Engineering License from Texas to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Arkansas accept a Texas PE license?
A PE license transfers from Texas to Arkansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (PELS), verify your Texas license, and meet Arkansas's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; there is no state-specific engineering exam for PE comity applicants (the $100 Arkansas state-specific exam applies to professional surveyors, not engineers).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Arkansas grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Texas does not start over — but does file a full Arkansas application. Your Texas license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (PELS) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Arkansas's practice act, not to re-test you. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Texas license active and unencumbered while the Arkansas application is pending, and clearing any Arkansas-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What's different between Texas and Arkansas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arkansas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Texas to Arkansas (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Arkansas to Texas (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Texas matter?
Coming from Texas does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Arkansas.
- Application fee
Arkansas lists $200 for an out-of-state applicant and Texas lists $75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Texas lists about 8 weeks for the reverse move; Arkansas has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Arkansas and Texas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Arkansas (this move): FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; there is no state-specific engineering exam for PE comity applicants (the $100 Arkansas state-specific exam applies to professional surveyors, not engineers)
- Texas (the reverse move): 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 changes, Texas → Arkansas
| Texas (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $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.) | $200 (Arkansas comity (PE-C) application fee $200 (an original non-comity PE application is $75); transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES) |
| Processing time | ~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).) | No published turnaround; comity applications that meet the Board's rules are approved by the Executive Director under an expedited process and later ratified by the Board |
| Licensing authority | Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) | Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (PELS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arkansas's current requirements on the Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (PELS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (PELS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current PE license in another state (comity license, designated 'PE-C').
- Submit an NCEES Record (then complete only application Forms 1, 6, and 7) or complete the full application with references and experience.
- Provide five professional references less than one year old (satisfied by a recent NCEES Record).
- Underlying standard: EAC/ABET-approved (or equivalent) four-year engineering degree plus four years of progressive engineering experience.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my Texas PE license after I'm licensed in Arkansas?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Texas 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.
- Arkansas PELS — PE/PS Original, Comity, or Reinstatement Application (comity instructions & $200 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas PELS — 2026 Board Rules and Laws Handbook (statutory fee schedule & comity qualifications) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas PELS — Professional Engineer (PE) Licensure Overview ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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