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LicenseReciprocity

Engineering License from Virginia to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗

A PE license transfers from Virginia to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Virginia license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Michigan grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Virginia does not start over — but does file a full Michigan application. Your Virginia license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Michigan's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Virginia license active and unencumbered while the Michigan application is pending, and clearing any Michigan-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.

What changes, Virginia → Michigan

Side-by-side: Virginia vs Michigan (Engineering (PE)), verified 2026-07-21
Virginia (current)Michigan (destination)
Application feeThe pre-8/1/2025 PE license-by-comity application fee under 18VAC10-20-170 was $60 (initial and comity both $60; renewal $80). An APELSCIDLA fee-schedule amendment took effect 8/1/2025 that raised fees, so the current comity fee is higher; the exact current amount could not be confirmed on an official page because the Virginia Administrative Code portal (law.lis.virginia.gov), DPOR site, and Virginia Register were all unreachable from the research environment. Secondary reporting of the official DPOR APELSCIDLA fee-adjustment table indicates the post-8/1/2025 PE application fee is $120 (renewal $160), but this is unverified against an official page and is deliberately left out of the range pending confirmation. NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid to NCEES.$75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES)
Processing timeAPELSCIDLA/DPOR publishes no comity turnaround on reachable pages; comity applications are reviewed by board staff once the education, experience, examination, and license verifications are received.LARA/Board publishes no comity turnaround; out-of-state (endorsement) applications are reviewed by the Board of Professional Engineers. NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks
Licensing authorityBoard for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects (APELSCIDLA), Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR)Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a PE license in another state with qualifications equivalent to Michigan's licensure requirements.
  5. Submit an NCEES Record (or NCEES certification) transmitted to LARA.
  6. Meet the underlying standard: an ABET-accredited engineering degree, the FE and PE exams, and 4 years of qualifying experience.
  7. Pay the fees ($75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow LARA/Board publishes no comity turnaround; out-of-state (endorsement) applications are reviewed by the Board of Professional Engineers. NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks.

Official links

Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗Michigan application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Michigan → VirginiaEngineering in VirginiaEngineering in MichiganAll engineering states

Frequently asked questions

Does Michigan accept a Virginia PE license?

A PE license transfers from Virginia to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Virginia license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.

Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Virginia to Michigan?

FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.

What does the Virginia-to-Michigan comity application cost?

$75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES).

Can I keep my Virginia PE license after I'm licensed in Michigan?

Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Virginia 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.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]