Engineering License from Pennsylvania to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) ↗
A PE license transfers from Pennsylvania to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Connecticut requires proof of passing both the NCEES FE and PE exams and has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Connecticut grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Pennsylvania does not start over — but does file a full Connecticut application. Your Pennsylvania license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Connecticut's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Connecticut requires proof of passing both the NCEES FE and PE exams and has no separate state jurisprudence exam. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Pennsylvania license active and unencumbered while the Connecticut application is pending, and clearing any Connecticut-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Connecticut
| Pennsylvania (current) | Connecticut (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $50 (Certification, licensure or registration application fee (49 Pa. Code 37.17(b)); a provisional endorsement license may be issued while remaining requirements are completed. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES.) | $190 (Non-refundable PE reciprocity/comity application fee paid to the Department of Consumer Protection; the official comity page lists no separate initial-license fee. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) |
| Processing time | 4–6 weeks (Pennsylvania advises allowing approximately 4 to 6 weeks for initial review of an application submitted through pals.pa.gov.) | DCP publishes no comity processing time; the State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors reviews applications once the exam proof, references, and NCEES Record are complete |
| Licensing authority | State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists | Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Show proof of passing the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering and Principles and Practice of Engineering exams (an NCEES Record may be submitted, but does not guarantee approval).
- List at least five references, at least four in the profession and not related to you, with at least three licensed U.S. Professional Engineers.
- Meet the education/experience standard: an ABET-accredited degree plus 4 years of engineering practice (7 years minimum for a non-accredited or foreign-evaluated degree).
- Pay the fees ($190 (Non-refundable PE reciprocity/comity application fee paid to the Department of Consumer Protection; the official comity page lists no separate initial-license fee. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow DCP publishes no comity processing time; the State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors reviews applications once the exam proof, references, and NCEES Record are complete.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Connecticut accept a Pennsylvania PE license?
A PE license transfers from Pennsylvania to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Department of Consumer Protection), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Connecticut requires proof of passing both the NCEES FE and PE exams and has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Pennsylvania to Connecticut?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Connecticut requires proof of passing both the NCEES FE and PE exams and has no separate state jurisprudence exam.
What does the Pennsylvania-to-Connecticut comity application cost?
$190 (Non-refundable PE reciprocity/comity application fee paid to the Department of Consumer Protection; the official comity page lists no separate initial-license fee. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my Pennsylvania PE license after I'm licensed in Connecticut?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Pennsylvania 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.
- Connecticut DCP - Professional Engineer Reciprocity or Comity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Connecticut DCP - Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES - Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 37 (fees 37.17; licensure by endorsement 37.20) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PA Dept. of State - Engineers, Land Surveyors, Geologists board ↗ (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]