Engineering License from California to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Illinois accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Professional Engineers, verify your California license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer via your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Illinois requires passage of both the FE and PE exams for licensure, but an endorsement applicant whose FE was waived in another jurisdiction may submit a waiver request to the Board (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1380.280); Illinois has no separate state law exam. Note: Professional Engineer (PE) and Structural Engineer (SE) are separate Illinois licenses.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full Illinois application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Professional Engineers through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Illinois's practice act, not to re-test you. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the Illinois application is pending, and clearing any Illinois-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What's different between California and Illinois
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Illinois. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
California to Illinois (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Illinois 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 Illinois.
- Application fee
Illinois lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and California lists $175–$250 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Illinois and California carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Illinois (this move): FE and PE exam results transfer via your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Illinois requires passage of both the FE and PE exams for licensure, but an endorsement applicant whose FE was waived in another jurisdiction may submit a waiver request to the Board (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1380.280); Illinois has no separate state law exam. Note: Professional Engineer (PE) and Structural Engineer (SE) are separate Illinois licenses
- 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 → Illinois
| California (current) | Illinois (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)) | $100 ($100 Professional Engineer license application fee (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1380.275; the same single application fee applies to endorsement); renewal is $30 per year. Request that NCEES transmit your Record to Illinois — NCEES charges $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately) |
| 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 | IDFPR does not publish a guaranteed endorsement turnaround; the board's PE FAQ states that using an NCEES Record may shorten processing time |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Professional Engineers |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Professional Engineers website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Professional Engineers.
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, active PE license issued by another U.S. jurisdiction under substantially equivalent standards.
- Satisfy the NCEES Engineering Education Standard (EAC/ABET degree or approved equivalent; evaluations showing deficiencies are not accepted).
- Submit an NCEES Record in lieu of transcripts, experience forms, and exam certifications (encouraged; may shorten processing).
- Note that PE and SE are licensed separately in Illinois and neither can offer the other's services.
- 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 Illinois?
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.
- IDFPR — Professional Engineering Frequently Asked Questions (endorsement pathway, FE/PE requirement, NCEES Record, PE vs SE) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ill. Admin. Code tit. 68, § 1380.275 — Fees (Professional Engineer license $100) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Professional Engineering (Practice Act, rules, application 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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