Engineering License from Michigan to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) ↗
A PE license transfers from Michigan to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC), verify your Michigan license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; under HB 594 endorsement, an applicant holding an active, good-standing license from a substantially similar jurisdiction need not even submit exam results, transcripts, experience, or references. No state seismic or surveying exam applies.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
New Hampshire grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Michigan does not start over — but does file a full New Hampshire application. Your Michigan license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet New Hampshire's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; under HB 594 endorsement, an applicant holding an active, good-standing license from a substantially similar jurisdiction need not even submit exam results, transcripts, experience, or references. No state seismic or surveying exam applies. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Michigan license active and unencumbered while the New Hampshire application is pending, and clearing any New Hampshire-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Michigan → New Hampshire
| Michigan (current) | New Hampshire (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES) | $165 (New Hampshire PE application fee per the OPLC engineers' fee schedule (renewal is also $165). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) |
| Processing time | LARA/Board publishes no comity turnaround; out-of-state (endorsement) applications are reviewed by the Board of Professional Engineers. NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks | OPLC publishes no PE endorsement turnaround; HB 594 reciprocity is designed as a streamlined pathway but no time figure is stated on an official page |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) | New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license in good standing from a jurisdiction whose licensing requirements are substantially similar to New Hampshire's (HB 594 endorsement / reciprocity).
- Submit the online application with the application fee and a copy of the license from the qualifying jurisdiction.
- Complete a criminal background check if indicated.
- Standard (non-reciprocity) applicants must additionally complete the board's Law and Ethics Questionnaire and reference form.
- Pay the fees ($165 (New Hampshire PE application fee per the OPLC engineers' fee schedule (renewal is also $165). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow OPLC publishes no PE endorsement turnaround; HB 594 reciprocity is designed as a streamlined pathway but no time figure is stated on an official page.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire accept a Michigan PE license?
A PE license transfers from Michigan to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC), verify your Michigan license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; under HB 594 endorsement, an applicant holding an active, good-standing license from a substantially similar jurisdiction need not even submit exam results, transcripts, experience, or references. No state seismic or surveying exam applies.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Michigan to New Hampshire?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; under HB 594 endorsement, an applicant holding an active, good-standing license from a substantially similar jurisdiction need not even submit exam results, transcripts, experience, or references. No state seismic or surveying exam applies.
What does the Michigan-to-New Hampshire comity application cost?
$165 (New Hampshire PE application fee per the OPLC engineers' fee schedule (renewal is also $165). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my Michigan PE license after I'm licensed in New Hampshire?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Michigan 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.
- NH OPLC — Reciprocity Licensing (HB 594 endorsement pathway) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC Board of Professional Engineers — Engineers' License Fees ($165 application) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC Board of Professional Engineers — Engineers' Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity transmittal fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Engineers, Professional (Board page) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan MCL 338.2213 — Architect, Professional Engineer, or Land Surveyor; Fees (State License Fee Act) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Professional Engineer Licensing Guide (PDF) ↗ (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]