Engineering License from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania does not start over — but does file a full Louisiana application. Your Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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, Pennsylvania → Louisiana
| Pennsylvania (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $50 (Certification, licensure or registration application fee (49 Pa. Code 37.17(b)); a provisional endorsement license may be issued while remaining requirements are completed. Transmitting an NCEES Record 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 | 4–6 weeks (Pennsylvania advises allowing approximately 4 to 6 weeks for initial review of an application submitted through pals.pa.gov.) | 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 | State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists | 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 Pennsylvania PE license?
A PE license transfers from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania-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 Pennsylvania PE license after I'm licensed in Louisiana?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Pennsylvania 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)
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 37 (fees 37.17; licensure by endorsement 37.20) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PA Dept. of State - Engineers, Land Surveyors, Geologists board ↗ (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]