Chap. 158.—An ACT to establish a State board of accountancy and prescribe
its duties and powers; to provide for the granting of certificates to ac-
countants who qualify under the provisions of this act, and to provide a
penalty for violation of this act.

Approved March 14, 1910.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That there is
hereby established a State board of accountancy, to consist of five mem-
bers, to be appointed by the governor; one member shall be a practicing
attorney in good standing in any of the courts of this State, and he
shall hold office for the term of three years and until his successor is
appointed and qualified; one member shall be an educator, and he shall
hold office for the term of three years and until his successor is ap-
pointed and qualified; the other three members shall be practicing pub-
lic accountants who have been actively engaged in such practice on their
own account for at least three years next preceding such appointment;
and they shall hold office, one for the term of three years, one for the
term of two years and one for the term of one year, as designated by the
governor in his appointment; and upon the expiration of each of the
said terms a member shall be appointed for the term of three years, but
after January first, nineteen hundred and eleven, all accountants ap-
pointed to serve on this board must be holders of C. P. A. certificates
under the provisions of this act. Any vacancies that may occur from any
cause shall be filled by appointment to be made by the governor for the
unexpired term.

2. Any citizen of the United States (or person who has duly de-
clared his intention of becoming such citizen), being over the age of
twenty-one years and of good moral character, residing or having an
office in the State of Virginia, who shall, as hereinafter provided, re-
ceive from the Virginia State board of accountancy a certificate of his
qualifications to practice as an expert public accountant, shall be known
and styled as a certified public accountant; but no other person, nor
any corporation, nor any partnership, all the members of which have
not received such certificate, shall assume such title, or the title of
“certified accountant” or “chartered accountant,” or the abbreviations
“Cc. P. A.,” or “C. A.,” or any other words, letters or abbreviations
tending to indicate that the person, firm or corporation so using the
same is a certified public accountant.

3. Examinations of persons applying for certificates under this act
shall be held in Richmond at least once in every year, or oftener, in the
discretion of the board. The subjects in which applicants shall be ex-
amined are (1) theory of accounts; (2) practical accounting; (3) audit-
ing, and (4) commercial law, as affecting accountancy.

No person shall be permitted to take such examination unless he
shall have been practicing on his own account as a public accountant for
at least one year; or shall have been employed in the office of a public
accountant, as an assistant, for at least two years; or shall have been
employed as a bookkeeper for at least three years.

Applicants not presenting proper credentials showing that they have
received a general education equivalent to a public high school course
of recognized standing, may be required, in the discretion of the board,
to pass a preliminary examination in the subjects embraced in such high
school curriculum.

All examinations herein provided for shall be conducted by the
State board of accountancy, or by a majority thereof. The time and
place of holding examinations shall be duly advertised for not less than
three consecutive days in at least one daily newspaper published in
Richmond, one published in Norfolk and one published in Lynchburg,
not less than thirty days prior to the date of each examination.

The board may make all needful rules and regulations regarding
the conduct and scope of the examinations, the method and time of
filing applications for examination and all other rules and regulations
necessary to carry into effect the purpose of this act.

4. The board may, in its discretion, waive the examination of any
person possessing the qualifications stated in section two of this act
who (1) is the holder of a C. P. A. certificate issued under the laws of
another State, which extends similar privileges to certified public ac-
countants of this State, provided the requirements for said degree in
the said State are, in the opinion of the board, equivalent to the re-
quirements in this State; (2) is the holder of a degree of certified
public accounts or chartered accountant, or the equivalent thereof,
issued under the laws of any foreign government, provided the require-
ments for said degree are, in the opinion of the board, equivalent to the
requirements of this State; (3) has, for at least one year next preced-
ing the date of his application, been practicing in this State on his own
account as a public accountant and who shall apply in writing to the
board for such certificate within six months after this act becomes
operative.

5. The board may revoke any certificate issued under this act if the
holder thereof (1) shall be convicted of felony, or (2) shall be declared
by any court of competent jurisdiction to have committed any fraud, or
(3) shall be declared by any competent court or commission to be
insane or otherwise incompetent, or (4) shall be held by this board to be
guilty of any act or default discreditable to the profession, provided
that written notice of the cause of such contemplated action and the
date of the hearing thereon by this board shall have been mailed to the
holder of such certificate at his last known address at least twenty days
prior to such hearing. At all such hearings the attorney general of this
State, or one of his assistants designated by him, may sit with the
board with all the powers of a member thereof.

6. The board shall charge each applicant a fee of twenty-five
dollars ($25.00) for the examination and certificates provided for in this
act, which fee shall be payable at the time of application.

In case of the failure on the part of any applicant to attend the
examination at the date specified by said board, or to pass a satisfactorv
examination, said applicant may appear at the next examination of said
board for re-examination upon the payment of the further sum of ten
dollars ($10.00).

From the fees collected under this act the board shall pay all ex-
penses incident to the examination, the expenses of issuing certificates,
the traveling expenses of members of the board and their compensation
while performing their duties under this act: provided, that no expense
incurred under this act shall be a charge against the funds of this State.
Any surplus of receipts over expenses shall, at the end of each year, be
deposited by the treasurer of the board with the State treasurer to the
credit of the State’s general fund.

The members of this board shall be paid an amount not exceeding
ten dollars ($10.00) per day to each member for the time actually
spent and also all necessary traveling expenses incurred in the perform-
ance of his duties under this act.

The board shall report annually to the governor the number of
certificates issued and the amounts of receipts and expenses under this
act. |

?. If any person, or corporation, represent himself, or itself, to the
public as having received the certificate provided for in this act, or if
he shall advertise himself as a certified public accountant, or certified
accountant, or chartered accountant, or use the initials C. P. A., or
C. A., or otherwise falsely hold himself out as having qualified under
this act, without having actually received a certificate from the State
board of accountancy, or if, having received such certificate, he shall
continue to practice as a certified public accountant after said certificate
has been revoked, or if any person shall otherwise violate any of the
provisions of this act, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and
upon conviction thereof shall be fined not less than one hundred
dollars ($100.00), nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), or
imprisoned for not less than one month nor more than six months, or
both, in the discretion of the court.

8. Nothing herein contained shall be construed so as to prevent any
person from being employed as a public accountant within this State.

9. All acts or parts of acts in conflict with the provisions of this act
are hereby repealed.