What is a Public Bookkeeper?
A public bookkeeper is an individual who provides bookkeeping services to the public. Public bookkeepers generally provide entry-level bookkeeping, full-charge bookkeeping, payroll, sales tax, and financial software setup, training, and support services to their clients, who may be businesses, nonprofits, or individuals.

What is a Certified Public Bookkeeper?
Certified Public Bookkeepers (CPBs) are distinguished from other public bookkeepers by stringent licensing requirements. They have extensive bookkeeping knowledge, skills, experience, and ethics. In order to qualify for the CPB license, CPBs must possess bookkeeping education, pass a national certification exam, meet experience requirements, abide by a bookkeeping code of professional conduct, and obtain a minimum of 24 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) annually.

Why You Should Become a CPB
The CPB license serves to protect the public interest by helping to ensure that only qualified individuals become licensed. More than a certification, the CPB license enables public bookkeepers to become engaged as professional bookkeepers providing bookkeeping services for businesses, nonprofits, and individuals. The CPB license provides assurance to business and nonprofit owners and employees that CPBs are trusted and competent professional bookkeepers.

The CPB is the standard for the public bookkeeping profession. The CPB license is, in the public bookkeeping profession, the equivalent of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in the public accounting profession. The CPB accreditation is more widely recognized by CPAs and Enrolled Agents (EA) over all other bookkeeper accreditations combined. In addition, the CPB accreditation is the most widely recognized bookkeeper accreditation among business and non-profit owners and employees.

Steps to Become a Licensed Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB)
Specific requirements for becoming a CPB, and the rights and obligations of a licensed CPB, are set forth in the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers' CPB Regulations and Rules.

Follow these 5 steps to Begin the Journey to a Rewarding Career:

1. Obtain Bookkeeping or Accounting Education
Complete the NACPB Certified Bookkeeper Program

OR

Obtain a bookkeeping or accounting education

2. Pass the Uniform CPB Examination

Note: Not required for CPB candidates who completed the NACPB Certified Bookkeeper Program.

3. Obtain One-year of Bookkeeping or Accounting Experience
Candidates must obtain one-year (2,000 hours) of bookkeeping or accounting experience.

4. Agree to Abide by the NACPB Code of Professional Conduct

5. Complete and Submit the CPB Application for Licensure
Candidates must complete and submit the CPB Application for Licensure.

CPB Application for Licensure
This document is available as a downloadable PDF file. PDF reader software, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, is needed to view or print the document. The Reader is available as a free download from the Adobe website. To download the Reader, click here.

To obtain the Application, go to CPB Application for Licensure.

Application Fee Payment
To pay the CPB Application for Licensure fee by credit card, click the Fee button below.