Engineering License from Michigan to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) ↗
A PE license transfers from Michigan to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance), verify your Michigan license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken (references under two years old, transcripts, and verifications in the Record are accepted); Tennessee requires no separate state jurisprudence exam.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Tennessee grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Michigan does not start over — but does file a full Tennessee application. Your Michigan license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Tennessee's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken (references under two years old, transcripts, and verifications in the Record are accepted); Tennessee requires no separate state jurisprudence exam. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Michigan license active and unencumbered while the Tennessee application is pending, and clearing any Tennessee-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Michigan → Tennessee
| Michigan (current) | Tennessee (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) | $55 (Tennessee 'application by comity' fee; a separate $140 biennial registration fee is collected upon licensure. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, 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 | No comity turnaround published; complete applications are reviewed by the board (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks). |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) | Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Tennessee sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Meet Tennessee's minimum registration requirements (Tennessee grants comity, not automatic reciprocity).
- Hold an active license in at least one other U.S. jurisdiction (or submit an NCEES Record).
- Submit an NCEES Record, or provide transcripts, license verifications, and employment references.
- Have passed the NCEES PE examination (and the FE where required for the qualifying pathway).
- Pay the fees ($55 (Tennessee 'application by comity' fee; a separate $140 biennial registration fee is collected upon licensure. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES.)) and allow No comity turnaround published; complete applications are reviewed by the board (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks)..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee accept a Michigan PE license?
A PE license transfers from Michigan to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance), verify your Michigan license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken (references under two years old, transcripts, and verifications in the Record are accepted); Tennessee requires no separate state jurisprudence exam.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Michigan to Tennessee?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken (references under two years old, transcripts, and verifications in the Record are accepted); Tennessee requires no separate state jurisprudence exam.
What does the Michigan-to-Tennessee comity application cost?
$55 (Tennessee 'application by comity' fee; a separate $140 biennial registration fee is collected upon licensure. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES.).
Can I keep my Michigan PE license after I'm licensed in Tennessee?
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.
- TN Board of Architectural & Engineering Examiners — Engineers (how to get licensed / comity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TN Board of Architectural & Engineering Examiners — Fees ↗ (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)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (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]