Engineering License from New York to Massachusetts: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure) ↗
A PE license transfers from New York to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure), verify your New York license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (required of all comity applicants since August 2006) and are not retaken; a comity applicant may only be registered in the branch of engineering matching the NCEES exam discipline of their original license. Massachusetts has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Massachusetts grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in New York does not start over — but does file a full Massachusetts application. Your New York license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Massachusetts's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (required of all comity applicants since August 2006) and are not retaken; a comity applicant may only be registered in the branch of engineering matching the NCEES exam discipline of their original license. Massachusetts has no separate state jurisprudence exam. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your New York license active and unencumbered while the Massachusetts application is pending, and clearing any Massachusetts-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, New York → Massachusetts
| New York (current) | Massachusetts (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $377 (NY fee for licensure and first registration is $377 (the same fee applies to the endorsement pathway); transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) | $164–$314 (Comity application fee is $164, paid to Professional Credential Services (PCS), the Board's designated application administrator; the $150 registration fee is assessed after Board approval (= $314 total). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) |
| Processing time | The NYSED Office of the Professions does not publish a comity/endorsement processing time on its engineering pages | 8–26 weeks (PCS/Board guidance: a decision usually takes no more than 2-3 months, but applicants are advised to allow up to 6 months. A temporary permit (30 days per calendar year, extendable up to 12 months while a comity application is pending) is available to an out-of-state licensed engineer) |
| Licensing authority | New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) | Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Massachusetts sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE registration in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Obtain and submit an NCEES Record (required for all comity applicants).
- Apply only in the engineering discipline corresponding to your NCEES exam discipline.
- Submit the comity application, documents, and fees to Professional Credential Services (PCS), the Board's designated administrator, for processing before Board approval.
- Pay the fees ($164–$314 (Comity application fee is $164, paid to Professional Credential Services (PCS), the Board's designated application administrator; the $150 registration fee is assessed after Board approval (= $314 total). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow 8–26 weeks (PCS/Board guidance: a decision usually takes no more than 2-3 months, but applicants are advised to allow up to 6 months. A temporary permit (30 days per calendar year, extendable up to 12 months while a comity application is pending) is available to an out-of-state licensed engineer).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Massachusetts accept a New York PE license?
A PE license transfers from New York to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (Division of Occupational Licensure), verify your New York license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (required of all comity applicants since August 2006) and are not retaken; a comity applicant may only be registered in the branch of engineering matching the NCEES exam discipline of their original license. Massachusetts has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from New York to Massachusetts?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (required of all comity applicants since August 2006) and are not retaken; a comity applicant may only be registered in the branch of engineering matching the NCEES exam discipline of their original license. Massachusetts has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
What does the New York-to-Massachusetts comity application cost?
$164–$314 (Comity application fee is $164, paid to Professional Credential Services (PCS), the Board's designated application administrator; the $150 registration fee is assessed after Board approval (= $314 total). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my New York PE license after I'm licensed in Massachusetts?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the New York 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.
- Mass.gov — Board of Registration of PE & Land Surveyors FAQ (comity; $164 fee payable to PCS) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Professional Credential Services (PCS) — Massachusetts PE by Comity (Board's designated administrator) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov / Division of Occupational Licensure — PE & Land Surveyor fees and renewal schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Engineering License Requirements (endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Engineering License Application Forms ↗ (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]