Engineering License from Tennessee to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗
A PE license transfers from Tennessee to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Tennessee license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Michigan grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Tennessee does not start over — but does file a full Michigan application. Your Tennessee license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Michigan's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Tennessee license active and unencumbered while the Michigan application is pending, and clearing any Michigan-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Tennessee → Michigan
| Tennessee (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $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.) | $75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES) |
| Processing time | No comity turnaround published; complete applications are reviewed by the board (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks). | LARA/Board publishes no comity turnaround; out-of-state (endorsement) applications are reviewed by the Board of Professional Engineers. NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks |
| Licensing authority | Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (TN Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) | Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a PE license in another state with qualifications equivalent to Michigan's licensure requirements.
- Submit an NCEES Record (or NCEES certification) transmitted to LARA.
- Meet the underlying standard: an ABET-accredited engineering degree, the FE and PE exams, and 4 years of qualifying experience.
- Pay the fees ($75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow LARA/Board publishes no comity turnaround; out-of-state (endorsement) applications are reviewed by the Board of Professional Engineers. NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a Tennessee PE license?
A PE license transfers from Tennessee to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Professional Engineers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Tennessee license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Tennessee to Michigan?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Michigan also accepts NCEES certification. Michigan has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam for engineers.
What does the Tennessee-to-Michigan comity application cost?
$75–$115 (Per the Michigan State License Fee Act (MCL 338.2213): a $35 application processing fee plus a license fee of $40 per year, prorated for the time remaining in the biennial cycle (up to $80), so the amount due at initial licensure by endorsement runs roughly $75-$115. Biennial renewal is $80. (Statute lowers these to a $30 application processing fee and $20/year license fee after Sept 30, 2027.) Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my Tennessee PE license after I'm licensed in Michigan?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Tennessee 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.
- Michigan LARA — Engineers, Professional (Board page) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan MCL 338.2213 — Architect, Professional Engineer, or Land Surveyor; Fees (State License Fee Act) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Professional Engineer Licensing Guide (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]