36-20B-30. Certificate issued to holder of substantially equivalent foreign designation--Conditions. The board shall issue a certificate to a holder of a substantially equivalent foreign designation if the following conditions are satisfied:

(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 was duly issued by a foreign authority that regulates the practice of public accountancy, based on educational and examination requirements established by the foreign authority or by statute and the foreign designation has not expired or been revoked or suspended;

(3) The applicant received the designation, based on educational and examination standards substantially equivalent to those in effect in this state at the time the foreign designation was granted, and the designation was issued upon the basis of educational, examination, and experience requirements established by the foreign authority or by law;

(4) The applicant passed a qualifying examination, with the examination grading and passing grades being uniform with those applicable in other states, and an examination acceptable to the board on the law, rules, and code of ethical conduct in effect in this state; and

(5) The applicant received the designation based on educational and examination standards substantially equivalent to those in effect in this state at the time the foreign designation was granted; completed an experience requirement substantially equivalent to the requirement provided in this chapter 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, by rule promulgated pursuant to chapter 1-26, within the ten years immediately preceding the application; and passed a uniform qualifying examination consistent with national standards and an examination on the laws, rules, and code of ethical conduct in effect in this state.

An applicant under this section shall list in the application all jurisdictions, foreign and domestic, in which the applicant has applied for or holds a designation to practice public accountancy, and each holder of a certificate issued under this section shall notify the board in writing, within thirty days after its occurrence, of any issuance, denial, revocation, or suspension of a designation or commencement of a disciplinary or enforcement action by any jurisdiction. The board has the sole authority to interpret the application of the provisions of this section.

Source: SL 2002, ch 179, § 31.