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IRS Form 13551: How to Become a Certified Acceptance Agent

itin.so Editorial Team

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itin.so Editorial Team

IRS-Authorized Certifying Acceptance Agents · Updated September 2026

IRS Form 13551 is the application to become a Certified Acceptance Agent (CAA) for the ITIN program. The requirements are a valid PTIN, passing the IRS suitability check, and completing IRS training. Processing takes 45 to 90 days. Once approved, you can verify identity documents for ITIN applicants, which removes the need for them to mail original passports to the IRS.

Quick answer

If you landed here because you need an ITIN yourself, Form 13551 is not your form. It is the application professionals file to serve ITIN applicants. You want Form W-7, and you can use an existing CAA so your passport stays with you.

What Form 13551 Actually Authorizes

One number, two documents. Form 13551 is the Application to Participate in the IRS Acceptance Agent Program, which is what this page covers. The same number also names the Certificate of Accuracythat an approved CAA attaches to a client's Form W-7, certifying that they personally examined the original identity documents. If you are an applicant rather than a professional, the certificate is the one you will encounter, and your CAA completes it for you.

The application covers two designations that people routinely conflate. An Acceptance Agent helps an applicant complete Form W-7 but cannot certify identity documents, so the applicant still mails an original passport to Austin, Texas and waits weeks without it. A Certifying Acceptance Agent can verify those documents directly and send a certificate of accuracy in place of the original.

That difference is the entire value of the designation. It is also why the certifying track carries the extra forensic document training requirement: the IRS is delegating document authentication to you, and it wants evidence you can spot a forged passport. Our comparison of the two agent types covers what each can and cannot do.

The Five Steps, in Order

  1. 1

    Obtain a PTIN

    A Preparer Tax Identification Number is the entry requirement. Every individual named on the application needs a current one, and it must be active at the time the form is reviewed, not merely at the time it was posted.

  2. 2

    Complete IRS Form 13551

    Select the Certified Acceptance Agent option rather than the plain Acceptance Agent option, and list every representative who will be authorized to certify documents. Adding people later means amending the agreement.

  3. 3

    Submit fingerprints for the background check

    Fingerprint cards go in for each individual on the application. Attorneys, CPAs and enrolled agents in good standing are generally exempt from this step, which is the single largest source of delay for everyone else.

  4. 4

    Complete the IRS training modules

    The mandatory IRS Acceptance Agent training covers the program rules. Forensic document training from an approved provider is the additional requirement that separates a CAA from an ordinary Acceptance Agent.

  5. 5

    Receive the CAA designation letter

    The IRS issues an approval letter and a signed agreement once suitability clears. Your authority to certify documents starts on the date in that letter, not on the date you applied.

Why Processing Runs 45 to 90 Days

The form is short. The suitability check behind it is not. The IRS reviews your own federal tax compliance, runs an FBI fingerprint background check on each named individual, and confirms the PTIN and professional credentials you claimed. Any one of those can stall the file.

What pushes an application to the long end

  • An unresolved balance or unfiled return on your own account
  • Fingerprint cards that are smudged, incomplete, or missing for one representative
  • Forensic document training not yet completed at the time of filing
  • Representatives listed without a currently active PTIN

Approval is not permanent. Agreements run for a fixed term and have to be renewed, and the IRS conducts compliance reviews of active agents. Treat the designation as an ongoing obligation rather than a credential you earn once.

If You Are the Applicant, Not the Agent

Most people searching for Form 13551 do not want to become an agent. They want the thing an agent provides: an ITIN application that does not require surrendering a passport for two months. You do not need any designation of your own for that. You file Form W-7 through the normal process and use a CAA to certify your documents.

The IRS publishes a directory of authorized agents by state and by country. itin.so works with Certifying Acceptance Agents who verify documents remotely, which means applicants in 150+ countries can complete the process without traveling to an in-person agent.

Form 13551 at a Glance

  • Form 13551 is the IRS Application to Participate in the IRS Acceptance Agent Program
  • It is filed by tax professionals, not by ITIN applicants
  • Requirements: a valid PTIN, passing the IRS suitability check, and completing IRS training
  • The certifying designation additionally requires forensic document training
  • Processing takes 45 to 90 days from submission
  • The IRS charges no fee to file Form 13551
  • Approved CAAs can certify identity documents, so applicants keep their passports
  • Agreements run for a fixed term and must be renewed

Related Guides

IRS Form 13551: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Form 13551?
Form 13551 is the IRS Application to Participate in the IRS Acceptance Agent Program. It is how a tax professional or firm applies to become an Acceptance Agent or a Certified Acceptance Agent for the ITIN program. The form is filed with the IRS rather than with a state body, and approval is what authorizes the applicant to handle Form W-7 submissions on behalf of ITIN applicants.
How long does Form 13551 processing take?
Expect 45 to 90 days from submission to decision. The variable is rarely the form itself. It is the suitability check, which includes a tax compliance review and an FBI fingerprint background check, and those run on their own timetable. Applications submitted with incomplete fingerprint cards or an unresolved personal tax balance sit at the long end of that range or are returned outright.
Who can become a CAA?
Tax professionals with a valid PTIN who pass the IRS suitability check. In practice this means enrolled agents, CPAs, attorneys, and other return preparers, along with financial institutions, colleges and community organizations that apply as entities. You must be current on your own federal tax obligations. A criminal history or a pattern of late or unfiled returns is the usual reason an otherwise qualified applicant is refused.
What is the difference between an AA and a CAA?
An Acceptance Agent can help an applicant complete Form W-7 but cannot certify identity documents, so the applicant still has to mail original passports to the IRS. A Certified Acceptance Agent can verify and certify those documents directly, which means the passport never leaves the applicant's possession. The CAA designation is the one that matters to applicants, and it carries the additional forensic document training requirement.
Does Form 13551 cost anything?
The IRS charges no fee to file Form 13551. Costs are indirect: the fingerprint card processing fee, the forensic document training course, and the time spent on the mandatory IRS training modules. Budget for the training rather than the application. Agreements run for a fixed term and must be renewed, so this is a recurring commitment rather than a one-time filing.
Do I need to become a CAA to get my own ITIN?
No. Form 13551 is for professionals who want to serve ITIN applicants, not for applicants themselves. If you simply need an ITIN, you file Form W-7. You can use an existing Certifying Acceptance Agent to have your passport certified in place, which is the outcome most applicants are actually looking for when they land on Form 13551.

Need an ITIN rather than an agent designation? itin.so works with Certifying Acceptance Agents so your passport never leaves you.

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