Engineering License from Illinois to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS) ↗
A PE license transfers from Illinois to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS), verify your Illinois license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Oregon requires no general state-specific exam for a comity PE applicant, though OSBEELS administers its own examinations for the PE-Forest and Photogrammetry disciplines specifically.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Oregon grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Illinois does not start over — but does file a full Oregon application. Your Illinois license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Oregon's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Oregon requires no general state-specific exam for a comity PE applicant, though OSBEELS administers its own examinations for the PE-Forest and Photogrammetry disciplines specifically. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Illinois license active and unencumbered while the Oregon application is pending, and clearing any Oregon-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Illinois → Oregon
| Illinois (current) | Oregon (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) | $400 (Registration application fee (OAR 820-080-0010); add $35 per additional branch of engineering sought. 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 | 8–16 weeks (OSBEELS states applications generally take 2 to 4 months depending on when the application is received relative to board meeting schedules.) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation — Board of Professional Engineers | Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Oregon has no separate reciprocity application; it registers an already-licensed out-of-state PE without re-testing if the applicant meets Oregon's registration requirements.
- Apply through the MyOSBEELS portal; an NCEES Record satisfies the education, exam, experience, and reference sections of the application.
- Hold an EAC/ABET-accredited bachelor's degree plus qualifying progressive experience (commonly four years).
- Provide professional references verifying qualifying engineering experience.
- Pay the fees ($400 (Registration application fee (OAR 820-080-0010); add $35 per additional branch of engineering sought. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES.)) and allow 8–16 weeks (OSBEELS states applications generally take 2 to 4 months depending on when the application is received relative to board meeting schedules.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon accept a Illinois PE license?
A PE license transfers from Illinois to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS), verify your Illinois license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Oregon requires no general state-specific exam for a comity PE applicant, though OSBEELS administers its own examinations for the PE-Forest and Photogrammetry disciplines specifically.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Illinois to Oregon?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Oregon requires no general state-specific exam for a comity PE applicant, though OSBEELS administers its own examinations for the PE-Forest and Photogrammetry disciplines specifically.
What does the Illinois-to-Oregon comity application cost?
$400 (Registration application fee (OAR 820-080-0010); add $35 per additional branch of engineering sought. 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 Oregon?
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.
- OSBEELS - Applications (Obtaining a License) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OSBEELS - FAQ: Obtaining a License (registration without re-testing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- OAR 820-080-0010 - OSBEELS Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES - Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]