Skip to content

Get Your First CPA License

To apply for your first Washington State CPA license as a Washington candidate, you will need to:

  1. Pass the CPA exam.
  2. Verify that you have met the good character requirements (this will be done on your application).
  3. Verify that you completed a course and an examination on materials covering all of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and have obtained a score of 90% or better on the exam.
  4. Verify that your experience is qualified and complete an 'Experience Affidavit' (Fillable PDF).
  5. Verify that if it has been more than four years since you passed the CPA exam, that you have completed the following Continuing Professional Education (CPE):
    1. 120 hours within the 36 months immediately preceding the date you submit your application. This is limited to 24 CPE hours in nontechnical subject areas.
    2. 4 hours in Board approved ethics and regulations applicable to the practice of public accounting in Washington State within six months immediately preceding the date you submit your application.
  6. Verify that you have reviewed an example of what your CPE reporting period will be for your first renewal.
  7. Complete the license application through our Online Services.

To apply for your first Washington State CPA license as an out of state candidate, you will need to verify that you meet all (1-7) steps above including:

  1. Use this form to submit your CPA exam scores from other State Boards (must be submitted directly from that Board).
  2. Submit official college transcripts (bearing an official seal) showing that you completed this Board's education requirements in effect at the time you first sat for the CPA exam.

You may not use the title CPA until the date the approval of your license is posted in the Board's Licensee Search and, therefore, made publicly available for confirmation.

If you submit transcripts, education evaluations, experience documents or any other documentation and do not follow through by submitting an application for initial licensure within one year, your documents will be destroyed.

To view and print a PDF file, you must have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader loaded on your computer. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, download the latest version directly from the Adobe web site.