§76. Issuance and renewal of certificates and maintenance of competency

A.(1) The board shall grant or renew certificates to persons who make application to the board and demonstrate that their qualifications are in accordance with the provisions of this Part or that they are eligible under the substantial equivalency standard prescribed in this Part.

(2) Only the holder of an active certificate may provide attest services and must do so in a CPA firm that holds a permit issued pursuant to this Part.

B.(1) Certificates shall be initially issued and renewed annually. Applications for such certificates shall be made in such form, and in the case of applications for renewal between such dates, as the board shall specify.

(2) Issuance or renewal of a certificate shall not preclude the board from any further investigation and action against such certificate or certificate holder. Any certificate which is not timely renewed with all required information shall expire on the date specified by the board. Any certificate which has expired because of nonrenewal may be reinstated by the board upon payment of the renewal fee and any penalty fees as may be prescribed by the board provided that the applicant is otherwise qualified for certification under this Part.

(3) Where an applicant seeks the opportunity to show that issuance of a certificate was mistakenly denied or where the board is not able to determine whether the application should be granted or denied, the board may issue a provisional certificate to the applicant. Such provisional certificate shall expire one hundred twenty days after its issuance or when the board determines whether or not to issue or renew the certificate for which application was made, whichever occurs first.

C.(1) For those applicants who do not qualify for reciprocity under the substantial equivalency standard provided for in this Part, the board shall issue a certificate to a holder of an active certificate, license, or permit issued by another state upon a showing that:

(a) The applicant passed the examination required for issuance of a certificate with grades that were set as passing at the time for each section of the Uniform CPA examination, provided that, at such time, he was a bona fide candidate of such state as determined by the board.

(b) The applicant has four years of experience outside of this state of the type described in R.S. 37:75 or meets equivalent requirements prescribed by the board after passing the examination upon which the applicant's certificate is based and within the ten years immediately preceding the application.

(c) If the applicant's certificate, license, or permit was issued more than four years prior to the application for issuance of an initial certificate pursuant to this Section, that the applicant has fulfilled the requirements of continuing professional education that would have been applicable pursuant to Subsection D of this Section.

(2) As an alternative to the requirements of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, an active certificate holder licensed by another state who desires to establish his principal place of business in this state shall request the issuance of a certificate from the board prior to establishing such principal place of business. The board shall issue an active certificate to such person whose CPA qualifications are substantially equivalent to the CPA licensure requirements of this Part as determined by the board or its designee.

D.(1) For renewal of an active certificate, each licensee shall participate in a program of learning designed to maintain professional competency with regard to the current or anticipated job duties of the licensee. Such program of learning shall comply with rules adopted by the board, which rules shall broadly provide for programs of learning related to any type of accounting, attest, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills, or the licensee's current employment.

(2) The board may create an exception to such continuing education requirement for certificate holders who do not perform or offer to perform for the public one or more kinds of service involving the use of accounting or auditing skills, including issuance of reports on financial statements, or of one or more kinds of management advisory, financial advisory, or consulting services, or the preparation of tax returns or the furnishing of advice on tax matters. Certificate holders granted such an exception by the board shall place either the word "inactive" or "retired" adjacent to their CPA title on any business card, letterhead, or any printed, electronic, or other form or communication, document or device, with the exception of their CPA certificate on which their CPA title appears.

E. The board shall charge a fee for each application for initial issuance or renewal of a certificate in an amount prescribed by rule.

F. Applicants for initial issuance, renewal, or reinstatement of certificates shall list in their applications all reasonable and relevant information required by the board, which may include but not be limited to all states in which they have applied for or hold certificates, licenses, or permits, or information pertaining to any current investigation or past denial, revocation, or suspension of a certificate, license, or permit. Each holder of or applicant for a certificate shall notify the board in writing within thirty days after the occurrence of any denial, revocation, or suspension of a certificate, license, or permit by another state.

G. The board may issue a certificate to a holder of a substantially equivalent foreign designation provided that:

(1) The foreign authority which granted the designation makes similar provision to allow a person who holds a valid certificate issued by this state to obtain such foreign authority's comparable designation.

(2) The foreign designation:

(a) Was duly issued by a foreign authority that regulates the practice of public accountancy and the foreign designation has not expired or been revoked or suspended.

(b) Entitles the holder to issue reports upon financial statements.

(c) Was issued upon the basis of educational, examination, and experience requirements established by the foreign authority or by law.

(3) The applicant:

(a) Received the designation based upon educational and examination standards substantially equivalent to those in effect in this state at the time the foreign designation was granted.

(b) Completed an experience requirement substantially equivalent to the requirement provided for in R.S. 37:75 in the jurisdiction which granted the foreign designation, or has completed four years of professional experience in this state, or meets equivalent requirements prescribed by the board within the ten years immediately preceding the application.

(c) Passed a uniform qualifying examination in national standards and an examination on the laws, regulations, and code of ethical conduct in effect in this state acceptable to the board.

(4) An applicant, in addition to any other information required by the board, shall list in the application all jurisdictions, foreign or domestic, in which the applicant has applied for or holds a designation to practice public accountancy.

(5) Each holder of a certificate issued as provided by this Subsection shall notify the board in writing within thirty days after the occurrence of any denial, revocation, or suspension of a designation or commencement of a disciplinary or enforcement action by any jurisdiction.

H. Only the board shall make determinations as to the applicability of the provisions of Subsection G of this Section.

Acts 1979, No. 510, §1; Acts 1999, No. 473, §1, eff. June 18, 1999; Acts 2006, No. 214, §1; Acts 2016, No. 553, §1.