Engineering License from Texas to Iowa: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing) ↗
A PE license transfers from Texas to Iowa by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing), verify your Texas license, and meet Iowa's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Iowa requires no separate state exam, though comity applicants must complete an ethics questionnaire (not a proctored exam).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Iowa grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Texas does not start over — but does file a full Iowa application. Your Texas license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Iowa's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Iowa requires no separate state exam, though comity applicants must complete an ethics questionnaire (not a proctored exam). Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Texas license active and unencumbered while the Iowa application is pending, and clearing any Iowa-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Texas → Iowa
| Texas (current) | Iowa (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $75 (TBPELS PE license application fee (covers the Texas Ethics of Engineering exam); a fingerprint-based criminal-history check is also required (fee paid to the state's fingerprint vendor). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES. Renewal is $100 for two years.) | $150 (Iowa application fee for licensure by comity (nonrefundable) per 193C IAC 2.1; a $15 initial PE certificate fee is charged separately, and transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES) |
| Processing time | ~8 weeks (TBPELS states an average application processing time of about two months (eight weeks) on its PE Application Process page, depending on the adequacy of the submittal; the ethics exam, NCEES Record, and fingerprint TX DPS/FBI criminal-history check must all clear before licensure (outgoing verification requests can separately take up to 30 business days).) | The board publishes no comity turnaround; applications are reviewed against the same education/experience criteria used for PE exam eligibility (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks) |
| Licensing authority | Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) | Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Iowa sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Iowa's current requirements on the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active license to practice engineering issued by another U.S. jurisdiction based on standards substantially equivalent to Iowa's.
- Submit an NCEES Record (accepted in lieu of references, transcripts, employment history, and exam verification) or provide those documents directly.
- Complete the notarized comity application and ethics questionnaire through the My Iowa PLB online portal.
- Show no disciplinary action; the board applies the same education/experience criteria used to judge PE exam eligibility.
- Pay the fees ($150 (Iowa application fee for licensure by comity (nonrefundable) per 193C IAC 2.1; a $15 initial PE certificate fee is charged separately, and transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES)) and allow The board publishes no comity turnaround; applications are reviewed against the same education/experience criteria used for PE exam eligibility (NCEES Record completion itself averages 2-3 weeks).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Iowa accept a Texas PE license?
A PE license transfers from Texas to Iowa by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing), verify your Texas license, and meet Iowa's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Iowa requires no separate state exam, though comity applicants must complete an ethics questionnaire (not a proctored exam).
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Texas to Iowa?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Iowa requires no separate state exam, though comity applicants must complete an ethics questionnaire (not a proctored exam).
What does the Texas-to-Iowa comity application cost?
$150 (Iowa application fee for licensure by comity (nonrefundable) per 193C IAC 2.1; a $15 initial PE certificate fee is charged separately, and transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board paid to NCEES).
Can I keep my Texas PE license after I'm licensed in Iowa?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Texas 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.
- Iowa DIAL — Engineers & Land Surveyors: Comity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa Admin. Code 193C ch. 2 — Fees and Charges (comity $150; initial certificate $15) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Iowa Admin. Code 481-1048.2 — Requirements for licensure by comity (recodified from 193C-4.2 eff. 6/24/26) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TBPELS — Basic Licensure Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TBPELS — Exam Waiver Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TBPELS — PE Application Process ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TBPELS — Agency Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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