North Carolina · CPA Licensing · Official Lookup Guide
North Carolina CPA license lookup: the eight certificate statuses and what they mean.
The NC State Board of CPA Examiners runs a searchable database of North Carolina CPAs and CPA firms. This guide explains the status labels you will see and what a lookup can and cannot settle.
Search the North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners database, which the Board describes as a way to "search the database for information on North Carolina CPAs and CPA firms." The Board says it may classify a CPA certificate as Active, Forfeited, CPA-retired, Inactive, Probation, Revoked, Surrendered or Suspended. Only Active means the person holds a valid certificate and is not on inactive status.
What the official source says
The Board's website offers one search for people and firms, labelled "Search for a CPA/CPA Firm" and "Find a CPA/CPA Firm". The Board's page does not list the search fields, so this guide does not either; open the database to see what it asks for.
The Board's page also explains a separate process: when another state board of accountancy needs your North Carolina record, the Board sends either a license-only verification or a license-and-exam-scores verification. It asks you to allow at least 15 business days. For anyone other than another board, the Board says a CPA can print a screenshot of his or her own record from the "Find a CPA/CPA Firm" section.
Open the NC CPA database
The lookup runs on the official site. TNAADO republishes no records and receives nothing you type.
The eight statuses, in the Board's words
The Board lists the classifications it may give a North Carolina CPA certificate. Active: holds a valid certificate and has not been placed on inactive status. Forfeited: failed to renew on time or does not meet renewal continuing-education requirements, and the CPA title cannot be used until the certificate is reissued. CPA-retired: uses the "CPA-retired" title and agrees to avoid most accounting services. Inactive: approved for inactive status and cannot use the CPA title.
The other four are disciplinary or conditional. Probation: the certificate is held under conditions set by the Board. Revoked: revoked permanently or for a set period through Board discipline. Surrendered: given up under a Consent Order with the Board. Suspended: revoked for a specific period of time.
Reading a result as a client or employer
If you are hiring someone to sign a return or a financial statement, the status label is the first thing to read. "Active" answers the licensing question. "Forfeited" is easy to misread as a minor paperwork lapse, but the Board's definition says the CPA title cannot be used until the certificate is reissued. "Probation", "Surrendered" and "Suspended" are reasons to ask the Board what the conditions or orders are before you rely on the person.
This is the one useful thing a state page can do that a national aggregator cannot: the Board classifies its own certificates, so the definitions above are the issuer's, not a third party's. If your CPA also holds licences in other states, each state keeps its own record; see the broader CPA license lookup by state guide.
A worked example (hypothetical)
Jordan (made up) is choosing a CPA firm in Raleigh and has the name of the partner who will sign the audit report. This describes no real person.
Jordan opens the Board's database, searches the partner's name, and reads the status. The result says Forfeited. Using the Board's own definition, Jordan understands that the partner did not renew on time or did not meet the continuing-education requirement, and that the CPA title cannot be used until the certificate is reissued. Jordan asks the firm to explain, and asks the Board to confirm before signing an engagement letter. A second search for the firm itself shows whether the firm is listed.
What this page does not cover
- It does not run the search or store anything you type; there is no form on this page.
- It does not copy or republish licensee records, discipline orders or addresses.
- It does not explain how to become a North Carolina CPA, renewal rules or continuing-education hours.
- It does not confirm any individual's status. The Board's live record is the only confirmation.
Common mix-ups
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Often assumedAnyone listed in the North Carolina CPA database holds a valid certificate.
What the source saysThe Board says it may classify a CPA certificate as Active, Forfeited, CPA-retired, Inactive, Probation, Revoked, Surrendered or Suspended, and that only Active means the person holds a valid certificate and is not on inactive status. [1]
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Often assumedA CPA's own screenshot is no use when another board asks for a North Carolina record.
What the source saysThe Board says another state board of accountancy needing your North Carolina record gets a license-only or license-and-exam-scores verification from the Board, and asks you to allow at least 15 business days. For anyone else, a CPA can print a screenshot of their own record from the Find a CPA/CPA Firm section. [1]
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
Where do I look up a North Carolina CPA?
On the NC State Board of CPA Examiners database, linked from this page.
Does the database cover firms as well as people?
Yes. The Board labels it a search for "a CPA/CPA Firm" and describes it as information on North Carolina CPAs and CPA firms.
What statuses can a certificate have?
The Board says it may classify a certificate as Active, Forfeited, CPA-retired, Inactive, Probation, Revoked, Surrendered or Suspended.
What does Forfeited mean?
The Board says the person failed to renew on time or does not meet renewal continuing-education requirements, and the CPA title cannot be used until the certificate is reissued.
How long does the Board take to send a verification to another state?
The Board asks you to allow at least 15 business days for a request from another board of accountancy.
Does asking for a verification cancel my North Carolina license?
No. The Board says requesting a verification does not cancel or inactivate the North Carolina license.
Does TNAADO verify CPAs?
No. This page explains the official database and links to it. It does not look anyone up or collect anything.
Sources
Retrieved
- NC State Board of CPA Examiners: Home
- NC State Board of CPA Examiners: NC CPAs (statuses and verification)
- NC State Board of CPA Examiners: licensee search
Official government pages only. Each link was opened on the retrieval date and the facts above were read from it, except where the page says a page could not be read. The official site is the authority.
Unofficial guide — not a verification tool
This is an unofficial guide to a public government service. TNAADO is not affiliated with North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners, does not search or verify anything for you, does not copy or proxy any register, and sends nothing you type to its servers. Nothing here is an official verification, legal or financial advice. Details above were read from the official websites on 1 November 2026 and can change; always rely on the official site.