Verify a CPA licence in any state
Every practising CPA in the United States holds a licence issued by a State Board of Accountancy, and every board publishes that record for free. Below is the same sequence our analysts run on each professional before a listing is published — followed by direct links to the licensee lookup for all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
The five-step check
- 01
Get the licence number in writing
Ask the accountant for their full legal name, licence number and the state that issued it. A licensed professional supplies all three without hesitation — a verbal-only answer is the first warning sign.
- 02
Search the issuing state board
Use the lookup for the state that issued the licence, not the state where the office sits. Match the full legal name; common surnames return multiple records, so confirm the licence number too.
- 03
Read the status line, not the listing
A record existing is not the same as a licence being valid. The status must read active or current. Expired, inactive, lapsed, suspended, revoked and retired all mean the person may not practise as a CPA today.
- 04
Check public discipline
Most boards publish enforcement actions and consent orders separately from the licensee record. Search the board's disciplinary or enforcement section by name as well — this is the step almost nobody performs.
- 05
Cross-check CPAverify and the IRS directory
NASBA's CPAverify aggregates participating boards, useful when a CPA is licensed in several states. For anyone preparing returns, also confirm a valid PTIN in the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers.
State Board of Accountancy lookups
Search the board for the state that issued the licence. Links open the board's public licensee search or verification page. Boards occasionally move these tools; if a link lands on the board homepage, look for "licensee search", "verify a licence" or "lookup".
National cross-checks: CPAverify (NASBA, participating boards) and the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers (PTIN holders and representation rights).
Common questions
- How do I verify a CPA licence for free?
- Every State Board of Accountancy publishes a free licensee lookup. Search the board for the state that issued the licence, match the full legal name and licence number, and confirm the status reads active. There is never a charge for this.
- Is my accountant actually licensed?
- Only if a State Board of Accountancy record shows an active licence in their name. Titles like 'tax advisor', 'tax consultant' or 'accountant' are unregulated in most states — only 'CPA' requires a licence, and only a board record proves it.
- What is CPAverify?
- CPAverify is a free national database maintained by NASBA that aggregates licence data from participating State Boards of Accountancy. It is a useful cross-check, but not every board participates, so the issuing state's own lookup remains authoritative.
- What does an inactive CPA licence mean?
- An inactive or lapsed status usually means the holder stopped paying renewal fees or completing continuing education. They may still call themselves a CPA (inactive) in some states, but they may not hold out as practising, sign attest reports, or represent you in the same capacity.
- Does a licence in one state cover work in another?
- Often, through mobility or practice-privilege rules — but not always, and firm registration requirements differ. If the work touches a second state, ask which state's licence covers it and verify that licence directly.
Or let us do the checking
Every professional in our directory has already been through this sequence — licence status, disciplinary history, PTIN and representation rights confirmed by hand and re-checked on a schedule.