2007 Minnesota Statutes

326A.04 CERTIFICATE ISSUED OR RENEWED; COMPETENCY STANDARD.
    Subdivision 1. Eligibility. The board shall grant or renew certificates to persons who make
application and demonstrate:
(1) that their qualifications, including where applicable the qualifications prescribed by
section 326A.03, are in accordance with this section; or
(2) that they are eligible under the substantial equivalency standard in section 326A.14,
subdivision 1 , paragraph (b), which requires licensure for those certified public accountants who
establish their principal places of business in another state. The holder of a certificate issued
under this section may only provide attest services in a CPA firm that holds a permit issued
under section 326A.05.
    Subd. 2. Timing. (a) Certificates must be initially issued and renewed for periods of not
more than one year but in any event must expire on the December 31 following issuance or
renewal. Applications for certificates must be made in the form, and in the case of applications
for renewal between the dates, specified by the board in rule. The board shall grant or deny an
application no later than 90 days after the application is filed in proper form. If the applicant
seeks the opportunity to show that issuance or renewal of a certificate was mistakenly denied,
or if the board is unable to determine whether it should be granted or denied, the board may
issue to the applicant a provisional certificate that expires 90 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.
(b) Certificate holders who do not provide professional services and do not use the certified
public accountant designation in any manner are not required to renew their certificates provided
they have notified the board as provided in board rule and comply with the requirements for
nonrenewal as specified in board rule.
    Subd. 3. Residents of other states. (a) With regard to applicants who do not qualify for
reciprocity under the substantial equivalency standard in section 326A.14, subdivision 1,
paragraph (b), the board shall issue a certificate to a holder of a certificate, license, or permit
issued by another state upon a showing that:
(1) the applicant passed the examination required for issuance of the applicant's certificate
with grades that would have been passing grades at the time in this state;
(2) the applicant had four years of experience outside of this state of the type described in
section 326A.03, subdivision 6, paragraph (b), if application is made on or after July 1, 2006,
or section 326A.03, subdivision 8, if application is made before July 1, 2006; or the applicant
meets equivalent requirements prescribed by the board by rule, after passing the examination
upon which the applicant's certificate was based and within the ten years immediately preceding
the application; and
(3) if the applicant's certificate, license, or permit was issued more than four years prior to
the application for issuance of an initial certificate under this subdivision, that the applicant has
fulfilled the requirements of continuing professional education that would have been applicable
under subdivision 4.
(b) As an alternative to the requirements of paragraph (a), a certificate holder licensed
by another state who establishes a principal place of business in this state shall request the
issuance of a certificate from the board prior to establishing the principal place of business. The
board shall issue a certificate to the person if the person's individual certified public accountant
qualifications, upon verification, are substantially equivalent to the certified public accountant
licensure requirements of this chapter.
    Subd. 4. Program of learning. For renewal of a certificate under this section, each licensee
shall participate in a program of learning designed to maintain professional competency. The
program of learning must comply with rules adopted by the board. The board may by rule create
an exception to this requirement for licensees who do not perform or offer to perform for the
public one or more kinds of services 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. A licensee granted such an exception by the board must place the word
"inactive" adjacent to the CPA title on any business card, letterhead, or any other document or
device, with the exception of the licensee's certificate on which the CPA title appears.
    Subd. 5. Fee. The board shall charge a fee for each application for initial issuance or renewal
of a certificate under this section.
    Subd. 6. Other state licenses. Applicants for initial issuance or renewal of certificates
under this section shall in their applications list all states in which they have applied for or hold
certificates, licenses, or permits and list any past denial, revocation, or suspension of a certificate,
license, or permit. Each holder of or applicant for a certificate under this section shall notify the
board in writing, within 30 days after its occurrence, of any issuance, denial, revocation, or
suspension of a certificate, license, or permit by another state.
    Subd. 7. Certificates issued by foreign countries. The board shall issue a certificate to a
holder of a substantially equivalent foreign country designation, provided that:
(1) the foreign authority that granted the designation makes similar provision to allow
a person who holds a valid certificate issued by this state to obtain the foreign authority's
comparable designation;
(2) the foreign designation:
(i) 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;
(ii) entitles the holder to issue reports upon financial statements; and
(iii) was issued upon the basis of educational, examination, and experience requirements
established by the foreign authority or by law; and
(3) the applicant:
(i) 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;
(ii) has, within the ten years immediately preceding the application, completed an experience
requirement that is substantially equivalent to the requirement in section 326A.03, subdivision 6,
paragraph (b), if application is made on or after July 1, 2006, or section 326A.03, subdivision 8, if
application is made before July 1, 2006, in the jurisdiction that granted the foreign designation;
completed four years of professional experience in this state; or met equivalent requirements
prescribed by the board by rule; and
(iii) 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.
    Subd. 8. Other jurisdictions in which foreign applicant is licensed. An applicant under
subdivision 7 shall in the application list all jurisdictions, foreign and domestic, in which the
applicant has applied for or holds a designation to practice public accountancy. Each holder of a
certificate issued under subdivision 7 shall notify the board in writing, within 30 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.
    Subd. 9. Application by foreign certificate holder. The board has the sole authority to
interpret the application of the provisions of subdivisions 7 and 8.
    Subd. 10. Peer review. The board shall by rule require as a condition for renewal of a
certificate under this section by any certificate holder who performs compilation services for the
public other than through a CPA firm, that the individual undergo, no more frequently than once
every three years, a peer review conducted in a manner specified by the board in rule. The review
shall include verification that the individual has met the competency requirements set out in
professional standards for the services described in this subdivision as set forth by rule.
    Subd. 11. Automatic revocation. The certificates of persons who fail to renew their
certificates for more than two years after expiration shall be automatically revoked by order of
the board. The orders may be issued by the board without following the procedures of chapter
14, provided the board notifies each such person by mail at the person's last known address
on file with the board at least three days prior to the issuance of any such order. No notice is
required if the last communication sent by the board to a licensee was returned to the board by
the United States Postal Service as undeliverable and with no forwarding address. Certificates so
revoked by the board may be reinstated, if at all, under section 326A.09. This subdivision does
not apply to certified public accountants who have notified the board that they will not use the
CPA designation in any manner and will not provide professional services.
History: 2001 c 109 art 1 s 6