The amount of fees prescribed by this chapter is as follows:

(a) The fee to be charged to each applicant for the certified public accountant examination shall be fixed by the board at an amount not to exceed six hundred dollars ($600). The board may charge a reexamination fee not to exceed seventy-five dollars ($75) for each part that is subject to reexamination.

(b) The fee to be charged to out-of-state candidates for the certified public accountant examination shall be fixed by the board at an amount not to exceed six hundred dollars ($600) per candidate.

(c) The application fee to be charged to each applicant for issuance of a certified public accountant certificate shall be fixed by the board at an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250).

(d) The application fee to be charged to each applicant for issuance of a certified public accountant certificate by waiver of examination shall be fixed by the board at an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250).

(e) The fee to be charged to each applicant for registration as a partnership or professional corporation shall be fixed by the board at an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250).

(f) The biennial fee for the renewal of each of the permits to engage in the practice of public accountancy specified in Section 5070 shall not be less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) and shall not exceed two hundred eighty dollars ($280).

(g) The application fee to be charged to each applicant for a retired status license, as described in Section 5070.1, shall be fixed by the board at an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250).

(h) The application fee to be charged to each applicant for restoration of a license in a retired status to an active status pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 5070.1 shall be fixed by the board at an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).

(i) The delinquency fee shall be 50 percent of the accrued renewal fee.

(j) The initial permit fee is an amount equal to the renewal fee in effect on the last regular renewal date before the date on which the permit is issued, except that, if the permit is issued one year or less before it will expire, then the initial permit fee is an amount equal to 50 percent of the renewal fee in effect on the last regular renewal date before the date on which the permit is issued. The board may, by regulation, provide for the waiver or refund of the initial permit fee where the permit is issued less than 45 days before the date on which it will expire.

(k) (1) The annual fee to be charged an individual for a practice privilege pursuant to Section 5096 with an authorization to sign attest reports shall be fixed by the board at an amount not to exceed one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125).

(2) The annual fee to be charged an individual for a practice privilege pursuant to Section 5096 without an authorization to sign attest reports shall be fixed by the board at an amount not to exceed 80 percent of the fee authorized under paragraph (1).

(l) The fee to be charged for the certification of documents evidencing passage of the certified public accountant examination, the certification of documents evidencing the grades received on the certified public accountant examination, or the certification of documents evidencing licensure shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).

(m) The board shall fix the fees in accordance with the limits of this section and any increase in a fee fixed by the board shall be pursuant to regulation duly adopted by the board in accordance with the limits of this section.

(n) It is the intent of the Legislature that, to ease entry into the public accounting profession in California, any administrative cost to the board related to the certified public accountant examination or issuance of the certified public accountant certificate that exceeds the maximum fees authorized by this section shall be covered by the fees charged for the biennial renewal of the permit to practice.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 359, Sec. 15. (AB 1521) Effective January 1, 2020.)