A CPAverify license lookup takes under a minute at CPAverify.org, the free national database run by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). Enter a CPA’s name, jurisdiction, or license number and you’ll see whether their license is currently active, when it was issued, and, in most states, whether the person has ever been disciplined by their board.1National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. All About CPAverify No account, no fee.2National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. CPAverify: What Is It and How Can It Help?
How To Run the Search
The search box at CPAverify.org accepts a first and last name, a jurisdiction, or a license number.3NASBA. CPAverify Public Search If a name alone returns too many hits, adding the state usually narrows it to the right person. A toggle on the page lets you switch between searching individual CPAs and searching accounting firms, so you can verify a business the same way you’d verify a person.1National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. All About CPAverify
Click a name in the results to open the full profile.
What the Profile Tells You
Each record shows the CPA’s current license status, the date the license was issued, and basic location information such as city and state.4National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. What is CPAVerify? An active status means the person is currently authorized to practice. You may also see inactive, expired, suspended, or revoked.
For most states, the profile also carries disciplinary details, meaning any suspension, revocation, or other enforcement action the state board has taken against that CPA.5National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. Get to Know CPAVerify Board penalties can range from required remediation to monetary fines, probation, suspension, or full revocation in cases involving fraud, felony convictions, or gross negligence.6National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. Guiding Principles of Enforcement An active license and a clean discipline record are two separate things, and both are worth checking.
What CPAverify Will Not Show
The database is limited to current licensing information. It does not include education history, employment records, or historical licensing details.4National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. What is CPAVerify? For any of that, you’ll need to contact the state board of accountancy directly.
CPAverify is also not a formal verification letter. Employers, government agencies, and anyone needing official documentation of a CPA’s credentials should request that from the issuing state board, which typically charges a fee in the range of $20 to $50. NASBA keeps a directory of every board with contact information.7National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. Boards of Accountancy
One more limit worth knowing: each state board sends its data to NASBA on its own schedule, so a very recent status change may not appear immediately.1National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. All About CPAverify
States Not Covered
CPAverify pulls records from 53 of the 55 U.S. jurisdictions that regulate accountancy. As of 2026, Hawaii and New Mexico do not share data with the system.3NASBA. CPAverify Public Search To verify a CPA licensed in either state, contact that state’s board of accountancy through the NASBA directory.7National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. Boards of Accountancy
If the License Is From a Different State
A CPA may legitimately work with clients in your state while holding a license issued somewhere else. Most states have adopted practice privilege laws, known as CPA mobility, that let a CPA in good standing in one state serve clients in another without a second license.8National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. CPAMobility.org Helps CPAs Work Seamlessly Across State Lines The rules vary, and not every state has adopted the same version.9National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. New CPA Licensure Pathways and CPA Mobility
A CPAverify search shows the license as issued by the home state. To confirm whether that license lets the CPA practice in your state, NASBA’s separate CPAMobility.org site publishes jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction summaries approved by each state board.8National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. CPAMobility.org Helps CPAs Work Seamlessly Across State Lines