Engineering License from North Carolina to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) ↗
A PE license transfers from North Carolina to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS), verify your North Carolina license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Louisiana requires no separate state engineering exam for comity applicants.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Louisiana grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in North Carolina does not start over — but does file a full Louisiana application. Your North Carolina license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Louisiana's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Louisiana requires no separate state engineering exam for comity applicants. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your North Carolina license active and unencumbered while the Louisiana application is pending, and clearing any Louisiana-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, North Carolina → Louisiana
| North Carolina (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $100 (NC comity application fee (non-refundable); transmitting an NCEES Record to the board costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) | $200 (LAPELS 'Professional Engineer by Comity' application fee per the board fee schedule; biennial PE renewal is $140; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES) |
| Processing time | NCBELS publishes no comity turnaround; comity applications are administratively approved by the Executive Director once the NCEES Record and references are received (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks) | LAPELS publishes no comity turnaround; applications are filed and reviewed through the LOLA online portal (lola.lapels.com) once the NCEES Record and references are received |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS) | Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a PE license in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction and have NCEES transmit your NCEES Record to LAPELS.
- Hold an EAC/ABET-accredited bachelor's degree with four years of progressive experience (non-ABET degrees require an NCEES Credentials Evaluation and 8 years, or 4 years after a qualifying master's).
- Provide five personal references, at least three from individuals holding an active PE license.
- Maintain a disciplinary record free of violations in any jurisdiction.
- Pay the fees ($200 (LAPELS 'Professional Engineer by Comity' application fee per the board fee schedule; biennial PE renewal is $140; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES)) and allow LAPELS publishes no comity turnaround; applications are filed and reviewed through the LOLA online portal (lola.lapels.com) once the NCEES Record and references are received.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana accept a North Carolina PE license?
A PE license transfers from North Carolina to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS), verify your North Carolina license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Louisiana requires no separate state engineering exam for comity applicants.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from North Carolina to Louisiana?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Louisiana requires no separate state engineering exam for comity applicants.
What does the North Carolina-to-Louisiana comity application cost?
$200 (LAPELS 'Professional Engineer by Comity' application fee per the board fee schedule; biennial PE renewal is $140; transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES).
Can I keep my North Carolina PE license after I'm licensed in Louisiana?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the North Carolina 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.
- LAPELS — Individual Applications (PE by comity paths) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LAPELS — Fee Schedule (Professional Engineer by Comity $200; PE renewal $140) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCBELS — Initial or Comity PE 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]