Engineering License from Washington to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors ↗
A PE license transfers from Washington to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors, verify your Washington license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Ohio requires no state-specific engineering exam for comity applicants (only professional surveyors must pass Ohio's two-hour state-specific surveying examination).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Ohio grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Washington does not start over — but does file a full Ohio application. Your Washington license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Ohio's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Ohio requires no state-specific engineering exam for comity applicants (only professional surveyors must pass Ohio's two-hour state-specific surveying examination). Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Washington license active and unencumbered while the Ohio application is pending, and clearing any Ohio-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Washington → Ohio
| Washington (current) | Ohio (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $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.) | $415 (Engineering reciprocity (comity) application fee from the board's published fee schedule; a $50 PE final registration fee is due on issuance and renewal is $40 per biennium. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES.) |
| Processing time | ~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.) | The board publishes no comity turnaround on a directly accessible page; comity applications are reviewed administratively once the out-of-state verification/NCEES Record is received (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks). |
| Licensing authority | Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS), Washington State Department of Licensing | Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Ohio's current requirements on the Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current PE registration in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction with qualifications equal to Ohio's standards (Ohio Admin. Code 4733-13-01; comity administered under R.C. Chapter 4796 universal license recognition).
- Submit verification/affidavit of your out-of-state registration; the board accepts an NCEES Record documenting education, exams, experience, and references.
- Hold a bachelor's degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program plus four years of qualifying progressive experience (eight years for ETAC/ABET engineering-technology graduates).
- Show no record of disciplinary action against any license held.
- Pay the fees ($415 (Engineering reciprocity (comity) application fee from the board's published fee schedule; a $50 PE final registration fee is due on issuance and renewal is $40 per biennium. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES.)) and allow The board publishes no comity turnaround on a directly accessible page; comity applications are reviewed administratively once the out-of-state verification/NCEES Record is received (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks)..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Ohio accept a Washington PE license?
A PE license transfers from Washington to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors, verify your Washington license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Ohio requires no state-specific engineering exam for comity applicants (only professional surveyors must pass Ohio's two-hour state-specific surveying examination).
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Washington to Ohio?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Ohio requires no state-specific engineering exam for comity applicants (only professional surveyors must pass Ohio's two-hour state-specific surveying examination).
What does the Washington-to-Ohio comity application cost?
$415 (Engineering reciprocity (comity) application fee from the board's published fee schedule; a $50 PE final registration fee is due on issuance and renewal is $40 per biennium. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES.).
Can I keep my Washington PE license after I'm licensed in Ohio?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Washington 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.
- Ohio State Board of Registration for PE&S - Board Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ohio Admin. Code 4733-13-01 - Comity and temporary registration ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ohio Rev. Code 4733.19 - Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES - Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]