Licensure

After passing the exam, and meeting the educational and work experience requirements, you must submit a New Individual License Application to the Board via NASBA. To apply for initial licensure, please access the “GSBA Services” tab on this website and click “New Individual Application”.

Licensure requirements for other states may include requests for verification of CPA exam scores, a letter of good standing, a verification of licensure of a licensed CPA supervisor in Georgia, etc. Licensure verification requests required by other states for certification in that state must be submitted to the GSBA, along with a check or money order for $25.00 payable to Georgia State Board of Accountancy. The required verification form(s) must be retrieved from the website of the state requesting the verification.

If there is no specific form to fill out, please send a detailed written request to GSBA using the Contact Information listed, above. Verification requests usually take a minimum of 10 business days to process.

The current status of your license can be verified at the following website: www.CPAverify.org. The current status of both individual and firm licenses is available now on the website. Please ensure you click the appropriate radio button on the Search screen --“Individual” or “Firm” -- as part of your inquiry. The status of all licenses is updated on a daily basis.

To Reinstate, select from the options below: 

• Individual license applicants must complete the Application for Reinstatement of CPA License Form.
• CPA Firm license applicants must complete the Application for Reinstatement of Public Accounting Firm License Form .
• Applicants for reinstatement must have completed the required number of continuing professional education hours, as detailed in the respective forms.
• If you wish to surrender your Georgia license, you may submit that request in writing. This request can be emailed or mailed to the Board office using the GSBA Contact Information listed below:

If the structure of the firm does not change, then adding/deleting licensees associated to the firm will require a written request on company letterhead. This request can be emailed or mailed to the Board office. No fee is associated with this change unless a new pocket card license is requested.

Individual Name Changes
Name change requests must be submitted in writing and must include your name as it currently appears on the license record, your name as it should now appear on the license record, and your CPA license number (CPAxxxxxx). You must also attach a copy of the legal documentation for your name change (i.e. marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc.) This written request can be faxed, emailed, or mailed to the Board office using the GSBA Contact Information listed, above. No fee is associated with this change unless a new pocket license card is requested.

Individual Address Changes
Address change requests must be submitted in writing with your name as it currently appears on the license record, your license number, your old address and new address. This request can be faxed, emailed, or mailed to the Board office. No fee is associated with this change unless a new pocket license card is requested.

If the legal and/or ownership structure of the firm changes, a new license/application is required for the new entity. This includes going from a PC to a LLC, adding a new partner or share owner to the name of the company, etc. A New Firm Application, located on this website at the “Services” tab (https://gsba.georgia.gov/services), must be completed. A fee is associated with this request/application and it must be processed online, as noted.

However, if the structure of the firm does not change, only a written request for the firm’s name change is required. The written request must be provided to the Board on company letterhead and includes the firm name as it currently appears on the license record, the firm name as it should now appear on the license record, and the license number of the firm (ACFxxxxxx.) This request can be faxed, emailed, or mailed to the Board office. No fee is associated with this change unless a new pocket license card is requested.

Firm Address Changes
Address change requests must be submitted on company letterhead with the firm name as it currently appears on the license record, firm license number, old address and new address. This request can be faxed, emailed, or mailed to the Board office. No fee is associated with this change unless a new pocket license card is requested.

Georgia only has “Active” or “Lapsed” statuses for licensees. If an individual or firm licensee does not renew his/her license to practice timely, the license will move to a “Lapsed” status (after the respective late renewal period ends).

No. In order to reinstate your license, Individual license applicants must complete the APPLICATION FOR REINSTATEMENT OF CPA LICENSE for reinstatement; CPA Firm license applicants must complete the APPLICATION FOR REINSTATEMENT OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM LICENSE. Both applications can be found online on the Forms page.

Applicants for reinstatement must have completed the required number of continuing professional education hours, as detailed in the respective forms.

Per Board Rule 20-3-.08(1)(c), a qualified candidate must present to the board evidence that the candidate has received a baccalaureate degree or completed the requirements therefore, conferred by a college or university accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization recognized by the board, with a concentration in accounting or what the board determines to be the substantial equivalent of an accounting concentration, or with a non-accounting concentration supplemented by what the board determines to be the substantial equivalent of an accounting concentration, including related courses in other areas of business administration.

After January 1, 1998, any person who has not previously sat for the uniform written examination for the certificate of certified public accountant must have completed a total of 150 semester hours or 225 quarter hours of college education, including a baccalaureate degree awarded by a college or university accredited by either a national or regional accrediting organization recognized by the board. The total educational program shall include an undergraduate accounting concentration and related courses in other areas of business administration or the substantial equivalent of the foregoing.

An applicant who has completed 45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours in accounting subjects above the elementary level and 35 quarter hours or 24 semester hours in general business subjects at a four year accredited college or university which offers a baccalaureate degree will be deemed to have satisfied the accounting concentration and related business course requirements.

There is not anyone here at the Board that evaluates education requirements for the purposes of taking the CPA Examination or for licensure. We do not provide you with academic advice; you should refer to the Academic Advisor at your college or university.

Next, complete the application to take the Georgia CPA Examination. If you are not approved to take the CPA Examination, all fees will be returned to you with the exception of the application fee.

See O.C.G.A. 43-3-6 and Board Rule 20-3-.08. For applications received after June 30, 2009, applicants must have completed one year and 2,000 hours in public accounting; one year and 2,000 hours in business, industry, government or college teaching (teaching at a 4 year college or university in at least two different areas of accounting above the introductory or elementary level); or a combination of work experience in public accounting, business, industry, government or college teaching. Complete requirements are contained in the board’s rules on this website.

All work experience must have been supervised by a person who holds a live permit as a certified public accountant except for government or college teaching. In these two areas you must be supervised; however, the supervisor is not required to hold a CPA license. The experience must have been earned no earlier than one-year prior to application; the experience may have breaks in service of no longer than 1-year in duration.

All individual CPA licenses expire on December 31 of each odd-numbered year. All Firm licenses expire on June 30 of each even-numbered year.

Per Board Rule 20-3-.08(2)(c): supervision shall mean "the act of directing and inspecting the performance of.” Generally, the supervisor must hold an active current license and be an employee of the entity or a related entity for which the applicant seeks qualifying experience. There are special considerations for government and teaching experience. Please review the full Board Rule 20-3-.08(2) for specific details regarding CPA Firm, Industry, Government and Teaching experience supervision requirements.