Board of Accountancy

The District of Columbia Board of Accountancy regulates the licenses of professional accountants and protects consumers by upholding the District of Columbia accountancy license law and DC License Law.

The Board consists of five members appointed by the Mayor. Four members must each hold a license as a certified public accountant (CPA) in the District, hold a valid permit to practice, and have practiced public accountancy as a CPA in the District for a minimum of five years at the time of appointment. One member must be a non-accountant representing consumers. Three members of the Board constitute a quorum.

The Board meets the first Friday bi-monthly at 9:00 am at the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection located at 1100 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. Board meetings are held both in-person and virtually. Please check meeting dates here.

See Board Meeting Minutes.

Apply for license

Click to apply for a license.

NEW APPLICANTS

1. Go to the Online Portal. 
2. Select 'Register' under “NEW OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSE APPLICATION” (Individual/Tradesperson License). 
3. Complete the registration process and follow the prompts to create a new account.

Items Needed for Application

• One 2”x2” passport-style photo (.jpeg format)
• Un-expired government-issued ID (e.g., driver’s license)*
• Debit or credit card to pay application, exam, or license fees

• Letter of Good Standing must be requested from the DC Corporations Division, (202) 442-4432.

Education

Degree Requirements: 

In accordance with District of Columbia Board of Accountancy (Board) regulaion regulation §17-2503.1, an applicant for licensure as a certified public accountant (CPA) must establish to the satisfaction of the Board that they:

1. Holds a baccalaureate degree with a concentration in accounting conferred by a college or university recognized by the Board, or

2. Holds a degree that the Board determines is substantially equivalent, or

3. Holds a baccalaureate degree acceptable to the Board supplemented with the equivalent of an accounting concentration, including related courses in other areas of business administration.

Educational Requirements to Qualify for the Uniform CPA Exam:

If graduated after 1/1/2000 must complete one hundred fifty (150) semester hours of college education. If graduated before 1/1/2000 120 credit hour degree will be accepted.
 

To qualify as a candidate to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination, applicants must satisfactorily complete 120 undergraduate semester hours or equivalent, including the attainment of a baccalaureate degree. The semester hours must cover specific subject areas. These subject areas may be covered during a university program or through additional degree-credit courses offered by post-secondary institutions including universities and colleges. The college or university that conferred the degree must have been accredited or licensed by the DC Education Licensure Commission or have been a member of a regional accrediting agency recognized by the Board when applicant’s degree was awarded. The required courses must cover a minimum of 27 hours of accounting-related subjects to include:
 

Examination

Individuals seeking accounting licensure in the District of Columbia must first submit credentialing information and schedule examinations directly with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). Applicants who submitted prior applications directly with the Board of Accountancy, credentialing information must be submitted to and examinations scheduled with NASBA, also. The application will be reviewed and processed upon passing all examinations and satisfying eligibility requirements for licensure in the District. Final licensing procedures are provided to applicants shortly thereafter.

Fees*  

Certified Public Accountants

• Application (No fee)
• License – $175.00
• Renewal – $110.00
• Late Renewal – Fee $50.00
• Company/Firm – $175.00
• Reinstated License – $295.00
• Inactive Status – $175.00
• Duplicate License – $30.00
• Verification of Records – $30.00
• Permit to Practice – $175.00

Public Accountants

• Renewal – $175.00
• Late Renewal Fee – $50.00
• Inactive Status – $175.00
• Duplicate License – $30.00
• Verification of Records – $30.00

* Please note that according to D.C. Code § 47-2853.10, application fees for initial licensing, certification, registration, renewal and reinstatement shall not be refundable, even if the applicant withdraws his or her application for licensure, certification or registration, or is found to be not qualified.
 

Meeting Dates