Engineering License from Pennsylvania to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Florida accept a Pennsylvania PE license?
A PE license transfers from Pennsylvania to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Florida licenses by endorsement (it explicitly does not license by reciprocity or comity) and, instead of a proctored state exam, requires completing the FBPE Laws and Rules Study Guide with a score of 90 percent or greater.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Florida grants PE licensure by endorsement, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Pennsylvania does not start over — but does file a full Florida application. Your Pennsylvania license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Florida's practice act, not to re-test you. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Pennsylvania license active and unencumbered while the Florida application is pending, and clearing any Florida-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Florida
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Florida. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Florida (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Florida to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?
Coming from Pennsylvania does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Florida.
- Application fee
Florida lists $230 for an out-of-state applicant and Pennsylvania lists $50 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Pennsylvania lists 4–6 weeks for the reverse move; Florida has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Florida and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Florida (this move): FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Florida licenses by endorsement (it explicitly does not license by reciprocity or comity) and, instead of a proctored state exam, requires completing the FBPE Laws and Rules Study Guide with a score of 90 percent or greater
- Pennsylvania (the reverse move): FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Pennsylvania requires no state-specific engineering exam for endorsement (state-specific exams apply only to land surveyors)
What changes, Pennsylvania → Florida
| Pennsylvania (current) | Florida (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.) | $230 (Endorsement fee collected by DBPR, comprising the application fee, the initial licensure fee ($100, the only refundable portion), and an unlicensed-activity 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.) | FBPE publishes no endorsement turnaround; the board states that using an NCEES Record significantly speeds up the licensure process |
| Licensing authority | State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists | Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, active PE license elsewhere and file the Application for Licensure as a Professional Engineer (endorsement).
- Have your FE and PE exam passage verified (using an NCEES Record significantly speeds up the process per the board).
- Hold an ABET-accredited engineering or engineering-technology degree (or a substantially equivalent evaluation) plus the qualifying experience in Rule 61G15-20.002, F.A.C.
- Complete the FBPE Laws and Rules Study Guide with a score of 90 percent or greater; provide a valid U.S. Social Security number and be at least 18.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Pennsylvania PE license after I'm licensed in Florida?
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.
- FBPE - Licensure Process: Professional Engineers (endorsement, fee, Laws and Rules Study Guide) ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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