Engineering License from Michigan to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BELS) ↗
A PE license transfers from Michigan to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BELS), verify your Michigan license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (accepted for comity applicants) and are not retaken; Alabama has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam (its only state exam, on Land Surveying Standards, History and Law, applies to surveyors, not PEs).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Alabama grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Michigan does not start over — but does file a full Alabama application. Your Michigan license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BELS) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Alabama's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (accepted for comity applicants) and are not retaken; Alabama has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam (its only state exam, on Land Surveying Standards, History and Law, applies to surveyors, not PEs). Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Michigan license active and unencumbered while the Alabama application is pending, and clearing any Alabama-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Michigan → Alabama
| Michigan (current) | Alabama (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $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) | $125 (Alabama comity application fee ($125 PE application fee, confirmed on both the board FAQ and the Admin. Code Ch. 330-X-4 fee schedule), submitted through the online portal (bels.learningbuilder.com); transmitting an NCEES Record to the board costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) |
| 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 | 3–4 weeks (Board FAQ states a complete comity application with no anomalies or felonies is processed in roughly 3-4 weeks after it is complete and approved; disclosures or discrepancies extend this) |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) | Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BELS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alabama sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BELS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BELS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current PE license in another U.S. state (comity).
- Submit an NCEES Record, or complete the board's experience, education, and reference sections directly.
- Provide proof of U.S. citizenship or qualifying alien status.
- Underlying standard: EAC/ABET-accredited engineering degree plus four years of progressive engineering experience.
- Pay the fees ($125 (Alabama comity application fee ($125 PE application fee, confirmed on both the board FAQ and the Admin. Code Ch. 330-X-4 fee schedule), submitted through the online portal (bels.learningbuilder.com); transmitting an NCEES Record to the board costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow 3–4 weeks (Board FAQ states a complete comity application with no anomalies or felonies is processed in roughly 3-4 weeks after it is complete and approved; disclosures or discrepancies extend this).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Alabama accept a Michigan PE license?
A PE license transfers from Michigan to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BELS), verify your Michigan license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (accepted for comity applicants) and are not retaken; Alabama has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam (its only state exam, on Land Surveying Standards, History and Law, applies to surveyors, not PEs).
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Michigan to Alabama?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (accepted for comity applicants) and are not retaken; Alabama has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam (its only state exam, on Land Surveying Standards, History and Law, applies to surveyors, not PEs).
What does the Michigan-to-Alabama comity application cost?
$125 (Alabama comity application fee ($125 PE application fee, confirmed on both the board FAQ and the Admin. Code Ch. 330-X-4 fee schedule), submitted through the online portal (bels.learningbuilder.com); transmitting an NCEES Record to the board costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my Michigan PE license after I'm licensed in Alabama?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Michigan 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.
- Alabama BELS — Frequently Asked Questions (comity fee, NCEES Record, processing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alabama Admin. Code Ch. 330-X-4 — Fees (Appendix A; PE application fee $125, eff. 2025-02-14) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Alabama BELS — Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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