Engineering License from Texas to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Washington accept a Texas PE license?
A PE license transfers from Texas to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing, verify your Texas license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or issuing-board verification) and are not retaken; comity applicants must additionally pass the open-book Washington Engineer Law Review (minimum score 80%).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Washington grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Texas does not start over — but does file a full Washington application. Your Texas license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Washington's practice act, not to re-test you. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Texas license active and unencumbered while the Washington application is pending, and clearing any Washington-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What's different between Texas and Washington
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Washington. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Texas to Washington (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Washington 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 Washington.
- Application fee
Washington lists $110 for an out-of-state applicant and Texas lists $75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Washington lists up to 4 weeks; Texas lists about 8 weeks for the reverse move.
Washington's longest listed wait is 4 weeks shorter than Texas's.
- Exam rules on record
Washington and Texas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Washington (this move): FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or issuing-board verification) and are not retaken; comity applicants must additionally pass the open-book Washington Engineer Law Review (minimum score 80%)
- 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 → Washington
| Texas (current) | Washington (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.) | $110 (Washington PE comity registration application fee is $110 (payable to the Department of Licensing; includes license and wall certificate). Biennial renewal is $128. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid 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).) | up to 4 weeks (BRPELS issues new licenses the first week of each month and asks applicants to contact the office only if more than 4 weeks have passed; transmitting an NCEES Record is the preferred, faster path but does not generate automatic approval.) |
| Licensing authority | Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) | Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active engineering license issued by another NCEES member board, in good standing.
- Have passed the NCEES FE and PE examinations, with results verified through your NCEES Record or the issuing board.
- Pass the open-book Washington Engineer Law Review with a score of at least 80%.
- Document 8 years of progressive engineering experience under a licensed PE (an ABET-accredited engineering degree counts as 4 years).
- 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 Washington?
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.
- BRPELS — Professional Engineer by Comity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- BRPELS — Fees (PE comity $110; PE renewal $128) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure; $175 first board / $100 each additional) ↗ (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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