CPA / Accounting License from Maine to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Georgia State Board of Accountancy ↗
Yes — Georgia recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Maine. Apply to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Full reciprocity
Georgia recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Maine CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Georgia State Board of Accountancy cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Maine. What remains is Georgia-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Georgia ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Georgia is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, Maine → Georgia
| Maine (current) | Georgia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $35 ($35 license fee; a $21 criminal records check fee is added for a total required payment of $56) | $220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)) |
| Processing time | the Board does not publish a processing time and asks applicants not to call to check status; the issued license is emailed to the applicant | ~2 weeks (NASBA states it processes a completed file (application, fees and all required materials received) in up to two weeks) |
| Licensing authority | Maine Board of Accountancy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation) | Georgia State Board of Accountancy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia State Board of Accountancy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active CPA license in good standing in the state you are reciprocating from.
- Meet Georgia's 150-semester-hour education requirement (satisfied through your existing licensure and documented via NASBA).
- Document qualifying accounting experience (upload resume and previous experience verification).
- Apply through NASBA Licensing Services, which administers Georgia licensure and processes reciprocal applications.
- Pay the fees ($220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure))) and allow ~2 weeks (NASBA states it processes a completed file (application, fees and all required materials received) in up to two weeks).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia accept a Maine CPA license?
Yes — Georgia recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Maine. Apply to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Maine to Georgia?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; passage is confirmed through verification of your existing license/exam scores (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Georgia does not require a separate state ethics or rules-of-conduct examination for licensure..
Do I need a Georgia license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Georgia becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Georgia State Board of Accountancy for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Georgia clients from Maine, practice privilege usually covers you with no Georgia license, notice, or fee.
What does the Maine-to-Georgia move cost?
$220 (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)) (reciprocal license fee payable to NASBA Licensing Services (administers Georgia licensure)).
Can I keep my Maine CPA license after licensing in Georgia?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Maine 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.
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Reciprocal License (must hold active out-of-state license and meet GA education; apply through NASBA) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NASBA Licensing — Georgia (reciprocal license fee $220; up to two weeks to process a completed file) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia State Board of Accountancy — Frequently Asked Questions (reciprocal applicants; NASBA-processed) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NASBA — Substantial Equivalency (UAA framework; all 55 US jurisdictions substantially equivalent) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine Board of Accountancy — Application for Licensure on the Basis of an Out-of-State License (fee $56 = $35 license + $21 criminal records check; Authorization for Licensure Information; substantial equivalency) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine 32 MRS 12231 — Application for licensure on the basis of an out-of-state license or certificate (substantial equivalency; four-years-in-ten experience / 40-hours-CPE alternative) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine OPOR — Public Accountant and Certified Public Accountant licensing page (150-hour education, two years experience, criminal background check requirement) ↗ (accessed 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]