Engineering License from Virginia to New York: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) ↗
A PE license transfers from Virginia to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions), verify your Virginia license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; endorsement requires that your original license was issued upon a written examination equivalent to New York's, and there is no state jurisprudence exam; note that New York will not accept professional experience self-endorsed by the applicant, so the NCEES Record must be verified before transmission.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
New York grants PE licensure by comity, so a Professional Engineer licensed in Virginia does not start over — but does file a full New York application. Your Virginia license, ABET degree, qualifying experience, and FE and PE results reach the New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) through your NCEES Record; the board's task is to confirm they meet New York's practice act, not to re-test you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; endorsement requires that your original license was issued upon a written examination equivalent to New York's, and there is no state jurisprudence exam; note that New York will not accept professional experience self-endorsed by the applicant, so the NCEES Record must be verified before transmission. Two things govern your timeline: keeping your Virginia license active and unencumbered while the New York application is pending, and clearing any New York-specific exam or statutes review before the license issues.
What changes, Virginia → New York
| Virginia (current) | New York (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | The pre-8/1/2025 PE license-by-comity application fee under 18VAC10-20-170 was $60 (initial and comity both $60; renewal $80). An APELSCIDLA fee-schedule amendment took effect 8/1/2025 that raised fees, so the current comity fee is higher; the exact current amount could not be confirmed on an official page because the Virginia Administrative Code portal (law.lis.virginia.gov), DPOR site, and Virginia Register were all unreachable from the research environment. Secondary reporting of the official DPOR APELSCIDLA fee-adjustment table indicates the post-8/1/2025 PE application fee is $120 (renewal $160), but this is unverified against an official page and is deliberately left out of the range pending confirmation. NCEES Record transmittal is $175 first board / $100 each additional, paid to NCEES. | $377 (NY fee for licensure and first registration is $377 (the same fee applies to the endorsement pathway); transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES) |
| Processing time | APELSCIDLA/DPOR publishes no comity turnaround on reachable pages; comity applications are reviewed by board staff once the education, experience, examination, and license verifications are received. | The NYSED Office of the Professions does not publish a comity/endorsement processing time on its engineering pages |
| Licensing authority | Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects (APELSCIDLA), Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) | New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New York sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New York's current requirements on the New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a PE license or certificate from another U.S. state or jurisdiction issued upon a written examination equivalent to New York's.
- Meet all New York licensure requirements except examination, including professional education and satisfactory experience.
- Submit Form 1 and have NCEES transmit your verified NCEES Record to the Department (or file Form 2 certification of education and Form 3 verification of out-of-state licensure and examination).
- Be of good moral character.
- Pay the fees ($377 (NY fee for licensure and first registration is $377 (the same fee applies to the endorsement pathway); transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES)) and allow The NYSED Office of the Professions does not publish a comity/endorsement processing time on its engineering pages.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New York accept a Virginia PE license?
A PE license transfers from Virginia to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Board for Engineering, Land Surveying and Geology (NYSED Office of the Professions), verify your Virginia license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; endorsement requires that your original license was issued upon a written examination equivalent to New York's, and there is no state jurisprudence exam; note that New York will not accept professional experience self-endorsed by the applicant, so the NCEES Record must be verified before transmission.
Do I retake the FE or PE exam moving from Virginia to New York?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record and are not retaken; endorsement requires that your original license was issued upon a written examination equivalent to New York's, and there is no state jurisprudence exam; note that New York will not accept professional experience self-endorsed by the applicant, so the NCEES Record must be verified before transmission.
What does the Virginia-to-New York comity application cost?
$377 (NY fee for licensure and first registration is $377 (the same fee applies to the endorsement pathway); transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid separately to NCEES).
Can I keep my Virginia PE license after I'm licensed in New York?
Yes — PE licenses stack. Keep the Virginia 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.
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Engineering License Requirements (endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Engineering License Application Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NCEES — Records Program (comity licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC10-20-270 — Licensure by comity (Cornell LII reproduction of the official Virginia code) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC10-20-170 — Fee schedule, pre-8/1/2025 (Cornell LII reproduction) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC10-20-270 (official portal — unreachable at research time, cited as authority) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Virginia DPOR — APELSCIDLA Board / PE License Application (A416-0402LIC) ↗ (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]