Washington Code 18.04.215 – Licenses — Issuance — Renewal and reinstatement — Continuing professional education — Fees — Notification of sanction/suspension/revocation of license
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(1) Three-year licenses shall be issued by the board:
Terms Used In Washington Code 18.04.215
- Board: means the board of accountancy created by RCW 18. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- Certificate: means an alternative license type issued by the board indicating that the certificate holder had passed the CPA examination, but has not verified the certificate holder's experience and was not fully licensed as a certified public accountant to practice public accounting. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- CPE: means continuing professional education. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Holding out: means any representation to the public by the use of restricted titles as set forth in RCW 18. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- Inactive: means the status of a license that is prohibited from practicing public accounting. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- Individual: means a living, human being. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- License: means a license to practice public accountancy issued to an individual under this chapter, or a license issued to a firm under this chapter. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- Licensee: means the holder of a license to practice public accountancy issued under this chapter. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- Practice of public accounting: means performing or offering to perform by a person or firm holding itself out to the public as a licensee, for a client or potential client, one or more kinds of services involving the use of accounting or auditing skills, including the issuance of "reports" or one or more kinds of management advisory, or consulting services, or the preparation of tax returns, or the furnishing of advice on tax matters. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- Report: includes any form of language which disclaims an opinion when such form of language is conventionally understood to imply any positive assurance as to the reliability of the attested information or compiled financial statements referred to and/or special competence on the part of the person or firm issuing such language; and it includes any other form of language that is conventionally understood to imply such assurance and/or such special knowledge or competence. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- Rule: means any rule adopted by the board under authority of this chapter. See Washington Code 18.04.025
- State: includes the states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands at such time as the board determines that the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is issuing licenses under the substantially equivalent standards in RCW 18. See Washington Code 18.04.025
(2) The board shall, by rule, provide for a system of license renewal and reinstatement. Applicants for renewal or reinstatement shall, at the time of filing their applications, list with the board all states and foreign jurisdictions in which they hold or have applied for certificates, permits or licenses to practice.
(3) A license is issued every three years with renewal subject to requirements of CPE and payment of fees, prescribed by the board. Failure to renew the license shall cause the license to lapse and become subject to reinstatement. Persons holding a lapsed license are prohibited from using the title “CPA,” “certified public accountant,” “CPA-inactive,” or “CPA-retired.” Persons holding a lapsed license are prohibited from practicing public accountancy. The board shall adopt rules providing for fees and procedures for issuance, renewal, and reinstatement of licenses.
(4) The board shall adopt rules providing for CPE for active or inactive licensees and certificate holders. The rules shall:
(a) Provide that an active licensee shall verify to the board that he or she has completed at least an accumulation of one hundred twenty hours of CPE during the last three-year period to maintain the active license;
(b) Provide that an individual with an inactive license must verify to the board that he or she has completed a board-approved ethics course for CPE during the last three-year period to maintain the inactive license;
(c) Establish CPE requirements; and
(d) Establish when new licensees shall verify that they have completed the required CPE.
(5) A certified public accountant who holds a license issued by another state, and applies for a license in this state, may practice in this state from the date of filing a completed application with the board, until the board has acted upon the application provided the application is made prior to holding out as a certified public accountant in this state and no sanctions or investigations, deemed by the board to be pertinent to public accountancy, by other jurisdictions or agencies are in process.
(6)(a) A licensee shall submit to the board satisfactory proof of having completed an accumulation of one hundred twenty hours of CPE recognized and approved by the board during the preceding three years. Failure to furnish this evidence as required shall make the license lapse and subject to reinstatement procedures, unless the board determines the failure to have been due to retirement or reasonable cause.
(b) The board in its discretion may renew a license despite failure to furnish evidence of compliance with requirements of CPE upon condition that the applicant follow a particular program of CPE. In issuing rules and individual orders with respect to CPE requirements, the board, among other considerations, may rely upon guidelines and pronouncements of recognized educational and professional associations, may prescribe course content, duration, and organization, and may take into account the accessibility of CPE to licensees and instances of individual hardship.
(7) Fees for renewal or reinstatement of licenses in this state shall be determined by the board under this chapter. Fees shall be paid by the applicant at the time the application form is filed with the board. The board, by rule, may provide for proration of fees for licenses issued between normal renewal dates.
(8)(a) Licensees and nonlicensee owners must notify the board within thirty days after:
(i) Sanction, suspension, revocation, or modification of their professional license or practice rights by the securities exchange commission, internal revenue service, or another state board of accountancy;
(ii) Sanction or order against the licensee or nonlicensee owner by any federal or other state agency related to the licensee’s practice of public accounting or the licensee’s or nonlicensee owner’s violation of ethical or technical standards established by board rule; or
(iii) The licensee or nonlicensee owner is notified that he or she has been charged with a violation of law that could result in the suspension or revocation of a license by a federal or other state agency, as identified by board rule, related to the licensee’s or nonlicensee owner’s professional license, practice rights, or violation of ethical or technical standards established by board rule.
(b) The board must adopt rules to implement this subsection and may also adopt rules specifying requirements for licensees and nonlicensee owners to report to the board sanctions or orders relating to the licensee’s practice of public accounting or the licensee’s or nonlicensee owner’s violation of ethical or technical standards entered against the licensee or nonlicensee owner by a nongovernmental professionally related standard-setting entity.
[ 2022 c 85 § 10; (2022 c 85 § 9 expired June 30, 2023); (2018 c 224 § 5 expired June 30, 2023); 2003 c 290 § 2; 2001 c 294 § 13; 1999 c 378 § 7; 1992 c 103 § 10; 1986 c 295 § 10; 1983 c 234 § 11.]
NOTES:
Effective date—2022 c 85 §§ 8, 10, 15, and 17: See note following RCW 18.04.195.
Expiration date—2022 c 85 §§ 7, 9, 14, and 16: See note following RCW 18.04.195.
Expiration date—Finding—Intent—2018 c 224: See notes following RCW 18.04.350.
Effective date—2001 c 294: See note following RCW 18.04.015.