CPA / Accounting License from West Virginia to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) ↗
Yes — Florida recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including West Virginia. Apply to the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Florida recognizes substantial equivalency, so your West Virginia CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from West Virginia. What remains is Florida-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Florida ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Florida is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, West Virginia → Florida
| West Virginia (current) | Florida (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $200 (reciprocal application processing fee (same for substantially-equivalent and non-substantially-equivalent tracks); the initial non-reciprocal certificate fee is $120) | $300 (non-refundable DBPR CPA 3 Licensure by Endorsement application fee; no fingerprint/background-check surcharge (Florida does not fingerprint CPA applicants)) |
| Processing time | the Board does not publish a processing time for reciprocal certificates; applications are printed, signed and mailed with fees | the Florida Board of Accountancy / DBPR does not publish a processing time for endorsement |
| Licensing authority | West Virginia Board of Accountancy | Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, active CPA license issued by another US state or territory and keep it active until Florida issues the license.
- Qualify under one endorsement pathway: other-state requirements substantially equivalent to Florida's with one year of experience; OR licensed and in practice at least ten years; OR five years of experience after licensure.
- Submit the DBPR CPA 3 Application for Licensure by Endorsement and the DBPR CPA 5012-1 Authorization for Interstate Exchange of Examination and Licensure Information.
- Have good moral character.
- Pay the fees ($300 (non-refundable DBPR CPA 3 Licensure by Endorsement application fee; no fingerprint/background-check surcharge (Florida does not fingerprint CPA applicants))) and allow the Florida Board of Accountancy / DBPR does not publish a processing time for endorsement.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Florida accept a West Virginia CPA license?
Yes — Florida recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including West Virginia. Apply to the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from West Virginia to Florida?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant files the DBPR CPA 5012-1 Authorization for Interstate Exchange of Examination and Licensure Information so Florida can confirm passage through the existing license. Florida requires no separate state ethics or law exam..
Do I need a Florida license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Florida becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Florida clients from West Virginia, practice privilege usually covers you with no Florida license, notice, or fee.
What does the West Virginia-to-Florida move cost?
$300 (non-refundable DBPR CPA 3 Licensure by Endorsement application fee; no fingerprint/background-check surcharge (Florida does not fingerprint CPA applicants)) (non-refundable DBPR CPA 3 Licensure by Endorsement application fee; no fingerprint/background-check surcharge (Florida does not fingerprint CPA applicants)).
Can I keep my West Virginia CPA license after licensing in Florida?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the West Virginia 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.
- Florida DBPR — CPA Licensure by Endorsement (experience pathways, other-state license issued on/after 8/15/2014, $300 fee, 150 hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Florida DBPR — CPA Initial Licensure Requirements (150 semester hours with accounting and business hour breakdown) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WV Board of Accountancy — Reciprocal Certification Overview (substantial-equivalency standard; four eligibility instances) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WV Board of Accountancy — Application for Reciprocal Certificate, Substantially Equivalent State or Jurisdiction ($200 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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