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LicenseReciprocity

Engineering License from California to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NDPELS) ↗

A PE license transfers from California to North Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NDPELS), verify your California license, and meet North Dakota's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or direct board-to-board verification) and are not retaken; North Dakota has no state-specific engineering examination (its state-specific exam applies only to land surveyors), though the board may include code-of-ethics questions.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

North Dakota grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full North Dakota application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NDPELS) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet North Dakota's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or direct board-to-board verification) and are not retaken; North Dakota has no state-specific engineering examination (its state-specific exam applies only to land surveyors), though the board may include code-of-ethics questions. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the North Dakota application is pending, and clearing any North Dakota-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.

What changes, California → North Dakota

Side-by-side: California vs North Dakota (Engineering (PE)), verified 2026-07-21
California (current)North Dakota (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))$150 (N.D. Admin Code 28-02.1-10-02 sets the professional engineer registration fee at a maximum of $150, which applies to endorsement registration; the board publishes no separate comity fee. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)
Processing timeNo 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 widely6–8 weeks (Board states standard processing is 6-8 weeks from receipt of a completed application; an application from an applicant holding an NCEES Model Law designation is generally processed within 1-2 workdays)
Licensing authorityCalifornia Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG)North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NDPELS)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Dakota sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NDPELS) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NDPELS) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a valid PE license in another U.S. jurisdiction (North Dakota grants licensure by endorsement, not reciprocity).
  5. Submit a verified NCEES Record (transmitted to the board within one year of application), or supply transcripts, experience, exam verifications, and references directly — a Record may be accepted in lieu of those items but is not mandatory.
  6. Provide five references, at least three from professional engineers, dated within the last year (a Model Law designation satisfies the reference requirement regardless of date).
  7. Document experience that is current with no gaps exceeding 90 days.
  8. Pay the fees ($150 (N.D. Admin Code 28-02.1-10-02 sets the professional engineer registration fee at a maximum of $150, which applies to endorsement registration; the board publishes no separate comity fee. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow 6–8 weeks (Board states standard processing is 6-8 weeks from receipt of a completed application; an application from an applicant holding an NCEES Model Law designation is generally processed within 1-2 workdays).

Official links

North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NDPELS) ↗North Dakota application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: North Dakota → CaliforniaEngineering in CaliforniaEngineering in North DakotaAll engineering states

Frequently asked questions

Does North Dakota accept a California PE license?

A PE license transfers from California to North Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NDPELS), verify your California license, and meet North Dakota's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or direct board-to-board verification) and are not retaken; North Dakota has no state-specific engineering examination (its state-specific exam applies only to land surveyors), though the board may include code-of-ethics questions.

Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from California to North Dakota?

FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or direct board-to-board verification) and are not retaken; North Dakota has no state-specific engineering examination (its state-specific exam applies only to land surveyors), though the board may include code-of-ethics questions.

What does the California-to-North Dakota comity application cost?

$150 (N.D. Admin Code 28-02.1-10-02 sets the professional engineer registration fee at a maximum of $150, which applies to endorsement registration; the board publishes no separate comity fee. 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 North Dakota?

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.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]