District of Columbia

District of Columbia Board of Accountancy
dlcp.dc.gov/node/1617381

To sit for the Exam: 120 undergraduate semester hours including a baccalaureate degree, with required coursework in financial accounting, auditing, cost/managerial accounting, federal income tax, and business law (3 semester hours each). Applicants who graduated after January 1, 2000 must complete 150 semester hours total, with a baccalaureate degree and an accounting concentration, for full licensure.

The traditional pathway requires a bachelor's degree with an accounting concentration, 30 additional semester hours (150 total), and 1 year of experience. On December 12, 2025 the DC Board of Accountancy approved an alternative pathway requiring only a baccalaureate degree plus 2 years of relevant experience (no additional 30 hours) — though implementing legislation (B26-0494) was, as of this review, still under consideration by the DC Council rather than fully enacted.

Not confirmed in this research pass — neither the Board's own page nor its December 2025 pathway-update release mentioned a separate ethics exam or course requirement; confirm directly with the Board.

Yes — candidates can typically sit for the Exam before finishing all coursework required for full licensure (e.g. at 120 semester hours, finishing the rest before licensure).

DC Board of Accountancy applicants apply through the NASBA CPA Portal (mycpalicense.org / dashboard.nasba.org). The Board's December 12, 2025 vote also extends reciprocal recognition to out-of-jurisdiction CPAs licensed under an equivalent alternative pathway. Because enabling legislation (B26-0494) had not fully passed the DC Council as of this review, confirm current legal status with the Board before relying on the alternative pathway.

https://dlcp.dc.gov/release/board-accountancy-announces-important-licensure-updates-expand-pathways-cpa-candidates — accessed 2026-09-30