Ibanez v. Florida Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation, Bd. of Accountancy, 512 U.S. 136, 18 (1994)

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Cite as: 512 U. S. 136 (1994)

Opinion of O'Connor, J.

solute prohibition on the use of the term "certified" cannot be applied to petitioner (as the Court today holds), then the disclaimer requirement applies to petitioner's advertising that she is a specialist in financial planning. Because petitioner failed to comply with it, the Board properly disciplined her.

II

Petitioner is a certified public accountant, and her use of the CPA designation in advertising conveyed this truthful information to the public. I agree with the Court that the State of Florida may not prohibit petitioner's use of the CPA designation under the circumstances in which this case is presented to us, and I therefore join Part II-B of the Court's opinion. I would only point out that it is open to the Board to proceed against petitioner for practicing public accounting in violation of statutory or regulatory standards applicable to Florida accountants. See Brief for Petitioner 28 ("Petitioner is, in fact, a licensee subject to the rules of the Board of Accountancy"). And if petitioner's public accounting license is revoked, the State may constitutionally prohibit her from advertising herself as a CPA.

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