(a) An individual whose principal place of business is not in this state and who has a valid and current license, certificate, or permit to practice public accountancy from another state may, subject to the conditions and limitations in this article, engage in the practice of public accountancy in this state under a practice privilege without obtaining a certificate or license under this chapter if the individual satisfies one of the following:

(1) The individual has continually practiced public accountancy as a certified public accountant under a valid license issued by any state for at least 4 of the last 10 years.

(2) The individual has a license, certificate, or permit from a state that has been determined by the board to have education, examination, and experience qualifications for licensure substantially equivalent to this state’s qualifications under Section 5093.

(3) The individual possesses education, examination, and experience qualifications for licensure that have been determined by the board to be substantially equivalent to this state’s qualifications under Section 5093.

(b) The board may designate states as substantially equivalent under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) and may accept individual qualification evaluations or appraisals conducted by designated entities, as satisfying the requirements of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).

(c) An individual who qualifies for the practice privilege under this section may engage in the practice of public accountancy in this state, and a notice, fee, or other requirement shall not be imposed on that individual by the board.

(d) An individual who qualifies for the practice privilege under this section may perform the following services only through a firm of certified public accountants that has obtained a registration from the board pursuant to Section 5096.12:

(1) An audit or review of a financial statement for an entity headquartered in California.

(2) A compilation of a financial statement when that person expects, or reasonably might expect, that a third party will use the financial statement and the compilation report does not disclose a lack of independence for an entity headquartered in California.

(3) An examination of prospective financial information for an entity headquartered in California.

(e) An individual who holds a practice privilege under this article, and is exercising the practice privilege in California:

(1) Is subject to the personal and subject matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority of the board and the courts of this state.

(2) Shall comply with the provisions of this chapter, board regulations, and other laws, regulations, and professional standards applicable to the practice of public accountancy by the licensees of this state and to any other laws and regulations applicable to individuals practicing under practice privileges in this state, except the individual is deemed, solely for the purpose of this article, to have met the continuing education requirements and ethics examination requirements of this state when the individual has met the examination and continuing education requirements of the state in which the individual holds the valid license, certificate, or permit on which the substantial equivalency is based.

(3) Shall not provide public accountancy services in this state from any office located in this state, except as an employee of a firm registered in this state. This paragraph does not apply to public accountancy services provided to a client at the client’s place of business or residence.

(4) Is deemed to have appointed the regulatory agency of the state that issued the individual’s certificate, license, or permit upon which substantial equivalency is based as the individual’s agent on whom notices, subpoenas, or other process may be served in any action or proceeding by the board against the individual.

(5) Shall cooperate with any board investigation or inquiry and shall timely respond to a board investigation, inquiry, request, notice, demand, or subpoena for information or documents and timely provide to the board the identified information and documents.

(6) Shall cease exercising the practice privilege in this state if the regulatory agency in the state in which the individual’s certificate, license, or permit was issued takes disciplinary action resulting in the suspension or revocation, including stayed suspension, stayed revocation, or probation of the individual’s certificate, license, or permit, or takes other disciplinary action against the individual’s certificate, license, or permit that arises from any of the following:

(A) Gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional wrongdoing relating to the practice of public accountancy.

(B) Fraud or misappropriation of funds.

(C) Preparation, publication, or dissemination of false, fraudulent, or materially incomplete or misleading financial statements, reports, or information.

(7) Shall cease exercising the practice privilege in this state if convicted in any jurisdiction of any crime involving dishonesty, including, but not limited to, embezzlement, theft, misappropriation of funds or property, or obtaining money, property, or other valuable consideration by fraudulent means or false pretenses.

(8) Shall cease exercising the practice privilege if the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board bars the individual from practicing before them.

(9) Shall cease exercising the practice privilege if any governmental body or agency suspends the right of the individual to practice before the body or agency.

(10) Shall report to the board in writing any pending criminal charges, other than for a minor traffic violation, in any jurisdiction within 30 days of the date the individual has knowledge of those charges.

(f) An individual who is required to cease practice pursuant to paragraphs (6) to (9), inclusive, of subdivision (e) shall notify the board within 15 calendar days, on a form prescribed by the board, and shall not practice public accountancy in this state pursuant to this section until the individual has received from the board written permission to do so.

(g) An individual who fails to cease practice as required by subdivision (e) or who fails to provide the notice required by subdivision (f) shall be subject to the personal and subject matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority of the board as if the practice privilege were a license and the individual were a licensee. An individual in violation of subdivision (e) or (f) shall, for a minimum of one year from the date the board learns there has been a violation of subdivision (e) or (f), not practice in this state and shall not have the possibility of reinstatement during that period. If the board determines that the failure to cease practice or provide the notice was intentional, that individual’s practice privilege shall be revoked and there shall be no possibility of reinstatement for a minimum of two years.

(h) The board shall require an individual who provides notice to the board pursuant to subdivision (f) to cease the practice of public accountancy in this state until the board provides the individual with written permission to resume the practice of public accountancy in this state.

(i) (1) An individual to whom, within the last seven years immediately preceding the date on which the individual wishes to practice in this state, any of the following criteria apply, shall notify the board, on a form prescribed by the board, and shall not practice public accountancy in this state pursuant to this section until the board provides the individual with written permission to do so:

(A) The individual has been the subject of any final disciplinary action by the licensing or disciplinary authority of any other jurisdiction with respect to any professional license or has any charges of professional misconduct pending against that individual in any other jurisdiction.

(B) The individual has had their license in another jurisdiction reinstated after a suspension or revocation of the license.

(C) The individual has been denied issuance or renewal of a professional license or certificate in any other jurisdiction for any reason other than an inadvertent administrative error.

(D) The individual has been convicted of a crime or is subject to pending criminal charges in any jurisdiction other than a minor traffic violation.

(E) The individual has otherwise acquired a disqualifying condition as described in subdivision (a) of Section 5096.2.

(2) An individual who fails to cease practice as required by subdivision (e) or who fails to provide the notice required by paragraph (1) shall be subject to the personal and subject matter jurisdiction and disciplinary authority of the board as if the practice privilege were a license and the individual were a licensee. An individual in violation of subdivision (e) or paragraph (1) shall, for a minimum of one year from the date the board knows there has been a violation of subdivision (e) or paragraph (1), not practice in this state and shall not have the possibility of reinstatement during that period. If the board determines that the failure to cease practice or provide the notice was intentional, that individual shall be prohibited from practicing in this state in the same manner as if a licensee has that licensee’s practice privilege revoked and there shall be no possibility of reinstatement for a minimum of two years.

(j) At the time of notification pursuant to subdivision (f) or (i), if the individual has a valid email address, that individual shall provide that email address to the board.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 359, Sec. 11. (AB 1521) Effective January 1, 2020.)