Engineering License from Illinois to Nevada: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS) ↗
A PE license transfers from Illinois to Nevada by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS), verify your Illinois license, and meet Nevada's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Nevada requires no state seismic, surveying, or jurisprudence exam for PE comity.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Nevada grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Illinois does not start over — but does file a full Nevada application. Your Illinois license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Nevada's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Nevada requires no state seismic, surveying, or jurisprudence exam for PE comity. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Illinois license active and unencumbered while the Nevada application is pending, and clearing any Nevada-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Illinois → Nevada
| Illinois (current) | Nevada (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) | $125 (Nevada board comity application fee; a pro-rated license fee is billed after approval and active military members/spouses pay $0. 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 | ~1 weeks (Board states administrative review of a complete application generally takes about 5 business days (roughly one week), depending on packet volume; overall timing also depends on NCEES Record completion) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Professional Engineers | Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Nevada sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Nevada's current requirements on the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license in another U.S. jurisdiction and apply by comity with an NCEES Record (education/transcripts, FE and PE exam verification, and verified work experience).
- Provide five professional references, at least four of which are from licensed Professional Engineers.
- Underlying standard: an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering degree plus qualifying engineering experience documented in the NCEES Record.
- Pay the fees ($125 (Nevada board comity application fee; a pro-rated license fee is billed after approval and active military members/spouses pay $0. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow ~1 weeks (Board states administrative review of a complete application generally takes about 5 business days (roughly one week), depending on packet volume; overall timing also depends on NCEES Record completion).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Nevada accept a Illinois PE license?
A PE license transfers from Illinois to Nevada by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NVBPELS), verify your Illinois license, and meet Nevada's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Nevada requires no state seismic, surveying, or jurisprudence exam for PE comity.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Illinois to Nevada?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Nevada requires no state seismic, surveying, or jurisprudence exam for PE comity.
What does the Illinois-to-Nevada comity application cost?
$125 (Nevada board comity application fee; a pro-rated license fee is billed after approval and active military members/spouses pay $0. 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 Nevada?
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.
- NVBPELS — PE Comity application (fee, references, administrative review time) ↗ (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]