The following information is from Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s (DBPR) website under: Division of Certified Public Accounting.

“ORIGINAL LICENSURE

CPA Applicants must apply for licensure within three years of  receiving notification from NASBA of passing the last part of the CPA exam. If an applicant does not apply for  licensure within this three year period, CPA examination grades expire and the  applicant must reapply and retake the CPA examination. Furthermore,  applicants will be required to meet the education requirements in effect at the  time of the new application.

To successfully obtain an original CPA license a  candidate must:

• Submit CPA Original Licensure application and  $50.00 non refundable fee within three years of receipt
• *Evidence one year of acceptable work  experience.
• Submit official transcripts evidencing  completion of a baccalaureate degree, plus an additional 30 semester hours/45  quarter hours of education in excess of the baccalaureate degree to include 12  semester hours/18 quarter hours of upper division accounting and 15 semester/22  quarter hours of upper division general business courses.

*Work experience shall include any type of  service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, compilation,  management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills, all of  which must be verified by a certified public accountant who is licensed by a  state or territory of the United States.  This experience is acceptable if it was gained through employment in  government, industry, academia, or public practice and constituted a  substantial part of the applicant’s duties.

The  experience must either average at least twenty (20) hours a week over no more  than one hundred and four (104) weeks or average no more than forty (40) hours  a week over no more than fifty-two (52) weeks. Reasonable vacation time and  sick leave or other required absences may be permitted. The supervisor, in her  or his report to the Department, shall certify that the applicant rendered such  services as are customarily performed by full-time, regularly employed staff  employees for a minimum of 2,000 hours gained over a period of not less than  fifty-two (52) or more than one hundred and four (104) weeks. The sequence of  the experience is considered immaterial, that is, whether the experience was  secured before or after taking the examination, or partly before the  examination and partly after the examination, provided the two periods combined  equal at least one year.”

This ends the information from Florida’s DBPR’s website.  Soreide Law Group reminds all CPA’s to monitor the Florida Regulations to continue to be updated on all changes.  Remember, your license is your livelihood.

Soreide Law Group represents Florida licensed CPA’s in front of the Florida Board of Accountancy (BOA) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) regarding any licensing issues. For more information about professional licensing law please call to speak with an attorney at: (888) 760-6552.