Skip to content

Get Your First CPA License

Washington Candidates

After you pass the CPA exam, to apply for your first Washington State CPA license, you need to:

  1. Complete the AICPA self-study course, Professional Ethics: the AICPA's Comprehensive Course, with a score of 90% or better.
  2. Verify that your experience is qualified and complete an 'Experience Affidavit' (Fillable PDF)
  3. If it has been more than four years since you passed the CPA exam, certify that you completed the required Continuing Professional Education (CPE):
    • 120 CPE hours within the 36 months immediately preceding the date you file your application
    • Limited to 24 CPE hours in nontechnical subject areas
    • Including 4 CPE hours in Board approved ethics and regulations with specific application to the practice of public accounting in Washington State completed within the six months preceding application for a Washington state license
  4. Submit a complete application (Fillable PDF)

Candidates from Outside Washington State

  1. Complete the AICPA self-study course, Professional Ethics: the AICPA's Comprehensive Course, with a score of 90% or better.
  2. Verify that your experience is qualified and complete an 'Experience Affidavit' (Fillable PDF)
  3. Submit official college transcripts (bearing an official seal) showing that you completed this Board's education requirements (PDF 154kb) in effect at the time you first sat for the CPA exam. The applicant may apply course work taken after first sitting for the examination in order to meet this requirement.
  4. Ask the Board of Accountancy where you passed the CPA exam to send verification of your exam scores to the Board.
  5. If it has been more than four years since you passed the CPA exam, confirm completion of the required Continuing Professional Education (CPE):
    • 120 CPE hours within the 36 months immediately preceding the date you file your application
    • Limited to 24 CPE hours in nontechnical subject areas
    • Including 4 CPE hours in Board approved ethics and regulations with specific application to the practice of public accounting in Washington State completed within the six-month period immediately preceding application for a Washington state license
  6. Submit a complete application to the Board

You may not use the title CPA in Washington State until your license is posted on the Board's Licensee Search.

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.