The NY State Board of Accountancy will l determine whether or not you are of "good moral character", in order to decidewhether or not you can obtain your CPA license. So if, for example, the misdemeanor had to do with the possession of marijuana, then you probably stand a good chance of being licensed. If, on the other hand, you were the treasuer of a hunting club and stole money that would go more to the fact that you cannot be trusted with other people's money; you would have in effect breached a "fiduciary duty". Bottom line, don't try to hide your conviction since the important thing here is proving that you are trustworthy. You may also want to consult with an attorney about having your conviction "expunged" (i.e. cleared from your criminal history record).