Engineering License from Ohio to California: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) ↗
A PE license transfers from Ohio to California by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG), verify your Ohio license, and meet California's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; however, every PE applicant (including comity) must complete California's Laws and Rules Examination on the Professional Engineers Act (B&P Code 6700-6799) and Board Rules (16 CCR 400-476), which appears on the applicant dashboard after the application is submitted; civil-engineering applicants must also pass the California-specific Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exams (these two do NOT apply to non-civil disciplines such as mechanical or electrical).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
California grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Ohio does not start over — but does file a full California application. Your Ohio license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet California's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; however, every PE applicant (including comity) must complete California's Laws and Rules Examination on the Professional Engineers Act (B&P Code 6700-6799) and Board Rules (16 CCR 400-476), which appears on the applicant dashboard after the application is submitted; civil-engineering applicants must also pass the California-specific Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exams (these two do NOT apply to non-civil disciplines such as mechanical or electrical). Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Ohio license active and unencumbered while the California application is pending, and clearing any California-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Ohio → California
| Ohio (current) | California (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $415 (Engineering reciprocity (comity) application fee from the board's published fee schedule; a $50 PE final registration fee is due on issuance and renewal is $40 per biennium. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES.) | $175–$250 (Board PE application fee was $175 and rose to $250 effective July 1, 2026 (amended 16 CCR sec. 407); because the 2026-07-21 data date is after that effective date, $250 is the operative amount, though the official fee page still labeled $175 as 'current' at access — confirm the operative amount. Civil applicants also pay the Board's Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exam fees ($175 each, rising to $250 each on 7/1/2026). NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES; biennial renewal is $180 (rising to $250 on 7/1/2026)) |
| Processing time | The board publishes no comity turnaround on a directly accessible page; comity applications are reviewed administratively once the out-of-state verification/NCEES Record is received (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks). | No board-published comity turnaround; the application undergoes technical review and the applicant becomes eligible for any required state-specific exams (offered in limited quarterly windows) only after that review is approved, so total time varies widely |
| Licensing authority | Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors | California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — California sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm California's current requirements on the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a PE license from another state obtained under requirements the Board deems equivalent to California's.
- Apply through BPELSG Connect and verify out-of-state licensure and exams via NCEES (an NCEES Record may replace references and transcripts for comity applicants).
- Pass the California Laws and Rules Examination.
- Civil engineers only: pass the California Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exams.
- Underlying standard: qualifying engineering education plus qualifying experience per Business & Professions Code sections 6751(c) and 6753.
- Pay the fees ($175–$250 (Board PE application fee was $175 and rose to $250 effective July 1, 2026 (amended 16 CCR sec. 407); because the 2026-07-21 data date is after that effective date, $250 is the operative amount, though the official fee page still labeled $175 as 'current' at access — confirm the operative amount. Civil applicants also pay the Board's Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exam fees ($175 each, rising to $250 each on 7/1/2026). NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES; biennial renewal is $180 (rising to $250 on 7/1/2026))) and allow No board-published comity turnaround; the application undergoes technical review and the applicant becomes eligible for any required state-specific exams (offered in limited quarterly windows) only after that review is approved, so total time varies widely.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does California accept a Ohio PE license?
A PE license transfers from Ohio to California by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG), verify your Ohio license, and meet California's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; however, every PE applicant (including comity) must complete California's Laws and Rules Examination on the Professional Engineers Act (B&P Code 6700-6799) and Board Rules (16 CCR 400-476), which appears on the applicant dashboard after the application is submitted; civil-engineering applicants must also pass the California-specific Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exams (these two do NOT apply to non-civil disciplines such as mechanical or electrical).
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Ohio to California?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; however, every PE applicant (including comity) must complete California's Laws and Rules Examination on the Professional Engineers Act (B&P Code 6700-6799) and Board Rules (16 CCR 400-476), which appears on the applicant dashboard after the application is submitted; civil-engineering applicants must also pass the California-specific Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exams (these two do NOT apply to non-civil disciplines such as mechanical or electrical).
What does the Ohio-to-California comity application cost?
$175–$250 (Board PE application fee was $175 and rose to $250 effective July 1, 2026 (amended 16 CCR sec. 407); because the 2026-07-21 data date is after that effective date, $250 is the operative amount, though the official fee page still labeled $175 as 'current' at access — confirm the operative amount. Civil applicants also pay the Board's Seismic Principles and Engineering Surveying exam fees ($175 each, rising to $250 each on 7/1/2026). NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES; biennial renewal is $180 (rising to $250 on 7/1/2026)).
Can I keep my Ohio PE license after I'm licensed in California?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Ohio 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.
- California BPELSG — Application Fees (PE $175, rising to $250 on 7/1/2026; state exam fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — Licensee Fee Schedule (renewal $180 -> $250 on 7/1/2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — PE Application Instructions (Laws & Rules exam; comity NCEES Record option) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BPELSG — Professional Engineer Application overview (comity applicants) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ohio State Board of Registration for PE&S - Board Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ohio Admin. Code 4733-13-01 - Comity and temporary registration ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ohio Rev. Code 4733.19 - Reciprocity ↗ (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]