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Designation Use

Designation Use

Using your designations properly

CPA Designation

Wondering how and when to use your CPA designation? We can help.

How to Use Your Personal CPA Designation

The use of your “Chartered Professional Accountant,” “CPA,” or “C.P.A” designation in conjunction with your legacy CA, legacy CGA or legacy CMA designation is mandatory. For more information, please refer to Guidelines on the use of the CPA designation in Ontario. Common areas where a designation might be used include:

  • social media
  • business cards
  • email and hard copy signature blocks
  • individual names listed on letterhead
  • all references to members' names in marketing and advertisements

Use of Designation in Firm Names

The rules are different for firms and individuals. Firms registered in good standing with CPA Ontario may also apply to use the “Chartered Professional Accountant,” “CPA” or “C.P.A.” designation as part of their firm name. For more information, please refer to the CPA Guidelines for Firm Names.

The deadline for firms to change from another designation in their name to CPA is January 1, 2018.

Disclosure of Status and Designation Usage for Public Accountants

These disclosures must be used on any statement or report in respect to any public accounting service. Disclosure requirements must appear in the statement, opinion, or report in one of the exact forms set out below, in either English or French.

A member, or a member who has been elected a fellow, excluding a sole proprietor, who is signing the written statement, opinion or report must, if signing under his or her own name, use the term “Licensed Public Accountant” following the associate or fellow member’s name and designations. For example:

Member Name, CPA, CA, Licensed Public Accountant

Member Name, CPA, CGA, Licensed Public Accountant

Member Name, CPA, CMA, Licensed Public Accountant

Member Name, CPA, CA, expert-comptable autorisé(e)

Member Name, CPA, CGA, expert-comptable autorisé(e)

Member Name, CPA, CMA, expert-comptable autorisé(e)


Member Name, Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified General Accountant, Licensed Public Accountant

Member Name, Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Licensed Public Accountant

Member Name, Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant, Licensed Public Accountant


Fellow Member Name, FCPA, FCA, Licensed Public Accountant

Fellow Member Name, FCPA, FCGA, Licensed Public Accountant

Fellow Member Name, FCPA, FCMA, Licensed Public Accountant

Fellow Member Name, FCPA, FCA, expert-comptable autorisé(e)

Fellow Member Name, FCPA, FCGA, expert-comptable autorisé(e)

Fellow Member Name, FCPA, FCMA, expert-comptable autorisé(e)