Engineering License from California to Kansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (KSBTP) ↗
A PE license transfers from California to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (KSBTP), verify your California license, and meet Kansas's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Kansas requires no state-specific engineering exam, but it does NOT recognize the NCEES Model Law Engineer (MLE) designation, so every comity applicant must file the full long-form reciprocity application.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Kansas grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full Kansas application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (KSBTP) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Kansas's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Kansas requires no state-specific engineering exam, but it does NOT recognize the NCEES Model Law Engineer (MLE) designation, so every comity applicant must file the full long-form reciprocity application. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the Kansas application is pending, and clearing any Kansas-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, California → Kansas
| California (current) | Kansas (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)) | $250 (Kansas application fee for a license by reciprocity per K.A.R. 66-15-1; biennial active-license renewal is $70; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid 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 | KSBTP publishes no comity turnaround; the long-form reciprocity review requires full board evaluation of education, experience, and references |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (KSBTP) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (KSBTP) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (KSBTP) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license issued by another U.S. jurisdiction.
- File the long-form application for licensure by reciprocity (the MLE short-form path is not accepted in Kansas).
- Educational qualifications when the original license was issued must have met the Kansas requirements in effect on that date (K.A.R. 66-9-7).
- Submit references and documentation of engineering experience; maintain a clean disciplinary record.
- Pay the fees ($250 (Kansas application fee for a license by reciprocity per K.A.R. 66-15-1; biennial active-license renewal is $70; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES)) and allow KSBTP publishes no comity turnaround; the long-form reciprocity review requires full board evaluation of education, experience, and references.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (KSBTP), verify your California license, and meet Kansas's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Kansas requires no state-specific engineering exam, but it does NOT recognize the NCEES Model Law Engineer (MLE) designation, so every comity applicant must file the full long-form reciprocity application.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from California to Kansas?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Kansas requires no state-specific engineering exam, but it does NOT recognize the NCEES Model Law Engineer (MLE) designation, so every comity applicant must file the full long-form reciprocity application.
What does the California-to-Kansas comity application cost?
$250 (Kansas application fee for a license by reciprocity per K.A.R. 66-15-1; biennial active-license renewal is $70; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES).
Can I keep my California PE license after I'm licensed in Kansas?
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.
- KSBTP — Engineers (licensing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- KSBTP News — PE Reciprocity Requires Long Form (MLE no longer recognized) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- K.A.R. 66-15-1 — Fees (reciprocity $250; original $60; biennial renewal $70) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- K.A.R. 66-9-7 — Education standard for reciprocity applicants ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (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]