Engineering License from Mississippi to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) ↗
A PE license transfers from Mississippi to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS), verify your Mississippi license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Council Record and are not retaken; applicants already licensed as a PE in another U.S. state qualify for a waiver of the PE examination, but EVERY applicant must additionally pass the open-book Texas Ethics of Engineering examination (state-specific).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Texas grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Mississippi does not start over — but does file a full Texas application. Your Mississippi license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Texas's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Council Record and are not retaken; applicants already licensed as a PE in another U.S. state qualify for a waiver of the PE examination, but EVERY applicant must additionally pass the open-book Texas Ethics of Engineering examination (state-specific). Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Mississippi license active and unencumbered while the Texas application is pending, and clearing any Texas-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Mississippi → Texas
| Mississippi (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $75 (PE application (initial or comity) is $75 per the Board's 2026 fee schedule (effective June 2, 2026); a small credit-card/e-check convenience fee applies at online payment. A $25 processing fee applies only to paper applications where online submission is available (comity is filed online). Biennial renewal is $70; exam/licensure verification is $50 for comity licensees. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES) | $75 (TBPELS PE license application fee (covers the Texas Ethics of Engineering exam); a fingerprint-based criminal-history check is also required (fee paid to the state's fingerprint vendor). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES. Renewal is $100 for two years.) |
| Processing time | No published turnaround; an application review committee usually meets at the end of each month to approve completed comity applications, and licensure is issued at that time. Mississippi does not issue temporary permits and does not allow any unlicensed practice while an application is pending | ~8 weeks (TBPELS states an average application processing time of about two months (eight weeks) on its PE Application Process page, depending on the adequacy of the submittal; the ethics exam, NCEES Record, and fingerprint TX DPS/FBI criminal-history check must all clear before licensure (outgoing verification requests can separately take up to 30 business days).) |
| Licensing authority | Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors | Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold qualifications comparable to Texas (ABET-accredited degree plus 4 years of acceptable engineering experience).
- Submit an NCEES Council Record to verify education, exams, other-state licenses, and experience.
- Pass the open-book Texas Ethics of Engineering examination.
- Submit fingerprints to the Texas DPS/FBI for a criminal-history background check.
- Pay the fees ($75 (TBPELS PE license application fee (covers the Texas Ethics of Engineering exam); a fingerprint-based criminal-history check is also required (fee paid to the state's fingerprint vendor). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES. Renewal is $100 for two years.)) and allow ~8 weeks (TBPELS states an average application processing time of about two months (eight weeks) on its PE Application Process page, depending on the adequacy of the submittal; the ethics exam, NCEES Record, and fingerprint TX DPS/FBI criminal-history check must all clear before licensure (outgoing verification requests can separately take up to 30 business days).).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas accept a Mississippi PE license?
A PE license transfers from Mississippi to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS), verify your Mississippi license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Council Record and are not retaken; applicants already licensed as a PE in another U.S. state qualify for a waiver of the PE examination, but EVERY applicant must additionally pass the open-book Texas Ethics of Engineering examination (state-specific).
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Mississippi to Texas?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Council Record and are not retaken; applicants already licensed as a PE in another U.S. state qualify for a waiver of the PE examination, but EVERY applicant must additionally pass the open-book Texas Ethics of Engineering examination (state-specific).
What does the Mississippi-to-Texas comity application cost?
$75 (TBPELS PE license application fee (covers the Texas Ethics of Engineering exam); a fingerprint-based criminal-history check is also required (fee paid to the state's fingerprint vendor). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES. Renewal is $100 for two years.).
Can I keep my Mississippi PE license after I'm licensed in Texas?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Mississippi 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.
- TBPELS — Basic Licensure Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TBPELS — Exam Waiver Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TBPELS — PE Application Process ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TBPELS — Agency Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MS Board of Licensure for PE & Surveyors — Comity PE (NCEES Record) application instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MS Board — Fee Schedule (2026, effective 06-02-26) (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MS Board — Fee Schedule page ↗ (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]