Engineering License from Pennsylvania to West Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) ↗
A PE license transfers from Pennsylvania to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or NCEES electronic verification / Verification of Examination-Licensure form) and are not retaken; West Virginia has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
West Virginia grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Pennsylvania does not start over — but does file a full West Virginia application. Your Pennsylvania license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet West Virginia's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or NCEES electronic verification / Verification of Examination-Licensure form) and are not retaken; West Virginia has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Pennsylvania license active and unencumbered while the West Virginia application is pending, and clearing any West Virginia-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Pennsylvania → West Virginia
| Pennsylvania (current) | West Virginia (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.) | $135 (West Virginia comity/reciprocity application fee is $135 (check payable to the WV Board of Registration for Professional Engineers; all fees non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $63. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid 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.) | WVPEBD publishes no comity turnaround; the application is processed once all sealed verifications, references, and transcripts (or a transmitted NCEES Record) are received. |
| Licensing authority | State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists | West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — West Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license in the U.S. state where you currently reside and/or work, verified as currently active.
- Verify passage of both the NCEES FE and PE examinations (via your NCEES Record or NCEES electronic verification).
- Submit five professional reference forms — at least three from licensed PEs — unless supplied through your NCEES Record.
- Provide official transcripts showing a BS degree from an ABET-accredited engineering/engineering-technology program (or NCEES-evaluated equivalent) plus qualifying experience.
- Pay the fees ($135 (West Virginia comity/reciprocity application fee is $135 (check payable to the WV Board of Registration for Professional Engineers; all fees non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $63. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid to NCEES.)) and allow WVPEBD publishes no comity turnaround; the application is processed once all sealed verifications, references, and transcripts (or a transmitted NCEES Record) are received..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does West Virginia accept a Pennsylvania PE license?
A PE license transfers from Pennsylvania to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or NCEES electronic verification / Verification of Examination-Licensure form) and are not retaken; West Virginia has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Pennsylvania to West Virginia?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or NCEES electronic verification / Verification of Examination-Licensure form) and are not retaken; West Virginia has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam.
What does the Pennsylvania-to-West Virginia comity application cost?
$135 (West Virginia comity/reciprocity application fee is $135 (check payable to the WV Board of Registration for Professional Engineers; all fees non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $63. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid to NCEES.).
Can I keep my Pennsylvania PE license after I'm licensed in West Virginia?
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.
- WVPEBD — Instructions Checklist & Statement of Understanding (Comity applicants: $135 check) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WVPEBD — Fees (comity/reciprocity $135; renewal $63) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WVPEBD — Comity/Reciprocity applications ↗ (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)
- 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]