Certification and Licensing
Exam and Licensure Rules for the Greater Washington Area
Washington, D.C. | Maryland | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
Education Requirement to Sit for the Exam | ||
| 120 credits to sit for the exam in DC, and 150 credits to be licensed | 120 credits to sit for the exam and 150 credits to be licensed | At least 120 semester hours of education to sit for the exam, and 150 credits to be licensed |
Education Concentration Requirements to Sit for the Exam | ||
| 24 semester hours of accounting credits, including Auditing, Cost Accounting, Federal Income Tax and Advanced Accounting; 3 semester hours of a Business Law or Commercial Law course; and, 30 additional credits in any business related courses. | 30 undergraduate semester hours in each: auditing, cost accounting or managerial accounting, U.S. Federal income tax and ethics; a minimum of 9 semester hours in financial accounting; and a minimum of 9 semester hours in elective accounting courses. Courses listed in Business-Related Education; at least 21 semester hours in at least five of the nine subject areas: statistics, economics, corporation or business finance, management, marketing, U.S. business law, business communication, quantitative methods, and computer science/information science. | 24 semester hours of accounting courses above the introductory/foundational level: including courses in auditing, financial accounting, managerial/cost accounting and taxation. 24 semester hours of business courses: no more than six semester hours of what could be considered upper-level accounting courses. |
Ethics Requirement | ||
| Yes - 4 hours, every reporting period | Yes - 4 hours, every reporting period | Yes - 2 hours VBOA specific, annually |
Education Requirements to Obtain a License | ||
| 1 year of working experience | 1 year (or 2,000 hours) of professional experience | 1 year of working experience in accounting |
Residency or Citizenship Requirements? | ||
| No | No | No |
The DC Board of Accountancy regulates the licenses of professional accountants in the District of Columbia. The accountancy license law is defined by the District of Columbia Second Omnibus Regulatory Act of 1998 (Omnibus), which took effect on April 20, 1999.
DC Board of Accountancy Members
- Robert Todero, CPA--Chair
- Bridget Gagne, CPA--Member
- Angela Avant, CPA - Member
- Toni Smiley, CPA--Member
- Joseph Drew--Consumer Member
DC Board of Accountancy Staff
- Leon Lewis--Executive Director
- Kevin Cyrus--Education Coordinator
- Angela Meggett-Strudwick--Board Administrator
For more information, please contact Occupational and Professional Licensing (OPL) using our online inquiry form, via email at dlcp@dc.gov, or by phone at (202) 442-4320.
Prometric Test Centers
1660 L St., NW, Suite 204
Washington, DC 20036
202-833-2005
www.cpa-exam.org
At the Prometric website, you can find other test center locations, review study materials and schedule your exam.
Specific questions about qualifications and costs to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam in DC should be referred to DC's contractor service, PearsonVUE, at pearsonvue.com or call 1-877-672-2173.
License Renewal
Expiration Date: December 31; Renewal Year: Even
Submit an application for renewal of an occupational or professional license.
Continuing Education
Continuing Education Reporting Form
Letter of Certification/License Verification
Request a Letter of License Certification
Experience Verification Form
Maryland Board of Public Accountancy: http://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/cpa/
Virginia Board of Accountancy: https://boa.virginia.gov/
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA): https://nasba.org/