Help Page for Database

Individuals

To search by name for an individual licensed as a North Carolina CPA, enter the individual’s last name and first name in the appropriate fields. If you do not know the exact spelling of the name, perform a wildcard search by entering an asterisk (*), the first several letters of the last name, and another asterisk (*smi*). You can do the same for the first name (*jo*). If you enter only one or two letters in each field but do not include an asterisk (*), your search will fail. Some licensees may use a nickname (Joe instead of Joseph) or their middle name instead of their first name, so you may want to search by last name only.

If you search for an individual by name and enter Johnson in the Last Name field and “*” in the First Name field, the database will return basic information on any individual whose last name is Johnson. You must then scroll through the list to find the individual you are searching for and click the “details” link to obtain more detailed information.

CPA Firms

If you search for a CPA firm by name and enter “Johnson” in the field Firm Name, the database will return basic information on any CPA firm named Johnson. You must then scroll through the list to find the firm you are searching for and click on that firm’s name to obtain more detailed information.

It is better to perform a wildcard search if you are searching for a CPA firm containing a first and last name (Leslie Jane Public, CPA). Enter an asterisk (*), a few letters of the first name, and another asterisk. When searching for a CPA firm by name that contains several last names (Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral, LLP), enter an asterisk (*), a few letters of one of the names, and another asterisk.

You must enter the complete CPA certificate number when searching for an individual by certificate number. Do not insert leading zeros or spaces when entering the number.

All licensees and CPA firms must designate a mailing address to which the Board sends all correspondence. A licensee’s preferred address may be the home or business address. A CPA firm’s address may be that of the main office or another location.

When searching for a licensee or CPA firm by city or state, the database will return basic information about all licensees or all CPA firms that have listed that particular city as the mailing address. You will then need to scroll down the list to find the licensee or CPA firm you are searching for and then click on the “details” link to obtain specific information on that licensee or CPA firm.

When searching for a licensee or CPA firm by city and the licensee or CPA firm does not appear in the search results, try searching for the licensee or CPA firm using the cities surrounding the city used in the initial search. For example, if a city search using Apex did not return the licensee or CPA firm you are searching for, try searching for Raleigh, Cary, or Holly Springs.

If your search is not processing, make sure you have clicked on the Submit button. After each search, click the reset button or the new search button. Make sure you have entered the correct information in the right field. For example, the database will not process the search if you enter a licensee’s name in the certificate number field.