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LicenseReciprocity

Engineering License from Michigan to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, PLA) ↗

A PE license transfers from Michigan to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, PLA), verify your Michigan license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. FE (Part I) and PE (Part II, the NCEES PE exam) results transfer via your NCEES Record and are not retaken (the FE is waived if already passed elsewhere); HOWEVER Indiana requires every comity applicant to complete Part III of the Indiana PE examination — a take-home (open-book) exam on professional conduct and Indiana registration law, submitted with the application.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Indiana grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Michigan does not start over — but does file a full Indiana application. Your Michigan license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, PLA) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Indiana's practice act, not to re-test you. FE (Part I) and PE (Part II, the NCEES PE exam) results transfer via your NCEES Record and are not retaken (the FE is waived if already passed elsewhere); HOWEVER Indiana requires every comity applicant to complete Part III of the Indiana PE examination — a take-home (open-book) exam on professional conduct and Indiana registration law, submitted with the application. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Michigan license active and unencumbered while the Indiana application is pending, and clearing any Indiana-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.

What changes, Michigan → Indiana

Side-by-side: Michigan vs Indiana (Engineering (PE)), verified 2026-07-21
Michigan (current)Indiana (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)$300 ($300 comity/reciprocity registration fee (864 IAC 1.1-12-1, non-refundable and non-transferable). A separate original certificate (issuance) fee applies: $50 if the registration is issued in an odd-numbered year or $100 if issued in an even-numbered year. NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid to NCEES)
Processing timeLARA/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 weeksThe board does not publish a comity turnaround; comity applications are reviewed by the board for substantial equivalence to Indiana's requirements, including Part III and the reference reports
Licensing authorityMichigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing)Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, PLA)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Indiana's current requirements on the Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, PLA) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, PLA) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a PE registration in another U.S. state/territory issued under requirements that do not conflict with Indiana's (education, experience, and the FE + PE exams).
  5. Complete Part III of the Indiana PE examination (take-home, open-book exam on professional conduct and Indiana registration law).
  6. Provide reference reports on the applicant's competence — at least three from registered professional engineers (Indiana's application requests five references, three of them from PEs).
  7. Have the NCEES Record made available to Indiana, or submit certification of FE/PE passage plus official college transcripts.
  8. Pay the fees ($300 ($300 comity/reciprocity registration fee (864 IAC 1.1-12-1, non-refundable and non-transferable). A separate original certificate (issuance) fee applies: $50 if the registration is issued in an odd-numbered year or $100 if issued in an even-numbered year. NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid to NCEES)) and allow The board does not publish a comity turnaround; comity applications are reviewed by the board for substantial equivalence to Indiana's requirements, including Part III and the reference reports.

Official links

Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, PLA) ↗Indiana application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Indiana → MichiganEngineering in MichiganEngineering in IndianaAll engineering states

Frequently asked questions

Does Indiana accept a Michigan PE license?

A PE license transfers from Michigan to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, PLA), verify your Michigan license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. FE (Part I) and PE (Part II, the NCEES PE exam) results transfer via your NCEES Record and are not retaken (the FE is waived if already passed elsewhere); HOWEVER Indiana requires every comity applicant to complete Part III of the Indiana PE examination — a take-home (open-book) exam on professional conduct and Indiana registration law, submitted with the application.

Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Michigan to Indiana?

FE (Part I) and PE (Part II, the NCEES PE exam) results transfer via your NCEES Record and are not retaken (the FE is waived if already passed elsewhere); HOWEVER Indiana requires every comity applicant to complete Part III of the Indiana PE examination — a take-home (open-book) exam on professional conduct and Indiana registration law, submitted with the application.

What does the Michigan-to-Indiana comity application cost?

$300 ($300 comity/reciprocity registration fee (864 IAC 1.1-12-1, non-refundable and non-transferable). A separate original certificate (issuance) fee applies: $50 if the registration is issued in an odd-numbered year or $100 if issued in an even-numbered year. NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid to NCEES).

Can I keep my Michigan PE license after I'm licensed in Indiana?

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.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]