CPA & Accounting Careers
CPA License Verification: How to Look Up a CPA
CPA license verification means confirming, through an official state board or the national CPAverify database, that a person actually holds an active Certified Public Accountant license in good standing. You can do it free in about two minutes: search the person’s name at CPAverify.org, then confirm the result on the relevant state Board of Accountancy site. The goal is to see three things: an active status, the issuing jurisdiction, and any disciplinary history.
Anyone can call themselves an “accountant,” but only a licensed CPA can sign an audit opinion, represent you before the IRS as a credentialed practitioner, or use the CPA designation legally. Verifying the license protects you from unlicensed practitioners and from CPAs whose licenses have lapsed or been revoked.
What is CPA license verification?
CPA license verification is the process of checking a public regulatory record to confirm a CPA’s license status, the state that issued it, and whether the board has taken any disciplinary action. Licensing is handled by the individual state Boards of Accountancy, not a single federal agency, so every license traces back to one of 55 U.S. jurisdictions (50 states plus DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the CNMI).
The two authoritative sources are the national CPAverify tool and the state boards themselves. CPAverify aggregates board data in one place; the state board is the system of record for any given license. When the two disagree, the state board controls.
Step-by-step: how to verify a CPA license
Follow these steps in order. Start national, then confirm at the state level if anything looks off.
- Search CPAverify.org. Go to CPAverify.org, which redirects to NASBA’s Accountancy Licensee Database. Enter the CPA’s first name, last name, and jurisdiction. No account or fee is required.
- Read the license status. Confirm the record shows an active or current status, the correct issuing state, and, when available, the license number and expiration date. If the person holds licenses in multiple states, all appear in one result.
- Check for disciplinary markers. CPAverify surfaces enforcement, non-compliance, and disciplinary flags submitted by participating boards. Treat any flag as a prompt to dig deeper at the state level.
- Confirm on the state Board of Accountancy site. Open the issuing state’s board license lookup (for example, the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy or the California Board of Accountancy). State sites often carry expiration dates, license history, and full disciplinary orders that CPAverify may omit.
- Handle non-participating states. Hawaii and New Mexico do not feed CPAverify, and some boards withhold expiration dates or disciplinary detail under state privacy rules. For those, go directly to the state board.
- Call the board if the record is unclear. If a result is missing, ambiguous, or shows an unexpected flag, contact the state board directly. The board can confirm status and explain any enforcement action.
CPAverify.org: what it covers and what it does not
CPAverify.org is the only free, single-source national database of licensed CPAs, hosted by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and populated with official data sent directly by participating boards. As of 2026, data flows in from 53 of the 55 jurisdictions. It is built for employers, clients, and the public to confirm a designation without checking each board site individually.
The tool has clear limits. It shows current licensing information and basic contact details (city, state) plus enforcement flags. It does not house education records, employment history, detailed license history, or firm business information. NASBA describes it as a current-status verification tool, not a records archive and not a place to file complaints. For anything beyond current status, the state board is the source.
State board lookups: the system of record
Each state Board of Accountancy runs its own license lookup, and that board is the authoritative record for licenses it issues. State lookups typically let you search by name or license number and often return more than CPAverify does, including expiration dates, license history, firm permits, and the text of disciplinary orders.
Use the state board when CPAverify shows nothing (the state may not participate), when a result looks incomplete, or when you need the specifics of an enforcement action. NASBA maintains a directory of all 55 boards, and most boards label the tool “License Lookup,” “License Verification,” or “Search and Verify.”
What to check when you look up a CPA
Confirm four things: status, jurisdiction, license number, and disciplinary history. A name match alone is not verification. The table below explains what common status labels mean.
| License status | What it means | Can they practice as a CPA? |
|---|---|---|
| Active / Current | License is valid and in good standing | Yes |
| Inactive | Voluntarily on hold, often retired or not practicing; CPE may be paused | Generally no, and use of the CPA title may be restricted |
| Expired / Lapsed | Renewal not completed by the deadline | No, until reinstated |
| Suspended | Board has temporarily barred practice, often for discipline | No |
| Revoked | Board has permanently terminated the license for cause | No |
| Surrendered | License voluntarily given up, sometimes to resolve an investigation | No |
| Retired / Exempt | Special status with limited or no practice rights | Usually no |
A disciplinary flag does not always mean fraud. Actions can range from a late CPE filing to negligence, ethics violations, or license revocation. Read the order to understand the severity, and weigh it against the work you are hiring for.
Why CPA license verification matters when hiring
Verification protects you from two risks: someone claiming a credential they do not hold, and a CPA whose license has lapsed or been disciplined. Only an active CPA can issue an audit or attestation opinion, and only an active license lets a firm bill itself as a CPA firm. For lenders, investors, and regulators who rely on that signature, an invalid license can void the work.
For businesses hiring tax or accounting help, the check is quick due diligence. Confirm active status before you sign an engagement letter, especially for audits, attestation, IRS representation, or signing a return. If you are weighing credentials more broadly, compare the roles in CPA vs Accountant and CPA vs EA vs Tax Attorney so the license you verify matches the work you need. Cost expectations for small businesses are covered in how much a CPA costs for a small business.
FAQ
Is CPA license verification free?
Yes. CPAverify.org is free and requires no account, and every state Board of Accountancy offers a free public license lookup. You search by name or license number and jurisdiction. Third-party services may charge for bundled background checks, but the underlying license data from CPAverify and the state boards costs nothing to access.
How do I verify a CPA license by name?
Go to CPAverify.org, enter the CPA’s first name, last name, and state, and read the returned status, jurisdiction, and any disciplinary flags. If nothing appears, the person may be licensed in a non-participating state such as Hawaii or New Mexico, so search that state’s Board of Accountancy site directly to confirm.
What does an inactive or expired CPA license mean?
An inactive license is voluntarily on hold, often for retirement or a break from practice, and typically restricts use of the CPA title and practice rights. An expired or lapsed license means the CPA missed a renewal deadline. In both cases the person generally cannot practice as a CPA until they reinstate an active license with the state board.
Does CPAverify show disciplinary actions?
CPAverify displays enforcement, non-compliance, and disciplinary markers that participating boards submit, but not always the full detail. Some boards withhold disciplinary specifics under state privacy rules. To read the actual order, the grounds, and the sanction, look up the license on the issuing state Board of Accountancy site or contact the board directly.
Which states do not participate in CPAverify?
As of 2026, Hawaii and New Mexico do not feed data into CPAverify, so licenses issued there will not appear in a national search. Other boards participate but may omit expiration dates, contact information, or disciplinary detail. For any of these, verify directly through the relevant state Board of Accountancy license lookup.
Can I verify a CPA firm, not just an individual?
Yes, but usually at the state level. CPAverify focuses on individual licensees and excludes firm business information. Most state boards run a separate firm permit or firm license search. Verifying the firm matters because a firm generally needs its own permit to offer attest services, separate from the individual CPAs it employs.
How current is the data?
CPAverify reflects what participating boards have submitted, and update timing varies by board, so a very recent status change may not appear immediately. When timing matters, or when a result looks off, confirm with the issuing state board, which is the real-time system of record for the license.
For the licensing rules behind these credentials, see how to become a CPA and the State CPA Licensure Tracker.
Reviewed by The Ledgerism Editorial Team. Last reviewed: July 2026.