Engineering License from North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina does not start over — but does file a full Tennessee application. Your North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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, North Carolina → Tennessee
| North Carolina (current) | Tennessee (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) | $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 | 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) | No comity turnaround published; complete applications are reviewed by the board (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks). |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS) | 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 North Carolina PE license?
A PE license transfers from North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina-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 North Carolina PE license after I'm licensed in Tennessee?
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.
- 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)
- 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
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