Engineering License from California to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) ↗
A PE license transfers from California to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS), verify your California license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Louisiana requires no separate state engineering exam for comity applicants.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Louisiana grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full Louisiana application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Louisiana's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Louisiana requires no separate state engineering exam for comity applicants. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the Louisiana application is pending, and clearing any Louisiana-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, California → Louisiana
| California (current) | Louisiana (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)) | $200 (LAPELS 'Professional Engineer by Comity' application fee per the board fee schedule; biennial PE renewal is $140; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid 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 | LAPELS publishes no comity turnaround; applications are filed and reviewed through the LOLA online portal (lola.lapels.com) once the NCEES Record and references are received |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a PE license in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction and have NCEES transmit your NCEES Record to LAPELS.
- Hold an EAC/ABET-accredited bachelor's degree with four years of progressive experience (non-ABET degrees require an NCEES Credentials Evaluation and 8 years, or 4 years after a qualifying master's).
- Provide five personal references, at least three from individuals holding an active PE license.
- Maintain a disciplinary record free of violations in any jurisdiction.
- Pay the fees ($200 (LAPELS 'Professional Engineer by Comity' application fee per the board fee schedule; biennial PE renewal is $140; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES)) and allow LAPELS publishes no comity turnaround; applications are filed and reviewed through the LOLA online portal (lola.lapels.com) once the NCEES Record and references are received.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS), verify your California license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Louisiana requires no separate state engineering exam for comity applicants.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from California to Louisiana?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Louisiana requires no separate state engineering exam for comity applicants.
What does the California-to-Louisiana comity application cost?
$200 (LAPELS 'Professional Engineer by Comity' application fee per the board fee schedule; biennial PE renewal is $140; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES).
Can I keep my California PE license after I'm licensed in Louisiana?
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.
- LAPELS — Individual Applications (PE by comity paths) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LAPELS — Fee Schedule (Professional Engineer by Comity $200; PE renewal $140) ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]