Transfer Your CPA / Accounting License to Texas: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my CPA license transfer to Texas?
Texas is a substantial-equivalency state — hold a good-standing CPA license anywhere in the US and the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) will issue a reciprocal license without retesting. 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. Expect $100 (reciprocal application fee; fingerprint vendor fee paid separately) in application fees.
Moving to Texas from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Full reciprocity — honors all states
Because Texas recognizes substantial equivalency, the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) looks at your standing, not your origin: a CPA in good standing from any state qualifies for a reciprocal license, and the Uniform CPA Exam does not come back. Read the requirements below as the destination's own layer — a background check, a state ethics or rules-of-conduct exam where one applies, and proof your CPE is current — rather than a re-credentialing.
Settle the mobility question before you file. If Texas is not becoming your principal place of business — you are serving Texas clients from elsewhere, or the work is temporary — practice privilege usually lets you work there with no Texas license at all. Apply for the reciprocal license when Texas is where you will actually be based.
Texas issues a reciprocal CPA license to any CPA in good standing from a substantially-equivalent US jurisdiction (all 55 jurisdictions are substantially equivalent). Separate from this license transfer, an out-of-state CPA may already PRACTICE in Texas under practice privilege/mobility with no Texas license; the reciprocal license is what is needed when Texas becomes the principal place of business. CPE due at application is tiered by length of prior licensure (0 hours if licensed under a year, 40 at 1-2 years, 80 at 2-3 years, 120 at 3+ years). Texas enacted an additional 120-hour + two-years-experience initial-licensure pathway (Pathway B), effective August 1, 2026 (initial licensure only; it does not change the reciprocal path).
Texas requirements at a glance
| Education (semester hours) | 150 semester hours of education for initial licensure |
|---|---|
| Fees | $100 (reciprocal application fee; fingerprint vendor fee paid separately) |
| Processing time | TSBPA does not publish a processing time; approval cannot be finalized until the fingerprint background check clears |
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) website — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a CPA license in good standing from another US jurisdiction (letter of good standing required).
- Complete a Texas board-approved 4-credit ethics course within the last six months.
- Pass the open-book examination on the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct.
- Fingerprint-based FBI and Texas DPS background check.
- Meet Texas CPE requirements scaled to length of prior licensure (up to 120 hours).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Texas:
Nearby states
CPA / Accounting license transfer into the states bordering Texas:
Texas for other professions
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to retake the CPA Exam to get licensed in Texas?
No. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through the letter of good standing from your current board.
Do I even need a Texas CPA license, or does mobility cover me?
If Texas is not your principal place of business, practice privilege (mobility) usually lets you serve Texas clients with no Texas license, notice, or fee. You apply to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA) for a reciprocal license when Texas becomes where you are principally based.
How does Texas's education requirement affect a reciprocal CPA license?
Texas's initial-licensure baseline is 150 semester hours. Reciprocal applicants normally satisfy education through the license they already hold rather than a fresh transcript review; if you were licensed before your state raised its education requirement, confirm your route with the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com