Engineering License from Illinois to Nebraska: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects (BEA) ↗
A PE license transfers from Illinois to Nebraska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects (BEA), verify your Illinois license, and meet Nebraska's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or by direct verification from the issuing jurisdiction) and are not retaken; however, every comity applicant must also pass an open-book exam on the Nebraska Engineers and Architects Regulation Act and the Board's rules and regulations before a license is issued.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Nebraska grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Illinois does not start over — but does file a full Nebraska application. Your Illinois license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects (BEA) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Nebraska's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or by direct verification from the issuing jurisdiction) and are not retaken; however, every comity applicant must also pass an open-book exam on the Nebraska Engineers and Architects Regulation Act and the Board's rules and regulations before a license is issued. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Illinois license active and unencumbered while the Nebraska application is pending, and clearing any Nebraska-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Illinois → Nebraska
| Illinois (current) | Nebraska (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $100 ($100 Professional Engineer license application fee (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1380.275; the same single application fee applies to endorsement); renewal is $30 per year. Request that NCEES transmit your Record to Illinois — NCEES charges $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately) | $150 (Nebraska comity application fee (an initial-by-exam application is $100). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) |
| Processing time | IDFPR does not publish a guaranteed endorsement turnaround; the board's PE FAQ states that using an NCEES Record may shorten processing time | No comity turnaround published. Model Law Engineers on an NCEES Record with no disciplinary issues may receive a conditional license administratively pending formal Board approval; all other applications await full Board review |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Professional Engineers | Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects (BEA) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Nebraska sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Nebraska's current requirements on the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects (BEA) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects (BEA) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a PE license in good standing in at least one other jurisdiction recognized by the Board.
- Hold an EAC/ABET- or CEAB-accredited engineering degree (or meet the NCEES Engineering Education Standard via NCEES Credentials Evaluation), have passed both the FE and PE exams, and have four years of engineering experience after graduation.
- Submit the Engineer License Application (online or paper) with the filing fee, and have exam and license verification sent directly from the issuing jurisdiction(s); an NCEES Council Record may satisfy education, experience, and references.
- Pass the mailed exam on the Nebraska Engineers and Architects Regulation Act and Board rules before licensure.
- Pay the fees ($150 (Nebraska comity application fee (an initial-by-exam application is $100). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow No comity turnaround published. Model Law Engineers on an NCEES Record with no disciplinary issues may receive a conditional license administratively pending formal Board approval; all other applications await full Board review.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Nebraska accept a Illinois PE license?
A PE license transfers from Illinois to Nebraska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects (BEA), verify your Illinois license, and meet Nebraska's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or by direct verification from the issuing jurisdiction) and are not retaken; however, every comity applicant must also pass an open-book exam on the Nebraska Engineers and Architects Regulation Act and the Board's rules and regulations before a license is issued.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Illinois to Nebraska?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or by direct verification from the issuing jurisdiction) and are not retaken; however, every comity applicant must also pass an open-book exam on the Nebraska Engineers and Architects Regulation Act and the Board's rules and regulations before a license is issued.
What does the Illinois-to-Nebraska comity application cost?
$150 (Nebraska comity application fee (an initial-by-exam application is $100). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my Illinois PE license after I'm licensed in Nebraska?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Illinois 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.
- Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects — Comity qualifications & application process ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects — Engineer fees ($150 comity, $100 initial) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity transmittal fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Professional Engineering Frequently Asked Questions (endorsement pathway, FE/PE requirement, NCEES Record, PE vs SE) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ill. Admin. Code tit. 68, § 1380.275 — Fees (Professional Engineer license $100) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Professional Engineering (Practice Act, rules, application forms) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (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]