Engineering License from California to Minnesota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID) ↗
A PE license transfers from California to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID), verify your California license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or are verified via account.ncees.org) and are not retaken; Minnesota has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Minnesota grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full Minnesota application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Minnesota's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or are verified via account.ncees.org) and are not retaken; Minnesota has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the Minnesota application is pending, and clearing any Minnesota-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, California → Minnesota
| California (current) | Minnesota (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)) | $75–$195 (Comity/EEE application fee is $75; upon approval the license fee is $120 (= $195 total). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, 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 | The Board does not publish a specific comity turnaround; completed comity applications are reviewed on a rolling basis (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks). EEE applicants have three years from the original application date to complete experience documentation or must reapply |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Minnesota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Minnesota's current requirements on the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Submit an NCEES Record, or otherwise provide FE/PE exam score verification, proof of out-of-state licensure, and education verification (transcripts or an education evaluation).
- Meet the underlying standard: an ABET-accredited engineering degree plus 4 years of qualifying engineering experience (one year = at least 12 months and 2,000 hours).
- Pay the fees ($75–$195 (Comity/EEE application fee is $75; upon approval the license fee is $120 (= $195 total). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow The Board does not publish a specific comity turnaround; completed comity applications are reviewed on a rolling basis (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks). EEE applicants have three years from the original application date to complete experience documentation or must reapply.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Minnesota accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID), verify your California license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or are verified via account.ncees.org) and are not retaken; Minnesota has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from California to Minnesota?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or are verified via account.ncees.org) and are not retaken; Minnesota has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.
What does the California-to-Minnesota comity application cost?
$75–$195 (Comity/EEE application fee is $75; upon approval the license fee is $120 (= $195 total). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my California PE license after I'm licensed in Minnesota?
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.
- Minnesota Board of AELSLAGID — Professional Engineering (comity/EEE, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minnesota Board of AELSLAGID — Professional Engineering Application by Comity or EEE (instructions PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minnesota Rules ch. 1800 (Board of AELSLAGID) ↗ (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]