Transfer Your Engineering License to Massachusetts: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my PE license transfer to Massachusetts?
Yes — Massachusetts issues a new Professional Engineer license by comity to an engineer already licensed in another state. You apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure), which verifies your ABET-accredited degree, experience, exam record, and good standing against Massachusetts's own statute rather than re-testing you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (required of all comity applicants since August 2006) and are not retaken; a comity applicant may only be registered in the branch of engineering matching the NCEES exam discipline of their original license. Massachusetts has no separate state jurisprudence exam. Application fee: $164–$314 (Comity application fee is $164, paid to Professional Credential Services (PCS), the Board's designated application administrator; the $150 registration fee is assessed after Board approval (= $314 total). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES).
Moving to Massachusetts from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Comity is Massachusetts's normal route for an already-licensed engineer, and the word describes what the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure) actually does: it extends professional courtesy to your existing PE license after confirming your record meets Massachusetts's practice act, rather than re-examining you. The lever that makes this smooth is your NCEES Record — NCEES compiles your transcripts, experience, references, and FE/PE results and transmits them straight to Massachusetts, and a Model Law Engineer designation speeds many boards further. One prerequisite is absolute: your current license must be active and unencumbered, so clear any open disciplinary matter before you file.
Read the exam line on this page closely before you assume the move is exam-free. Most boards add nothing to the FE and PE, but a few require a state-specific examination — seismic, surveying, or a statutes-and-rules review — that comity does not waive, and where Massachusetts requires one it is listed above rather than folded silently into the process.
Comity licensure is administered by Professional Credential Services (PCS) on the Board's behalf; the Board (within the Division of Occupational Licensure) gives final approval. Underlying standard is an ABET-accredited engineering degree plus qualifying experience (commonly 4 years; the Board's classification system A-E requires 3-20 years depending on degree level). Classification A allows registration for an applicant already registered in another state with equivalent qualifications
Massachusetts requirements at a glance
| Fees | $164–$314 (Comity application fee is $164, paid to Professional Credential Services (PCS), the Board's designated application administrator; the $150 registration fee is assessed after Board approval (= $314 total). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) |
|---|---|
| Processing time | 8–26 weeks (PCS/Board guidance: a decision usually takes no more than 2-3 months, but applicants are advised to allow up to 6 months. A temporary permit (30 days per calendar year, extendable up to 12 months while a comity application is pending) is available to an out-of-state licensed engineer) |
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE registration in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Obtain and submit an NCEES Record (required for all comity applicants).
- Apply only in the engineering discipline corresponding to your NCEES exam discipline.
- Submit the comity application, documents, and fees to Professional Credential Services (PCS), the Board's designated administrator, for processing before Board approval.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Massachusetts:
Nearby states
Engineering license transfer into the states bordering Massachusetts:
Massachusetts for other professions
- Nursing in Massachusetts
- Cosmetology / Barber in Massachusetts
- Real Estate in Massachusetts
- Contractor in Massachusetts
- Teaching in Massachusetts
- CPA / Accounting in Massachusetts
- Electrician in Massachusetts
- Plumber in Massachusetts
- Pharmacy in Massachusetts
- Physical Therapy in Massachusetts
- Psychology in Massachusetts
- Counseling in Massachusetts
- Social Work in Massachusetts
- Occupational Therapy in Massachusetts
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Mass.gov — Board of Registration of PE & Land Surveyors FAQ (comity; $164 fee payable to PCS) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Professional Credential Services (PCS) — Massachusetts PE by Comity (Board's designated administrator) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov / Division of Occupational Licensure — PE & Land Surveyor fees and renewal schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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