In mid-August, the Oklahoma Accountancy Board launched an online service for accountants to apply for certification examinations and renew their professional licenses and permits. The new suite of services also allows the public to search for licensed accountants across the state. These new accounting solutions are a result of the partnership between Oklahoma's Accountancy Board and YourOklahoma, the official state Web site managed by NIC.
Oklahoma's Online Exam Application lets people apply to take the Uniform Certified Public Accountant or Public Accountant Examination and then check the status of exam results when grades are released. Currently, all 924 applicants from the May examination have logged in to receive their grades via the Web site immediately instead of waiting for written notification.
The Online Renewal Application allows individual accountants and accounting firms to renew the certifications and permits required to practice publicly. Currently, 10 percent of individual accountants have submitted online license renewals and 21 percent have renewed their permits to practice. The online licensing renewal period began in mid-July and runs through early September. To date, 17 percent of firms renewing have done so electronically.
"I recently visited the Web site to renew my firm license," said Linda J. Bell, CPA and owner of Idabel-based Martin J. Bell CPA Inc. "It was wonderful because I could complete the renewal, pay online, and receive a receipt instantly in a process that took only minutes. I no longer have to rush to complete paper forms or worry about them getting to the board on time."
The online verification application allows the public to search for licensed accountants and accounting firms in Oklahoma. Visitors can search by name, city or ZIP code, and the service also lists disciplinary actions against individual accountants and firms.
"Our agency and staff have enjoyed the services we've been able to provide to our customers," said Edith Steele, executive director of the Oklahoma Accountancy Board. "The licensing application saves our agency time because many requests can be handled through the Web site, and people going online are more inclined to submit and pay for renewals or applications within a few minutes."
Plans for additional online enhancements are underway to address the new application for substantial equivalency that was passed in the recent legislative session. The board plans to have this online service available in the fall.
"People are always looking for easy and efficient solutions and have often found the best way is online," said Lisa Counts, general manager of YourOklahoma. "We have developed four online licensing services for Oklahoma's licensing agencies and have seen the demand for such services continue to grow."
To date, YourOklahoma has developed online professional licensing services for the Board of Nursing, the Board of Architects and Landscape Architects, and the Medical Licensure Board.
