Engineering License from New York to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) ↗
A PE license transfers from New York to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance), verify your New York license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken (references under two years old, transcripts, and verifications in the Record are accepted); Tennessee requires no separate state jurisprudence exam.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Tennessee grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in New York does not start over — but does file a full Tennessee application. Your New York license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Tennessee's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken (references under two years old, transcripts, and verifications in the Record are accepted); Tennessee requires no separate state jurisprudence exam. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your New York license active and unencumbered while the Tennessee application is pending, and clearing any Tennessee-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, New York → Tennessee
| New York (current) | Tennessee (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $377 (NY fee for licensure and first registration is $377 (the same fee applies to the endorsement pathway); transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) | $55 (Tennessee 'application by comity' fee; a separate $140 biennial registration fee is collected upon licensure. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES.) |
| Processing time | The NYSED Office of the Professions does not publish a comity/endorsement processing time on its engineering pages | No comity turnaround published; complete applications are reviewed by the board (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks). |
| Licensing authority | New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) | Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Tennessee sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Meet Tennessee's minimum registration requirements (Tennessee grants comity, not automatic reciprocity).
- Hold an active license in at least one other U.S. jurisdiction (or submit an NCEES Record).
- Submit an NCEES Record, or provide transcripts, license verifications, and employment references.
- Have passed the NCEES PE examination (and the FE where required for the qualifying pathway).
- Pay the fees ($55 (Tennessee 'application by comity' fee; a separate $140 biennial registration fee is collected upon licensure. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES.)) and allow No comity turnaround published; complete applications are reviewed by the board (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks)..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee accept a New York PE license?
A PE license transfers from New York to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance), verify your New York license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken (references under two years old, transcripts, and verifications in the Record are accepted); Tennessee requires no separate state jurisprudence exam.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from New York to Tennessee?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken (references under two years old, transcripts, and verifications in the Record are accepted); Tennessee requires no separate state jurisprudence exam.
What does the New York-to-Tennessee comity application cost?
$55 (Tennessee 'application by comity' fee; a separate $140 biennial registration fee is collected upon licensure. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES.).
Can I keep my New York PE license after I'm licensed in Tennessee?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the New York 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.
- TN Board of Architectural & Engineering Examiners — Engineers (how to get licensed / comity) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TN Board of Architectural & Engineering Examiners — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Engineering License Requirements (endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Engineering License 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]