Engineering License from California to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors (PELS) ↗
A PE license transfers from California 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 California 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 California does not start over — but does file a full Arkansas application. Your California 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. 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). Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the Arkansas application is pending, and clearing any Arkansas-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, California → Arkansas
| California (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $175–$250 (Board PE application fee was $175 and rose to $250 effective July 1, 2026 (amended 16 CCR sec. 407); because the 2026-07-21 data date is after that effective date, $250 is the operative amount, though the official fee page still labeled $175 as 'current' at access — confirm the operative amount. Civil applicants also pay the Board's Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exam fees ($175 each, rising to $250 each on 7/1/2026). NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES; biennial renewal is $180 (rising to $250 on 7/1/2026)) | $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 | No board-published comity turnaround; the application undergoes technical review and the applicant becomes eligible for any required state-specific exams (offered in limited quarterly windows) only after that review is approved, so total time varies widely | 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 | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | 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 ($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)) and allow 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.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California 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 California 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).
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from California to Arkansas?
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).
What does the California-to-Arkansas comity application cost?
$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).
Can I keep my California PE license after I'm licensed in Arkansas?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the California 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)
- California BPELSG — Application Fees (PE $175, rising to $250 on 7/1/2026; state exam fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — Licensee Fee Schedule (renewal $180 -> $250 on 7/1/2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — PE Application Instructions (Laws & Rules exam; comity NCEES Record option) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — Professional Engineer Application overview (comity applicants) ↗ (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]