerce and Insurance) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Texas. What remains is Tennessee-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Tennessee ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Tennessee 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 Tennessee
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Tennessee. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Texas to Tennessee (this page): Full reciprocity.
Tennessee 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 other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Tennessee.
- Application fee
Tennessee lists $200 for an out-of-state applicant and Texas lists $100 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Education (semester hours)
Tennessee'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
Tennessee and Texas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Tennessee (this move): The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant shows evidence of having passed it when originally licensed in another state (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Tennessee does not require a separate state ethics or rules examination for reciprocal applicants.
- 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 → Tennessee
| Texas (current) | Tennessee (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Education (semester hours) | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $100 (reciprocal application fee; fingerprint vendor fee paid separately) | $200 (reciprocal license application fee) |
| Processing time | TSBPA does not publish a processing time; approval cannot be finalized until the fingerprint background check clears | The Board does not publish a processing time for reciprocal applications |
| Licensing authority | Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) | Tennessee State Board of Accountancy (Department of Commerce and Insurance) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Tennessee sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy (Department of Commerce and Insurance) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy (Department of Commerce and Insurance) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a CPA license in good standing in another US jurisdiction.
- Show evidence that you successfully completed the Uniform CPA Examination when originally licensed.
- Non-US citizens must submit SAVE-program documentation showing authorization to work in the United States.
- 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 Tennessee?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license.
Do I need a Tennessee license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Tennessee becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy (Department of Commerce and Insurance) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Tennessee clients from Texas, practice privilege usually covers you with no Tennessee license, notice, or fee.
Can I keep my Texas CPA license after licensing in Tennessee?
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.
- TN State Board of Accountancy — How to become a Certified Public Accountant (reciprocal license: $200 fee, must hold a CPA in good standing in another US jurisdiction and have passed the Uniform CPA Exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency and practice privilege (all 55 US jurisdictions substantially equivalent) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 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)
- 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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