1997 Minnesota Statutes

     326.19 Licensure; qualifications of accountants. 

    Subdivision 1.  MS 1974 Expired 

    Subdivision 1.    Certificates and licenses as certified 
 public accountants.  A certified public accountant certificate 
 shall be granted to any person: 

    (a) Who has attained the age of 18 years; and 

    (b) Who is of good character; and 

    (c) Who has successfully completed an examination in the 
 subjects and at the times the board may prescribe in its rules.  
 The examination shall be administered by the board only to a 
 candidate who holds:  

    (i) a master's degree with a major in accounting from a 
 college or university that is fully accredited by the North 
 Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, or an 
 equivalent accrediting association, or who has in the opinion of 
 the board at least an equivalent education; or 

    (ii) a baccalaureate degree, with a major in accounting, 
 from a college or university that is fully accredited by the 
 North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, or 
 an equivalent accrediting association, or whose credits are 
 acceptable to the University of Minnesota for admission to 
 graduate study, or who has in the opinion of the board at least 
 an equivalent education; or 

    (iii) a baccalaureate degree from a college or university 
 that is fully accredited by the North Central Association of 
 Colleges and Secondary Schools, or an equivalent accrediting 
 association, or whose credits are acceptable to the University 
 of Minnesota for admission to graduate study, or who has in the 
 opinion of the board at least an equivalent education, providing 
 at least one year of experience of the type specified in 
 subdivision 4, has been completed; or 

    (iv) evidence of having completed two or more years of 
 study with passing grade average or above from a college or 
 university that is fully accredited by the North Central 
 Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, or an equivalent 
 accrediting association, or whose credits are acceptable to the 
 University of Minnesota for admission to graduate study, or a 
 technical college, a Minnesota licensed private vocational 
 school which fulfills the requirements of sections 141.21 to 
 141.36, or who has in the opinion of the board at least an 
 equivalent education, providing at least three years experience 
 of the type specified in subdivision 4, has been completed; or 

    (v) a diploma as a graduate of an accredited high school or 
 who has in the opinion of the board at least an equivalent 
 education, providing at least five years experience of the type 
 specified in subdivision 4 has been completed.  

    Subd. 2.    Experience.  A certified public accountant 
 license shall be granted to any person who has been issued a 
 certified public accountant certificate under subdivision 3.  
 Those persons holding certified public accountant certificates 
 issued under subdivision 1 shall be granted licenses as 
 certified public accountants providing that they have completed 
 the following required experience of the type specified in 
 subdivision 4 in addition to any experience required in 
 subdivision 1, clause (c)(i) to (v): 

    (i) for those whose educational qualifications meet the 
 requirements of subdivision 1, clause (c)(i) the experience 
 requirement is one year; 

    (ii) for those whose educational qualifications meet the 
 requirements of subdivision 1, clause (c)(ii) the experience 
 requirement is two years; 

    (iii) for those whose educational and experience 
 qualifications meet the requirements of subdivision 1, clause 
 (c)(iii), the additional required experience is two years; 

    (iv) for those whose educational and experience 
 qualifications meet the requirements of subdivision 1, clause 
 (c)(iv), the additional required experience is two years; and 

    (v) for those whose educational and experience 
 qualifications meet the requirements of subdivision 1, clause 
 (c)(v), the additional required experience is one year.  

    Subd. 3.    Certificate and license without examination. 
  The state board of accountancy may, in its discretion, waive 
 the examination of and may issue a certificate and license as a 
 certified public accountant to any person possessing the 
 qualifications mentioned in this section, who: 

    (a) Is the holder of a C.P.A. license or certificate, 
 issued under the laws of another state, provided the 
 requirements for the license or certificate in the state which 
 has granted it to the applicant are, in the opinion of the state 
 board of accountancy, equivalent to those herein provided; or 

    (b) Shall be the holder of a degree or certificate of 
 certified public accountant or chartered accountant, or the 
 equivalent thereof, issued in any foreign country, provided that 
 the requirements for the degree or certificate are equivalent to 
 those herein provided for the license of certified public 
 accountant in this state. 

    (c) Shall in another jurisdiction have completed 
 successfully an examination which, in the opinion of the board, 
 is comparable to that prescribed by the board in its rules and 
 provided that such person has satisfied the other requirements 
 of subdivisions 1 and 2. 

    Subd. 4.    Qualifying experience for examination and 
 granting of license.  Qualifying experience for subdivisions 
 1, 2 and 3 include public accounting experience (1) as a staff 
 employee of a certified public accountant or public accountant, 
 a firm of certified public accountants or public accountants, or 
 a corporation formed for the practice of public accounting; or 
 (2) as an auditor in the office of the legislative auditor or 
 state auditor, or as an auditor or examiner with any other 
 agency of government, which experience, in the opinion of the 
 board is equally comprehensive and diversified; or (3) as a 
 self-employed public accountant or as a partner in a firm of 
 public accountants; or (4) in any combination of the foregoing 
 capacities. 

    HIST: (5700) 1909 c 439 s 3; 1933 c 236; 1947 c 31 s 1; 1949 c 
 577 s 1; 1957 c 48; 1959 c 269 s 3; 1961 c 113 s 1; 1963 c 145 s 
 3; 1969 c 1036 s 1; 1971 c 811 s 2; 1973 c 492 s 14; 1973 c 725 
 s 56,57; 1974 c 325 s 1; 1976 c 222 s 162; 1979 c 326 s 4,15; 
 1980 c 591 s 5-8; 1981 c 12 s 1; 1987 c 258 s 12; 1989 c 246 s 2