Anyone can print "accountant" on a business card. Before you hand someone your Social Security number and bank statements, spend sixty seconds confirming they hold the license they claim. In Rhode Island that means one search on the state's new lookup, and knowing which of three credential types you are looking for.
Why this matters
"CPA" is a state-issued license — a degree, the national CPA exam, and professional experience, overseen by the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy within the Department of Business Regulation (DBR). "Accountant" and "tax expert" are just words. Every filing season, the IRS warns about "ghost preparers" (opens in new tab) who file inflated returns, take a cut of the refund, and vanish — leaving you legally responsible for every penny. Rhode Island took it seriously enough in 2026 to add its own penalties: up to $1,000 per return, and $5,000 for operating after revocation. A license check is your cheapest insurance.
Option 1: DBR Public Search, the official lookup
DBR moved its licensing to a new system on November 3, 2025. The lookup is now DBR Public Search (opens in new tab), which you can also reach from elicensing.ri.gov (opens in new tab). It is the source of record, and the one to use before you sign an engagement letter.
Old lookup links are dead.
The previous lookup lived at an address ending in /Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx. It returned a page-not-found error when we checked on October 2, 2026, and the link on DBR's own accountancy page (opens in new tab) still pointed there. If a bookmark or an old article sends you to a dead page, that is why, and it says nothing about the CPA.
You can search by any of these:
- Name, or organization (the firm)
- Board and credential type
- Credential number — the fastest route if you have it
- Status
- City, state, or ZIP
Choose the accountancy board and set the credential type to Certified Public Accountant. That second step matters more in Rhode Island than in most states, because the board issues three different credentials.
The three credential types
| Credential type | What it is |
|---|---|
| Certified Public Accountant | An individual CPA license. This is the one you want for a person who says they are a CPA. |
| Public Accountant | A separate individual credential. A Public Accountant is not a CPA. |
| Practice Unit | The firm permit. Required for any entity practicing public accounting in Rhode Island, for attest or compilation work, and to use “CPAs” or “CPA firm” in its name. A majority of the firm must be CPA-owned. |
Two practical consequences. If someone tells you they are a CPA and only turns up as a Public Accountant, ask why the two don't match. And if a firm calls itself a CPA firm, it should turn up under Practice Unit, separately from the CPAs who work there.
What changed in 2026
Rhode Island updated its accountancy law in P.L. 2026 ch. 408 (opens in new tab), enacted June 23, 2026 and effective on passage. Three things in it matter to anyone checking a license:
- Three pathways to a license. A post-baccalaureate degree plus the exam and one year of experience; a bachelor's degree plus 30 additional credits, the exam and one year; or a bachelor's degree, the exam and two years. Every pathway requires the same exam. A CPA licensed under any of them holds the same license.
- Three-year terms ending June 30. Individual licenses and firm permits alike renew on that cycle, so different CPAs' terms end in different years.
- “Practice unit or CPA Firm.” The firm permit gets a name people recognize.
If you read the statute online, note that the legislature's pages for chapter 5-3.1 had not been updated for the 2026 law when we checked. The public law is the current text.
Option 2: This directory, by city
Every listing here comes from the board's roster of active credentials as of October 3, 2026. Open the city page for where they practice and scan the alphabetical list; licensed firms are listed on the same pages. Each CPA profile shows the license number, the date the current term ends, and a link to DBR Public Search to paste the number into. A match confirms an active Rhode Island credential on that date; a miss is a reason to check DBR directly, not a verdict.
Option 3: CPAverify, for out-of-state CPAs
If someone claims a license from another state, CPAverify (opens in new tab) — run by NASBA, the national association of state accountancy boards — searches the records of participating state boards at once. Rhode Island's roster also includes active licensees with addresses in other states, most of them in Massachusetts; a Boston-area CPA who works with Rhode Island clients may hold both licenses.
Bonus: checking a tax preparer who isn't a CPA
Plenty of honest preparers aren't CPAs — but every paid preparer must hold an IRS PTIN and sign your return. Check credentials in the IRS directory of credentialed preparers (opens in new tab). A preparer who won't sign or share a PTIN is the classic ghost preparer — walk away. What each credential actually means.
What to check, in 60 seconds
- Their credential number and their name find the same license. Exactly — not a similar name at the same firm.
- They turn up under Certified Public Accountant, not Public Accountant, if they told you they are a CPA.
- They turn up when you narrow the search to active credentials. Everything in this directory is active.
- Their firm turns up under Practice Unit if it calls itself a CPA firm.
- They answered without hesitation when you asked for the number. Reluctance is data.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to verify a CPA license in Rhode Island?
Yes. DBR Public Search, this directory, and NASBA’s CPAverify are all free and take about a minute. There is never a fee to check whether someone is licensed.
Why does the old Rhode Island license lookup link not work?
The Department of Business Regulation moved licensing to a new system on November 3, 2025. The old lookup address, ending in /Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx, returned a page-not-found error when we checked on October 2, 2026, and DBR’s own accountancy page still linked to it. Use DBR Public Search, which you can also reach from elicensing.ri.gov.
Where do I find a Rhode Island CPA’s license number?
Ask them — a licensed CPA will give it without hesitation — or look them up by name. Every profile on this directory shows the license number from the board’s roster, next to a link to DBR Public Search. Paste the number into the Credential Number field.
Is a Public Accountant the same as a CPA?
No. Rhode Island issues three credential types: Certified Public Accountant, Public Accountant, and Practice Unit. A Public Accountant is not a CPA. If someone tells you they are a CPA, they should turn up under Certified Public Accountant.
What is a Practice Unit?
The firm permit. Any entity practicing public accounting in Rhode Island needs one, and so does any firm doing attest or compilation work or calling itself “CPAs” or a “CPA firm.” A majority of the firm must be owned by CPAs. A 2026 law renames it “Practice unit or CPA Firm.”
What if I can’t find my accountant in the search?
First, try their legal name — someone who goes by “Bob” may be licensed as “Robert,” and married names sometimes differ from license records. Try searching by their firm in the Organization field, or by city. If they still don’t appear, they may hold a license in another state (check CPAverify), or they may not be a CPA at all. Ask them directly which state licensed them.
How do I find out whether a CPA has been disciplined?
The Rhode Island Board of Accountancy is the authority on discipline. If you need to know whether a CPA has faced board action, contact the Board at the Department of Business Regulation, 560 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. This directory lists active credentials only and does not republish disciplinary history.
Board details were checked against DBR, its Public Search, and the General Assembly in October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
Verify a CPA right now
Every listing in this directory is on the state board's active roster. Free to browse, free to get matched.