Anyone can print "accountant" on a business card. Before you hand someone your Social Security number and bank statements, spend sixty seconds confirming they hold the license they claim. Three free ways, from fastest to most thorough.
Why this matters
"CPA" is a state-issued license — a college degree, a four-part exam, supervised experience, and continuing education every year, enforced by the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy. "Accountant" and "tax expert" are just words. Every filing season, the IRS warns about "ghost preparers" who file inflated returns, take a cut of the refund, and vanish — leaving you legally responsible for every penny. A license check is your cheapest insurance.
Option 1: Search this directory (fastest)
Our license lookup searches all 7,142 active Alabama CPA licenses and 1,086 registered firms as you type — by name, license number, or city. A match confirms an active Alabama license and shows their city, license number, and firm. Ask the CPA for their license number and check that it matches the name exactly.
Option 2: The state board's official search
The Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy's search is the legal source of record. Use it when you need what our directory doesn't carry: inactive, retired, or revoked licenses, disciplinary board orders, and official verification letters. If a "CPA" appears there with a status like Revoked or Surrendered, you have your answer.
Option 3: CPAverify, for out-of-state CPAs
If someone claims a license from another state, CPAverify — run by NASBA, the national association of state accountancy boards — searches official records from 53 licensing boards at once, including disciplinary flags for most states.
Bonus: checking a tax preparer who isn't a CPA
Plenty of honest preparers aren't CPAs — but every paid preparer must hold an IRS PTIN and sign your return. Check credentials in the IRS directory of credentialed preparers. A preparer who won't sign or share a PTIN is the classic ghost preparer — walk away.
What to check, in 60 seconds
- Name matches license. Exactly — not a similar name at the same firm.
- Status is active. Everything in our directory is; on official sources, anything else deserves questions.
- The license number they gave you matches the record.
- City lines up with where they claim to practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to verify a CPA license in Alabama?
Yes. Our license lookup, the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy’s official search, and NASBA’s CPAverify are all free and take under a minute. There is never a fee to check whether someone is licensed.
What if I can’t find my accountant in any CPA search?
First, try their legal name — someone who goes by “Bob” may be licensed as “Robert,” and married names sometimes differ from license records. If they still don’t appear, they may hold a license in another state (check CPAverify), or they may not be a CPA at all. Ask them directly for their license number; a licensed CPA will give it without hesitation.
Does my tax preparer have to be a CPA?
No — but anyone paid to prepare federal returns must have an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) and is required to sign your return. CPAs and enrolled agents can additionally represent you before the IRS without limitation. What’s never okay is a preparer who refuses to sign your return or provide a PTIN.
How do I check whether a CPA has been disciplined?
Use the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy’s official search, which includes board orders and disciplinary records. NASBA’s CPAverify also shows disciplinary flags for many states. Our directory lists active licenses only, so historical actions require the official sources.
Verify a CPA right now
Search every active Alabama CPA license — free, no signup.
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