Engineering License from Illinois to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗
A PE license transfers from Illinois to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Illinois license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Michigan grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Illinois does not start over — but does file a full Michigan application. Your Illinois license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Michigan's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Illinois license active and unencumbered while the Michigan application is pending, and clearing any Michigan-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Illinois → Michigan
| Illinois (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $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) | $75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a guaranteed endorsement turnaround; the board's PE FAQ states that using an NCEES Record may shorten processing time | LARA/Board publishes no comity turnaround; out-of-state (endorsement) applications are reviewed by the Board of Professional Engineers. NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Professional Engineers | Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a PE license in another state with qualifications equivalent to Michigan's licensure requirements.
- Submit an NCEES Record (or NCEES certification) transmitted to LARA.
- Meet the underlying standard: an ABET-accredited engineering degree, the FE and PE exams, and 4 years of qualifying experience.
- Pay the fees ($75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow LARA/Board publishes no comity turnaround; out-of-state (endorsement) applications are reviewed by the Board of Professional Engineers. NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a Illinois PE license?
A PE license transfers from Illinois to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Illinois license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Illinois to Michigan?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.
What does the Illinois-to-Michigan comity application cost?
$75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my Illinois PE license after I'm licensed in Michigan?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Illinois 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.
- Michigan LARA — Engineers, Professional (Board page) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan MCL 338.2213 — Architect, Professional Engineer, or Land Surveyor; Fees (State License Fee Act) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Professional Engineer Licensing Guide (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]