Office of Accountancy Application Information
Business and Professional Licensing Administration
Registration - Certified Public Accountants
The Board is authorized to issue a letter under the seal of the DC Board of Accountancy to any applicant who furnished the Board satisfactory proof that he or she meets the following qualifications:
- Is at least 18 years of age;
- Is of good moral character;
- Has passed a written examination in accounting and auditing and such related subjects as the Board determines to be appropriate:
- Holds a baccalaureate degree with a concentration in accounting conferred by a college or university recognized by the Board, or holds that which the Board determines to be substantially the equivalent thereof, or
- 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, and
- For applicants receiving a degree after January 1, 2000, in addition to meeting the above requirements listed in (a) and (b), possesses 150 semester hours of college education.
- Has paid all required fees.
Registration - Public Accountants
The District of Columbia no longer accepts new applications for registration as a public accountant.
Registration - Foreign Accountants
The Board may, at its discretion, permit the registration of any person of good moral character who is the holder in good standing of a certificate, license or degree in a foreign country that constitutes a recognized
qualification for the practice of public accountancy in that country. A person so registered shall use only the title under which he or she is generally known in his or her own country, followed by the name of the country from which the certificate, license or degree was received.
Registration - Firms Composed of Certified Public Accountants, Public Accountants, and Offices
See District of Columbia Code, Part I, Title 2, Chapter 1, Sec. 2-112 through 2-114 and other references as noted above.
Holding Out - Single Act Evidence of Practice
The display or uttering by a person of a card, sign, advertisement, or other printed, engraved or written instrument or device bearing a person's name in conjunction with the words "certified public accountant" or any abbreviation thereof, or "public accountant" or any abbreviation thereof, shall be prima facie evidence that person is holding himself or herself out to be a certified public accountant or a public accountant.
Application Requests for District Permit to Practice as a CPA
Licensing information packages for new applications, renewals or reciprocity for individuals and applications for firms may be obtained from two sources. Persons may obtain the "Application for DC License" by mail or in person at the DCRA/OPLA office address listed above. The "Application" package also is made available through the Greater Washington Society of CPAs, 1023 15th Street, Northwest, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20005-2602. Requests may be made in person, by telephone - (202) 789-1844 - or fax - (202) 789-1847 - or email.
Endorsement Information
The criteria for applications for a reciprocal license in the District of Columbia are subject to the same standards as individuals applying for a permit to practice.
