EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LA W.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0051*
SENATE BILL 51
C3 5lr1466
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 887
By: Senator Ellis
Requested: October 29, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 2, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Accountants – Reciprocal Licenses Licensed Out–of–State Practice Privileges – 2
Qualifications 3
FOR the purpose of altering the qualifications for an individual licensed as a certified public 4
accountant in another state to practice certified public accountancy in the State; and 5
generally relating to reciprocal licensure requirements for the practice of certified 6
public accountancy. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 9
Section 2–301 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 14
Section 2–321 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Business Occupations and Professions 20 2 SENATE BILL 51
2–301. 1
Except as provided in § 2–321 of this subtitle, an individual shall be licensed by the 2
Board before the individual may practice certified public accountancy in the State. 3
2–321. 4
(a) In this section, “practice certified public accountancy” includes the practice of 5
public accountancy. 6
(b) (1) An individual whose principal place of business is outside the State is 7
exempt from the licensing requirement under § 2–301 of this subtitle and shall be 8
considered to have qualifications that are substantially equivalent to a licensee if THE 9
INDIVIDUAL: 10
(i) [the individual] holds a valid license as a certified public 11
accountant from another state; and 12
(ii) [the requirements of that state have been verified by NASBA as 13
substantially equivalent with the licensure requirements of the Uniform Accountancy Act] 14
WAS REQUIRED TO PASS THE UNIFORM CPA EXAMINATION TO QUALIF Y FOR THE 15
LICENSE IN THE OTHER STATE. 16
(2) An individual who qualifies for an exemption under paragraph (1) of 17
this subsection may exercise all of the privileges of a licensed certified public accountant. 18
(c) [(1) An individual who is licensed by a state that the NASBA National 19
Qualification Appraisal Service has not verified to be in substantial equivalence with the 20
CPA licensure requirements of the Uniform Accountancy Act may exercise all of the 21
privileges of a licensed certified public accountant if the individual: 22
(i) retains a principal place of business outside of the State; 23
(ii) holds a valid license as a certified public accountant; and 24
(iii) has qualifications that the NASBA National Qualification 25
Appraisal Service has determined to be substantially equivalent to the CPA licensure 26
requirements of the Uniform Accountancy Act. 27
(2) An individual who has passed the Uniform CPA Examination and holds 28
a valid license issued by another state prior to January 1, 2012, may be exempt from the 29
education requirements in the Uniform Accountancy Act for purposes of this subsection. 30
SENATE BILL 51 3
(3)] Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual who qualifies 1
for a practice privilege under this section may practice certified public accountancy in the 2
State: 3
[(i)] (1) by any means, including mail, telephone, or electronic 4
communication; and 5
[(ii)] (2) without any notice, fee, or other submission to the Board. 6
(d) As a condition of the practice privilege, an individual who is licensed by 7
another state and qualifies for a practice privilege under this subtitle and any firm that 8
employs the individual to practice in the State shall both consent to: 9
(1) the personal and subject matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority 10
of the Board; 11
(2) complying with State public accountancy laws and regulations adopted 12
by the Board; 13
(3) the appointment of the State Board of Public Accountancy that issued 14
the individual’s license to practice certified public accountancy as the agent upon which 15
process may be served in any action or proceeding by the Board against the individual; and 16
(4) ceasing to offer or provide services in the State that are subject to this 17
title if the license issued by the state in which the individual’s principal place of business 18
is located is no longer valid. 19
(e) An individual authorized to practice certified public accountancy under this 20
section and under the practice privilege may represent to the public, by use of a title, 21
including “licensed certified public accountant”, “certified public accountant”, “public 22
accountant”, or “auditor”, by use of the abbreviation “CPA”, by description of services, 23
methods, or procedures, or otherwise, that the individual is authorized to practice certified 24
public accountancy in the State. 25
(f) A sole practitioner who is practicing in the State under the practice privilege 26
may only perform attest services as defined in § 2–101(c)(1), (4), or (5) of this title, through 27
a firm that holds a permit issued under § 2–401 of this title. 28
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 29
October 1, 2025. 30