South Dakota sets degree and work requirements for accountant licenses

Applicants must pass the accounting exam and meet education and work requirements to receive a certified public accountant certificate. Applicants need an accredited bachelor's or graduate degree with an accounting concentration or an equivalent accepted by the South Dakota Board of Accountancy. A licensed accountant must verify the work, which must meet board rules. People holding valid South Dakota certificates issued before July 1, 2002, are treated as meeting the work requirements. Applicants may take the exam if they document that they have earned the required degree or will earn it within 100 days after taking the exam.

Eligible certified public accountants based outside South Dakota can practice there without obtaining a South Dakota certificate or permit. These rules cover certified public accountants whose main business office is outside South Dakota, including those serving clients remotely. The regular route requires a valid CPA license from another state and passing the uniform CPA exam. An accounting degree or accepted equivalent is required. Bachelor's-degree holders need two years of accounting work, or one year plus 30 extra college credits. Graduate-degree holders need at least one year of accounting work. The regular route requires no notice, fee, or application. The requirements of section 36-20B-68 also apply. The separate rule requires accountants to have exercised practice rights on or before December 31, 2024, under the rules in place that day.

The South Dakota Board of Accountancy must issue certificates to accountants licensed in another state who document the required qualifications. These routes cover people holding accountant certificates, licenses, or permits from another state. One route requires exam grades South Dakota would have accepted and at least four years of qualifying accounting work, or a board-approved equivalent. Applicants whose other-state credential was issued more than four years before applying must also meet the stated continuing education requirement. For the moving-office route, the other state's licensing board must verify qualifications that South Dakota's board finds comparable. For the four-year work route, qualifying experience must follow the exam and fall within the 10 years immediately before applying.

The South Dakota Board of Accountancy must issue certificates to applicants with comparable foreign accounting credentials who meet the listed requirements. Applicants must hold an accounting credential from outside the United States that the board finds comparable to a South Dakota certificate. The foreign authority must offer similar recognition to South Dakota accountants. The foreign credential must not be expired, revoked, or suspended. Education and exam standards must be comparable to South Dakota's standards when the credential was granted. Applicants must pass qualifying exams consistent with national standards and an exam on South Dakota laws, rules, and professional ethics. Applicants need comparable work experience in the country that granted the credential, four years of professional experience in South Dakota, or a board-approved equivalent completed within the 10 years immediately before applying. Applicants must list every jurisdiction where they have applied for or hold an accounting credential. Certificate holders must notify the board within 30 days when another jurisdiction grants, denies, revokes, or suspends a credential or starts disciplinary or enforcement action.