Engineering License from California to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Colorado accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Dept. of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations), verify your California license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Colorado grants endorsement 'without further examination' and has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Colorado grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full Colorado application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Dept. of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Colorado's practice act, not to re-test you. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the Colorado application is pending, and clearing any Colorado-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What's different between California and Colorado
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Colorado. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
California to Colorado (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Colorado to California (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from California matter?
Coming from California does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Colorado.
- Application fee
California lists $175–$250 for the reverse move; Colorado has no verified fee figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Colorado and California carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Colorado (this move): FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Colorado grants endorsement 'without further examination' and has no separate state jurisprudence exam
- California (the reverse move): FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; however, every PE applicant (including comity) must complete California's Laws and Rules Examination on the Professional Engineers Act (B&P Code 6700-6799) and Board Rules (16 CCR 400-476), which appears on the applicant dashboard after the application is submitted; civil-engineering applicants must also pass the California-specific Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exams (these two do NOT apply to non-civil disciplines such as mechanical or electrical)
What changes, California → Colorado
| California (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $175–$250 (Board PE application fee was $175 and rose to $250 effective July 1, 2026 (amended 16 CCR sec. 407); because the 2026-07-21 data date is after that effective date, $250 is the operative amount, though the official fee page still labeled $175 as 'current' at access — confirm the operative amount. Civil applicants also pay the Board's Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exam fees ($175 each, rising to $250 each on 7/1/2026). NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES; biennial renewal is $180 (rising to $250 on 7/1/2026)) | Colorado's public board pages do not display a static PE endorsement fee; the amount appears only inside the downloadable application form and at checkout in the DPO Online Services system, so it is left null pending confirmation on an official page (contact [email protected]). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES |
| Processing time | No board-published comity turnaround; the application undergoes technical review and the applicant becomes eligible for any required state-specific exams (offered in limited quarterly windows) only after that review is approved, so total time varies widely | DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations publishes no comity turnaround; endorsement is reviewed administratively once written verification from the original state (or the NCEES Record) is received |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Dept. of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Dept. of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Dept. of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction with qualifications substantially equivalent to Colorado's current requirements (or those in effect when you were first licensed).
- Submit an NCEES Record, or file official sealed transcripts plus a sealed experience-verification/summary directly.
- Have the original licensing state send written verification of how you qualified for licensure and your current license status.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my California PE license after I'm licensed in Colorado?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the California license active (its renewal and continuing-education/PDH clock run separately) and you hold both. Engineers working near state lines or nationally routinely carry several PE licenses at once, all sourced from a single NCEES Record.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Colorado State Board of Licensure (AES) - Engineer and Intern Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES - Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — Application Fees (PE $175, rising to $250 on 7/1/2026; state exam fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — Licensee Fee Schedule (renewal $180 -> $250 on 7/1/2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — PE Application Instructions (Laws & Rules exam; comity NCEES Record option) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — Professional Engineer Application overview (comity applicants) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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