Renewal

CPAs, CPA-Inactive certificateholders, and resident nonlicensee firm owners must renew by April 30 every three-years. 

To renew:

• Complete the required Continuing Professional Education (CPE) by December 31 the year prior to the expiration of your license, certificate, or registration
• Renew, pay renewal fee, and complete CPE certification online by April 30.

If your certificate or license was issued by international reciprocity, you must also:

• Request verification from the international issuing body reporting on:
  • Status of your credential
  • Any disciplinary investigation or action and a description of the allegations

CPA-Inactive certificates, individual CPA licenses, or resident nonlicense firm owner registrations not renewed or retired by June 30 will lapse and are subject to reinstatement.

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Online Services

***The CPAOnline application may be unavailable between 11:00pm and 12 midnight due to maintenance.

Individual Online services allow for (click for instructions):

• Application for a new CPA License
• Renewing your license, certificate, or your non-licensee firm owner registration
• Printing a copy of your license or validation card
• Reinstating or reactivating your status
• Viewing your pending online requests
• Updating your personal information
• Changing your name and requesting a new wall document
• Paying with online check or bank card, or having your fees paid for by your employer

Information individuals will need to start:

• Unique Web ID issued to you by the Washington State Board of Accountancy 
• License, certificate or registration number (Licensee Search)
• Washington State Board approved ethics course completion information (provider name, course title and completion date)
• E-mail address
• The service code = WBOA
• Banking information (online check or bank card) or your employer’s Unique Identifier
• For detailed instructions, please click here step-by-step instructions
• Click here (PDF 1,575 kb) to view detailed instructions with images

Retirement

To retire, notify the Board:

• By using the Board's Online Services, you may select to have your license retire immediately or at the end of your renewal cycle.
• Need a paper form to retire? You can use the Retire Immediately form. Submission of this form will retire your license the day the application is received.

If you retire, you are:

• Prohibited from using the title CPA or CPA-Inactive or exercising the privileges related to those titles
• Not entitled to a refund of any portion of the renewal fee you paid
• Allowed to reactivate out of retirement at a later date; please use our Online Services

 

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Lapse

If you do not renew or retire by June 30, your certificate, license, or registration will:

• Lapse and be posted to the Board's web site
• Require reinstatement

You may not use the title CPA or CPA-Inactive or exercise the privileges related to those titles.

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Reactivate Your Retired Status

To reactivate your retired CPA-Inactive certificate or license you must:

1. Complete the required Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
2. Submit a complete application through our Online Services

Upon approval of this application, your status will be posted to the Licensee Search.

• Once your CPA-Inactive Certificate is reactivated out of the retired status:
  • You are required by Washington state law and Board rule (WAC 4-30-082) to use the title "CPA-Inactive."
  • You must print or display the word "Inactive" immediately following the CPA title whenever the CPA title is printed on a business card, letterhead, or other document including documents published or transmitted through electronic media, in exactly the same font and font size as the CPA title.
  • You may not use the title "CPA-Inactive" if you are offering accounting, tax preparation or advisory, management advisory, consulting, or similar services to the public.
• Once your CPA license is reactivated out of retired status:
  • You may use the CPA title for professional and occupational purposes or for practicing public accounting in Washington State.
  • If you perform attest services (compilations, reviews, audit, or other attestation services) or use "CPA" in your firm name, you must comply with the firm license requirements of WAC 4-30-110.

After you reactivate your retired status, your next CPE reporting period begins on January 1 of the calendar year in which the application is approved by the Board and ends on December 31 of the 2nd calendar year.

• CPE credit hours utilized to qualify for this renewal may not be utilized for your next CPE reporting period. Please refer to Board rule WAC 4-30-122(3).

Unable to use online services?

You may request a paper copy of our forms by contacting us directly.