Engineering License from California to South Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: South Dakota Board of Technical Professions ↗
A PE license transfers from California to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions, verify your California license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; South Dakota accepts a verified NCEES record as evidence of meeting comity requirements and requires no additional state engineering exam.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
South Dakota grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in California does not start over — but does file a full South Dakota application. Your California license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet South Dakota's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; South Dakota accepts a verified NCEES record as evidence of meeting comity requirements and requires no additional state engineering exam. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your California license active and unencumbered while the South Dakota application is pending, and clearing any South Dakota-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, California → South Dakota
| California (current) | South 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)) | $100 (SD Board of Technical Professions comity/reciprocity individual application fee; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES. Individual biennial renewal is $80.) |
| 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 of Technical Professions publishes no comity turnaround; comity applications are processed once license verification (or the NCEES record) is received. |
| Licensing authority | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) | South Dakota Board of Technical Professions |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold and verify an active PE license in another U.S. state (or foreign country).
- Submit a verified NCEES record (accepted as evidence of meeting comity requirements) or complete the ARSD 20:38:29 application items.
- Be fully licensed by the board before offering or practicing engineering in South Dakota.
- Meet the underlying degree-and-experience standard (EAC/ABET degree plus qualifying experience under SDCL 36-18A).
- Pay the fees ($100 (SD Board of Technical Professions comity/reciprocity individual application fee; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES. Individual biennial renewal is $80.)) and allow The Board of Technical Professions publishes no comity turnaround; comity applications are processed once license verification (or the NCEES record) is received..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does South Dakota accept a California PE license?
A PE license transfers from California to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions, verify your California license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; South Dakota accepts a verified NCEES record as evidence of meeting comity requirements and requires no additional state engineering exam.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from California to South Dakota?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; South Dakota accepts a verified NCEES record as evidence of meeting comity requirements and requires no additional state engineering exam.
What does the California-to-South Dakota comity application cost?
$100 (SD Board of Technical Professions comity/reciprocity individual application fee; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES. Individual biennial renewal is $80.).
Can I keep my California PE license after I'm licensed in South 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.
- SD Board of Technical Professions — Comity/Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SD Board of Technical Professions — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- S.D. Admin. R. 20:38:34:01 — Comity licensure (via Cornell LII) ↗ (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]