CPA / Accounting License from Massachusetts to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation ↗
Yes — Illinois recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Massachusetts. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
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Verdict
Full reciprocity
Illinois recognizes substantial equivalency, so your Massachusetts CPA license clears the bar on its own — the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation cares that you are a CPA in good standing, not that your license came from Massachusetts. What remains is Illinois-side: verification through CPAverify.org, the reciprocal application and fee, a background check, and any Illinois ethics or rules-of-conduct exam. Do the mobility math first, though — if Illinois is not becoming your principal place of business, practice privilege may let you work there without this application at all.
What changes, Massachusetts → Illinois
| Massachusetts (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Training hours | 150 | 150 |
| Application fee | $499 (reciprocal application fee for an applicant licensed/certified/chartered in another jurisdiction; nonrefundable) | $120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable) |
| Processing time | Board does not publish a processing time; incomplete applications are held open 180 days and then treated as abandoned | IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt. |
| Licensing authority | Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy (Board of Registration in Public Accountancy) | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current CPA license in another state/jurisdiction at the time of application.
- Have been originally licensed in a substantially-equivalent state, OR have at least 4 years of public-accounting experience (after passing the CPA exam) within the 10 years preceding application.
- Have the original and current/most-recent jurisdictions send certification of licensure status directly to IDFPR.
- Document at least one year of qualifying full-time experience.
- Pay the fees ($120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable)) and allow IDFPR publishes no processing time; an application stays active for three years from receipt..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Illinois accept a Massachusetts CPA license?
Yes — Illinois recognizes CPA licenses from all states, including Massachusetts. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation for a reciprocal license; you will not repeat the full exam or education.
Do I retake the CPA Exam moving from Massachusetts to Illinois?
No — the Uniform CPA Exam transfers with your license. The Uniform CPA Examination is not retaken; the applicant has the original jurisdiction send certification of licensure/exam status directly to IDFPR (national lookup at CPAverify.org). Illinois does not require a separate state ethics exam for endorsement applicants..
Do I need a Illinois license, or does mobility cover the move?
If Illinois becomes your principal place of business, you apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation for a reciprocal license. If you are only serving Illinois clients from Massachusetts, practice privilege usually covers you with no Illinois license, notice, or fee.
What does the Massachusetts-to-Illinois move cost?
$120 ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable) ($120 Licensed CPA application fee (same for all methods, including endorsement); non-refundable).
Can I keep my Massachusetts CPA license after licensing in Illinois?
Yes — CPA licenses stack, and many CPAs hold more than one. Keep the Massachusetts 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.
- IDFPR — (065) Licensed CPA Application Checklist / User Guide (Endorsement method; substantial equivalency OR 4 years in 10; $120 fee all methods; no ethics exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — License qualifications for Certified Public Accountant (065), revised 09/2025 (endorsement path; exam certification sent directly to IDFPR) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov — How to apply for a Reciprocal Accountancy License ($499 fee, 4-of-10 experience track, eLIPSE portal, CORI) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 252 CMR 2.00 — Requirements for Certification (reciprocal certificate to holder of a substantially-equivalent state's certificate; 150 hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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