Transfer Your CPA / Accounting License to Florida: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) ↗

Yes — Florida recognizes substantial equivalency, so the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) issues a reciprocal CPA license to any CPA already licensed and in good standing in another state. 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.. Application fee: $300 (non-refundable DBPR CPA 3 Licensure by Endorsement application fee; no fingerprint/background-check surcharge (Florida does not fingerprint CPA applicants)).

Moving to Florida from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

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Verdict

Full reciprocity — honors all states

Because Florida recognizes substantial equivalency, the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) 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 Florida is not becoming your principal place of business — you are serving Florida clients from elsewhere, or the work is temporary — practice privilege usually lets you work there with no Florida license at all. Apply for the reciprocal license when Florida is where you will actually be based.

Florida grants CPA licensure by endorsement to a CPA holding a valid license from another US jurisdiction; for the substantial-equivalency pathway the other-state license must generally have been issued on or after 8/15/2014 (US Virgin Islands on or after 1/1/2024), while the experience-based pathways (ten years licensed, or five years of experience after licensure) cover earlier or less-equivalent licenses — so it is effectively open to any state rather than a named partner list. Education (150 hours) and the CPA exam are satisfied through the existing license. Separate from the license transfer, an out-of-state CPA may practice in Florida under practice privilege/mobility with no Florida license. Florida does not require an ethics exam or fingerprinting for CPA licensure.

Florida requirements at a glance

Out-of-state CPA license transfer requirements for Florida, verified 2026-07-21
Exam	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.
Training hours	150 hours
Additional requirements	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
Fees	$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 Florida Board of Accountancy / DBPR does not publish a processing time for endorsement

Step by step

Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) website — rules change.
Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) (application linked on this page).
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

Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) ↗Florida application ↗License verification ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Florida:

All 50 origin states

Frequently asked questions

Does my CPA license transfer to Florida?

Do I have to retake the CPA Exam to get licensed in Florida?

No. 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 even need a Florida CPA license, or does mobility cover me?

If Florida is not your principal place of business, practice privilege (mobility) usually lets you serve Florida clients with no Florida license, notice, or fee. You apply to the Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) for a reciprocal license when Florida becomes where you are principally based.

What does a Florida reciprocal CPA license 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)).

How long does the Florida reciprocity process take?

the Florida Board of Accountancy / DBPR does not publish a processing time for endorsement — the Florida Board of Accountancy / DBPR does not publish a processing time for endorsement.

How does Florida's education requirement affect a reciprocal CPA license?

Florida'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 Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation).

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]