Transfer Your Engineering License to West Virginia: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) ↗
West Virginia grants PE licensure by comity — its term for endorsement — to an out-of-state Professional Engineer in good standing: the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) reviews the credentials in your NCEES Record instead of re-examining you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or NCEES electronic verification / Verification of Examination-Licensure form) and are not retaken; West Virginia has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam. Application fee: $135 (West Virginia comity/reciprocity application fee is $135 (check payable to the WV Board of Registration for Professional Engineers; all fees non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $63. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid to NCEES.).
Moving to West Virginia from a specific state?
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Comity is West Virginia's normal route for an already-licensed engineer, and the word describes what the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) actually does: it extends professional courtesy to your existing PE license after confirming your record meets West Virginia's practice act, rather than re-examining you. The lever that makes this smooth is your NCEES Record — NCEES compiles your transcripts, experience, references, and FE/PE results and transmits them straight to West Virginia, and a Model Law Engineer designation speeds many boards further. One prerequisite is absolute: your current license must be active and unencumbered, so clear any open disciplinary matter before you file.
Read the exam line on this page closely before you assume the move is exam-free. Most boards add nothing to the FE and PE, but a few require a state-specific examination — seismic, surveying, or a statutes-and-rules review — that comity does not waive, and where West Virginia requires one it is listed above rather than folded silently into the process.
West Virginia grants comity to a PE who holds an active license in the state where they currently reside/work and who has passed the FE and PE exams. NCEES Record holders are exempt from separately supplying references, transcripts, employer verifications, and exam scores. No state-specific exam. Fees verified on the official board fee page and the application instructions PDF (rev. 2-2023).
West Virginia requirements at a glance
| Exam | FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or NCEES electronic verification / Verification of Examination-Licensure form) and are not retaken; West Virginia has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $135 (West Virginia comity/reciprocity application fee is $135 (check payable to the WV Board of Registration for Professional Engineers; all fees non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $63. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid to NCEES.) |
| Processing time | WVPEBD publishes no comity turnaround; the application is processed once all sealed verifications, references, and transcripts (or a transmitted NCEES Record) are received. |
Step by step
- Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active PE license in the U.S. state where you currently reside and/or work, verified as currently active.
- Verify passage of both the NCEES FE and PE examinations (via your NCEES Record or NCEES electronic verification).
- Submit five professional reference forms — at least three from licensed PEs — unless supplied through your NCEES Record.
- Provide official transcripts showing a BS degree from an ABET-accredited engineering/engineering-technology program (or NCEES-evaluated equivalent) plus qualifying experience.
- Pay the fees ($135 (West Virginia comity/reciprocity application fee is $135 (check payable to the WV Board of Registration for Professional Engineers; all fees non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $63. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid to NCEES.)) and allow WVPEBD publishes no comity turnaround; the application is processed once all sealed verifications, references, and transcripts (or a transmitted NCEES Record) are received..
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into West Virginia:
Frequently asked questions
Does my PE license transfer to West Virginia?
West Virginia grants PE licensure by comity — its term for endorsement — to an out-of-state Professional Engineer in good standing: the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) reviews the credentials in your NCEES Record instead of re-examining you. FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or NCEES electronic verification / Verification of Examination-Licensure form) and are not retaken; West Virginia has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam. Application fee: $135 (West Virginia comity/reciprocity application fee is $135 (check payable to the WV Board of Registration for Professional Engineers; all fees non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $63. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid to NCEES.).
Do I retake the FE or PE exam to get licensed in West Virginia?
FE and PE exam results transfer through your NCEES Record (or NCEES electronic verification / Verification of Examination-Licensure form) and are not retaken; West Virginia has no separate state jurisprudence or law exam.
What does PE licensure in West Virginia cost an out-of-state applicant?
$135 (West Virginia comity/reciprocity application fee is $135 (check payable to the WV Board of Registration for Professional Engineers; all fees non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $63. Transmitting an NCEES Record costs $175 for the first board and $100 for each additional board, paid to NCEES.).
How long does the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers (WVPEBD) take to act on a comity application?
WVPEBD publishes no comity turnaround; the application is processed once all sealed verifications, references, and transcripts (or a transmitted NCEES Record) are received..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- WVPEBD — Instructions Checklist & Statement of Understanding (Comity applicants: $135 check) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WVPEBD — Fees (comity/reciprocity $135; renewal $63) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WVPEBD — Comity/Reciprocity applications ↗ (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]