Engineering License from Michigan to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing ↗
A PE license transfers from Michigan to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing, verify your Michigan license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or issuing-board verification) and are not retaken; comity applicants must additionally pass the open-book Washington Engineer Law Review (minimum score 80%).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Washington grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Michigan does not start over — but does file a full Washington application. Your Michigan license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Washington's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or issuing-board verification) and are not retaken; comity applicants must additionally pass the open-book Washington Engineer Law Review (minimum score 80%). Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Michigan license active and unencumbered while the Washington application is pending, and clearing any Washington-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Michigan → Washington
| Michigan (current) | Washington (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) | $110 (Washington PE comity registration application fee is $110 (payable to the Department of Licensing; includes license and wall certificate). Biennial renewal is $128. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid 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 | ~4 weeks (BRPELS issues new licenses the first week of each month and asks applicants to contact the office only if more than 4 weeks have passed; transmitting an NCEES Record is the preferred, faster path but does not generate automatic approval.) |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) | Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active engineering license issued by another NCEES member board, in good standing.
- Have passed the NCEES FE and PE examinations, with results verified through your NCEES Record or the issuing board.
- Pass the open-book Washington Engineer Law Review with a score of at least 80%.
- Document 8 years of progressive engineering experience under a licensed PE (an ABET-accredited engineering degree counts as 4 years).
- Pay the fees ($110 (Washington PE comity registration application fee is $110 (payable to the Department of Licensing; includes license and wall certificate). Biennial renewal is $128. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid to NCEES.)) and allow ~4 weeks (BRPELS issues new licenses the first week of each month and asks applicants to contact the office only if more than 4 weeks have passed; transmitting an NCEES Record is the preferred, faster path but does not generate automatic approval.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington accept a Michigan PE license?
A PE license transfers from Michigan to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing, verify your Michigan license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or issuing-board verification) and are not retaken; comity applicants must additionally pass the open-book Washington Engineer Law Review (minimum score 80%).
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Michigan to Washington?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or issuing-board verification) and are not retaken; comity applicants must additionally pass the open-book Washington Engineer Law Review (minimum score 80%).
What does the Michigan-to-Washington comity application cost?
$110 (Washington PE comity registration application fee is $110 (payable to the Department of Licensing; includes license and wall certificate). Biennial renewal is $128. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid to NCEES.).
Can I keep my Michigan PE license after I'm licensed in Washington?
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.
- BRPELS — Professional Engineer by Comity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- BRPELS — Fees (PE comity $110; PE renewal $128) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure; $175 first board / $100 each additional) ↗ (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]