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. Colorado makes this easy: every CPA has a license number, and the state's lookup shows status and disciplinary history on one page.
Why this matters
"CPA" is a state-issued license — a college degree, a four-part exam, supervised experience, and continuing education every renewal, enforced by the Colorado State Board of Accountancy. "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. A license check is your cheapest insurance.
Option 1: DORA's official license lookup
Colorado's Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) runs the license lookup (opens in new tab) for every profession it regulates, CPAs included. It is the legal source of record and the one to use before you sign an engagement letter. Search by name or license number and open the record. It shows what this directory doesn't carry: expired, inactive, retired, revoked, or surrendered licenses, and a disciplinary actions section with case numbers and dates. If a "CPA" appears there with anything other than an active status, you have your answer.
Option 2: This directory, by city
Every listing here comes from DORA's roster of active licensees as of September 13, 2026, filtered so that expired, retired, revoked, and surrendered licenses never appear. Open the city page for where they practice and scan the alphabetical list. Each profile shows the license number, the year it was first issued, and a link to that exact license on DORA's lookup. A match confirms an active Colorado license on that date; a miss is a reason to check the board 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 official records from more than 50 licensing boards at once, including disciplinary flags for most states. Colorado's roster also includes thousands of active licensees registered in other states, mostly Texas, California, Florida, and Arizona; a Dallas CPA who works with Colorado clients may hold both.
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
- Name and license number match DORA's record. Exactly — not a similar name at the same firm.
- Status is active. Everything in this directory is; on DORA's lookup, anything else deserves questions.
- The disciplinary section is empty — or, if it isn't, you have read what is there and asked about it.
- City lines up with where they claim to practice.
- 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 Colorado?
Yes. DORA’s official license lookup, this directory, and NASBA’s CPAverify are all free and take under a minute. There is never a fee to check whether someone is licensed.
Where do I find a Colorado 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 DORA publishes, and links straight to that license’s record on the state’s lookup.
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 the surname alone; DORA’s search matches partial names. 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.
Does my tax preparer have to be a CPA?
No — but anyone paid to prepare federal returns must have an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) and is required to sign your return. CPAs and enrolled agents can additionally represent you before the IRS without limitation. What’s never okay is a preparer who refuses to sign your return or provide a PTIN.
How do I check whether a CPA has been disciplined?
Open the license on DORA’s lookup. The record shows the current status and a disciplinary section listing any board actions, with case numbers and dates. This directory does not republish that history — it lists active licenses only and links to the board’s record, which is the authoritative source.
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.