Canadian · Professional Licensing · Checklist

Is my accountant a CPA? A checklist.

Choose the province, open the official register, and work through the checklist. Ticks stay in your browser and are not stored or sent anywhere.

Use the official register for the answer: Only the provincial CPA body can confirm a CPA. This tool opens its register; it cannot verify anyone itself. It cannot confirm anyone’s status.

Source: Provincial CPA bodies (links per province)Retrieved October 2026

Step 1: open the right register

Province

Choose a province to see its official CPA register link.

Step 2: work the checklist

I have the person’s full legal name, firm name and the province where they work.
I searched the register of that province’s CPA body, not a general web search.
The name and city or employer on the register match the person I am dealing with.
If I need audit, review or compilation work, I also checked the province’s licence, permit or public practice directory.
If it is a firm, I checked the firm directory as well as the individual.
I understand a directory listing does not by itself guarantee good standing.
I looked for public discipline or notices on the regulator’s separate page.
If I found nothing, I tried another spelling or province and contacted the regulator.

0 of 8 steps ticked. Ticks are not saved.

Why check

An accountant who prepares your taxes or financial statements is relying on your trust. In Alberta the word “accountant” is not restricted, and other provinces differ, so the register is the only reliable way to confirm a CPA designation. Ask for the person’s full legal name and firm before you search.

Audit, review or compilation?

If you need assurance work, membership alone is not enough: provinces keep separate licence or permit directories (for example Public Practice Permit Holders in New Brunswick, Licenced Public Accountants in Newfoundland and Labrador, Public Accounting Licence in Nova Scotia). The province guides explain each.

Sources

CPA Canada: provincial and regional accounting bodies (Retrieved October 2026)
CPA Alberta: Verify a Member or Firm (Retrieved October 2026)
Ordre des CPA du Québec: Find a CPA (Retrieved October 2026)

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my accountant is really a CPA?

Search the register of the provincial CPA body where they work. The province guides linked here open each official search.

Is there one national CPA register?

No. CPA Canada says the designation is granted and regulated by provincial regulators, so each has its own register.

What if my accountant is not on the register?

Ask for their legal name and province of registration, try another spelling, and contact the regulator. They may be a bookkeeper or tax preparer who is not a CPA, which is not necessarily a problem for the work they do, but they should not use the CPA title.

Does the register show complaints?

Often not. Several bodies say their directories do not show disciplinary outcomes and publish notices on separate pages.

Guide only — not a verification tool

This page describes the register and links to it. It does not check anyone’s membership, it does not copy or proxy any register data, and nothing you might type here is transmitted anywhere. Use the official register to confirm status. Not legal or professional advice.