Engineering License from Utah to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists ↗
A PE license transfers from Utah to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists, verify your Utah license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Pennsylvania requires no state-specific engineering exam for endorsement (state-specific exams apply only to land surveyors).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Pennsylvania grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Utah does not start over — but does file a full Pennsylvania application. Your Utah license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet Pennsylvania's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Pennsylvania requires no state-specific engineering exam for endorsement (state-specific exams apply only to land surveyors). Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Utah license active and unencumbered while the Pennsylvania application is pending, and clearing any Pennsylvania-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Utah → Pennsylvania
| Utah (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | Utah DOPL charges its standard PE application fee plus a $10 Education/Enforcement Fund surcharge per the DOPL Fee Schedule; the exact amount is left null because the official fee-schedule PDF could not be opened (server 403) and search snippets conflicted (about $90 vs about $110 + surcharge). Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid separately to NCEES. | $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.) |
| Processing time | Utah DOPL publishes no endorsement turnaround on the engineering pages; processing begins once the NCEES Record or license verification is received. | 4–6 weeks (Pennsylvania advises allowing approximately 4 to 6 weeks for initial review of an application submitted through pals.pa.gov.) |
| Licensing authority | Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors Licensing Board | State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current PE license in good standing in another jurisdiction whose standards are substantially equivalent to or exceed Pennsylvania's (49 Pa. Code 37.20; 63 Pa.C.S. 3111).
- Submit a copy of the current law/regulation governing licensure and scope of practice in the jurisdiction that issued the license.
- Demonstrate competency by active practice for at least 2 of the last 5 years OR completion of 24 professional development hours in the prior 24 months.
- Have no disqualifying disciplinary or criminal history; the board may require a personal interview (video permitted for good cause).
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 4–6 weeks (Pennsylvania advises allowing approximately 4 to 6 weeks for initial review of an application submitted through pals.pa.gov.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Utah PE license?
A PE license transfers from Utah to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists, verify your Utah license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Pennsylvania requires no state-specific engineering exam for endorsement (state-specific exams apply only to land surveyors).
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Utah to Pennsylvania?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; Pennsylvania requires no state-specific engineering exam for endorsement (state-specific exams apply only to land surveyors).
What does the Utah-to-Pennsylvania comity application cost?
$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.).
Can I keep my Utah PE license after I'm licensed in Pennsylvania?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Utah 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.
- 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)
- NCEES - Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Utah DOPL — PE Out-of-State Applicants Applying by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Utah DOPL — Division of Professional Licensing Fee Schedule (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 22 — Professional Engineers & Professional Land Surveyors Licensing Act ↗ (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]