Engineering License from North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina does not start over — but does file a full New Hampshire application. Your North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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, North Carolina → New Hampshire
| North Carolina (current) | New Hampshire (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) | $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 | 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) | 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 | North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS) | 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 North Carolina PE license?
A PE license transfers from North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina-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 North Carolina PE license after I'm licensed in New Hampshire?
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.
- 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)
- NCBELS — Initial or Comity PE Licensure ↗ (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]