Automatic interstate mobility is here: Out of state CPAs can now work in Ohio

As of April 9, 2025, qualified CPAs from out of state are now able to work in the Buckeye State. Effective 90 days after House Bill 238 was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on Jan. 8, the change means that CPAs are now evaluated on their individual professional status rather than which state they received their license. Other states are working to adopt similar language to Ohio. 

“Automatic interstate mobility essentially works like a driver’s license,” explained OSCPA President and CEO Laura Hay, CPA. “You can drive through our state without an Ohio license, but you still must follow our laws and if you don’t, you’re penalized. The same applies here – a licensed CPA in good standing can now practice here but must adhere to our strict professional standards.” 

Currently four other states — Alabama, Nebraska, North Carolina and Nevada — function under this model. As a result, a CPA with a certificate in good standing issued by any other state is recognized and allowed practice privileges in those four states and now Ohio. Given the trend to broaden the pathways to licensure, approximately half of all jurisdictions have indicated they are shifting to automatic mobility to ensure that CPAs from all states will have practice privileges and be under the jurisdiction of the state's board of accountancy. 

“Automatic mobility shifts substantial equivalency from the state level to the individual level,” added Hay. “And the more states we have that accept this model, the more successful we will all be in addressing the national CPA shortage.”