Engineering License from California to New Mexico: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Mexico Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (NMBLPEPS) ↗
A PE license transfers from California to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (NMBLPEPS), verify your California license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; New Mexico requires no state-specific engineering examination (its state-specific exam applies only to land surveyors) and no PE jurisprudence exam; additional examination, internship, or education may be required only if the original out-of-state license was not issued under requirements equal to or exceeding New Mexico's.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
New Mexico grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full New Mexico application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the New Mexico Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (NMBLPEPS) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet New Mexico's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; New Mexico requires no state-specific engineering examination (its state-specific exam applies only to land surveyors) and no PE jurisprudence exam; additional examination, internship, or education may be required only if the original out-of-state license was not issued under requirements equal to or exceeding New Mexico's. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the New Mexico application is pending, and clearing any New Mexico-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, California → New Mexico
| California (current) | New Mexico (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)) | $325–$375 (NM PE by comity/endorsement is $325 with an NCEES Record or $375 without; expedited licensure is $300; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES. Fee schedule effective 8/8/2025.) |
| 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 | Board publishes no comity turnaround; an NCEES Record labeled Model Law Engineer reduces processing time |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | New Mexico Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (NMBLPEPS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Mexico sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Mexico's current requirements on the New Mexico Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (NMBLPEPS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Mexico Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (NMBLPEPS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current PE license from another U.S. jurisdiction issued under requirements equal to or exceeding New Mexico's.
- Submit an NCEES Record, or the full application with official transcript and completed verification forms if applying without a Record.
- Provide five references, at least three from licensed professional engineers (a Model Law Engineer NCEES Record reduces processing time).
- Pay the fees ($325–$375 (NM PE by comity/endorsement is $325 with an NCEES Record or $375 without; expedited licensure is $300; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES. Fee schedule effective 8/8/2025.)) and allow Board publishes no comity turnaround; an NCEES Record labeled Model Law Engineer reduces processing time.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Mexico accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (NMBLPEPS), verify your California license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; New Mexico requires no state-specific engineering examination (its state-specific exam applies only to land surveyors) and no PE jurisprudence exam; additional examination, internship, or education may be required only if the original out-of-state license was not issued under requirements equal to or exceeding New Mexico's.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from California to New Mexico?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; New Mexico requires no state-specific engineering examination (its state-specific exam applies only to land surveyors) and no PE jurisprudence exam; additional examination, internship, or education may be required only if the original out-of-state license was not issued under requirements equal to or exceeding New Mexico's.
What does the California-to-New Mexico comity application cost?
$325–$375 (NM PE by comity/endorsement is $325 with an NCEES Record or $375 without; expedited licensure is $300; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES. Fee schedule effective 8/8/2025.).
Can I keep my California PE license after I'm licensed in New Mexico?
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.
- NM Board — Engineering Applications & Forms (PE by comity/endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NM Board — Fee Schedule effective 8/8/2025 ↗ (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]