Engineering License from California to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) ↗
A PE license transfers from California to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection), verify your California license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Connecticut requires proof of passing both the NCEES FE and PE exams and has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Connecticut grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full Connecticut application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Connecticut's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Connecticut requires proof of passing both the NCEES FE and PE exams and has no separate state jurisprudence exam. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the Connecticut application is pending, and clearing any Connecticut-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, California → Connecticut
| California (current) | Connecticut (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)) | $190 (Non-refundable PE reciprocity/comity application fee paid to the Department of Consumer Protection; the official comity page lists no separate initial-license fee. 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 | DCP publishes no comity processing time; the State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors reviews applications once the exam proof, references, and NCEES Record are complete |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Show proof of passing the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering and Principles and Practice of Engineering exams (an NCEES Record may be submitted, but does not guarantee approval).
- List at least five references, at least four in the profession and not related to you, with at least three licensed U.S. Professional Engineers.
- Meet the education/experience standard: an ABET-accredited degree plus 4 years of engineering practice (7 years minimum for a non-accredited or foreign-evaluated degree).
- Pay the fees ($190 (Non-refundable PE reciprocity/comity application fee paid to the Department of Consumer Protection; the official comity page lists no separate initial-license fee. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow DCP publishes no comity processing time; the State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors reviews applications once the exam proof, references, and NCEES Record are complete.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Connecticut accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection), verify your California license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Connecticut requires proof of passing both the NCEES FE and PE exams and has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from California to Connecticut?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Connecticut requires proof of passing both the NCEES FE and PE exams and has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
What does the California-to-Connecticut comity application cost?
$190 (Non-refundable PE reciprocity/comity application fee paid to the Department of Consumer Protection; the official comity page lists no separate initial-license fee. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my California PE license after I'm licensed in Connecticut?
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.
- Connecticut DCP - Professional Engineer Reciprocity or Comity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Connecticut DCP - Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Licensing ↗ (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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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