Engineering License from California to New York: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does New York accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions), verify your California license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; endorsement requires that your original license was issued upon a written examination equivalent to New York's, and there is no state jurisprudence exam; note that New York will not accept professional experience self-endorsed by the applicant, so the NCEES Record must be verified before transmission.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
New York grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full New York application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet New York's practice act, not to re-test you. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the New York application is pending, and clearing any New York-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What's different between California and New York
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into New York. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
California to New York (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
New York 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 New York.
- Application fee
New York lists $377 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
New York and California carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- New York (this move): FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; endorsement requires that your original license was issued upon a written examination equivalent to New York's, and there is no state jurisprudence exam; note that New York will not accept professional experience self-endorsed by the applicant, so the NCEES Record must be verified before transmission
- 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 → New York
| California (current) | New York (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)) | $377 (NY fee for licensure and first registration is $377 (the same fee applies to the endorsement pathway); 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 | The NYSED Office of the Professions does not publish a comity/endorsement processing time on its engineering pages |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New York sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New York's current requirements on the New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a PE license or certificate from another U.S. state or jurisdiction issued upon a written examination equivalent to New York's.
- Meet all New York licensure requirements except examination, including professional education and satisfactory experience.
- Submit Form 1 and have NCEES transmit your verified NCEES Record to the Department (or file Form 2 certification of education and Form 3 verification of out-of-state licensure and examination).
- Be of good moral character.
- 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 New York?
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.
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Engineering License Requirements (endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Engineering License 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
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com