Engineering License from California to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) ↗
A PE license transfers from California to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC), verify your California license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; under HB 594 endorsement, an applicant holding an active, good-standing license from a substantially similar jurisdiction need not even submit exam results, transcripts, experience, or references. No state seismic or surveying exam applies.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
New Hampshire grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full New Hampshire application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet New Hampshire's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; under HB 594 endorsement, an applicant holding an active, good-standing license from a substantially similar jurisdiction need not even submit exam results, transcripts, experience, or references. No state seismic or surveying exam applies. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the New Hampshire application is pending, and clearing any New Hampshire-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, California → New Hampshire
| California (current) | New Hampshire (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)) | $165 (New Hampshire PE application fee per the OPLC engineers' fee schedule (renewal is also $165). 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 | OPLC publishes no PE endorsement turnaround; HB 594 reciprocity is designed as a streamlined pathway but no time figure is stated on an official page |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license in good standing from a jurisdiction whose licensing requirements are substantially similar to New Hampshire's (HB 594 endorsement / reciprocity).
- Submit the online application with the application fee and a copy of the license from the qualifying jurisdiction.
- Complete a criminal background check if indicated.
- Standard (non-reciprocity) applicants must additionally complete the board's Law and Ethics Questionnaire and reference form.
- Pay the fees ($165 (New Hampshire PE application fee per the OPLC engineers' fee schedule (renewal is also $165). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow OPLC publishes no PE endorsement turnaround; HB 594 reciprocity is designed as a streamlined pathway but no time figure is stated on an official page.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC), verify your California license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; under HB 594 endorsement, an applicant holding an active, good-standing license from a substantially similar jurisdiction need not even submit exam results, transcripts, experience, or references. No state seismic or surveying exam applies.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from California to New Hampshire?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; under HB 594 endorsement, an applicant holding an active, good-standing license from a substantially similar jurisdiction need not even submit exam results, transcripts, experience, or references. No state seismic or surveying exam applies.
What does the California-to-New Hampshire comity application cost?
$165 (New Hampshire PE application fee per the OPLC engineers' fee schedule (renewal is also $165). 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 New Hampshire?
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.
- NH OPLC — Reciprocity Licensing (HB 594 endorsement pathway) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC Board of Professional Engineers — Engineers' License Fees ($165 application) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC Board of Professional Engineers — Engineers' Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity transmittal fees) ↗ (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]