Records Program

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Providing value for licensed professionals

The NCEES Records program is designed for currently licensed engineers and surveyors who are looking for an easier and faster way to complete the licensure process in multiple jurisdictions, including all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. An established NCEES Record will include most—if not all—of the materials you need to apply for comity licensure in additional states and territories.

Eliminate having to resubmit your:

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College transcripts

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Exam results

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Employment verifications

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Professional references

If you are already licensed and want to apply for licensure in an additional U.S. state or territory, apply for an NCEES Record. NCEES will review your materials and, after your Record is established, electronically submit them directly to the licensing board on your behalf. This saves time and simplifies the application process when you need to practice in multiple states and territories.

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Exam Documents and Unique Circumstances

Options for Active-Duty Military and Military Spouses

Professional engineers and surveyors who are actively serving in the military and their spouses are eligible to transmit their NCEES Record at no charge when military orders require them to move to a new state. When transmitted to a state licensing board, it will include a military designation to prioritize the application. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Initial licensure

Are you in the process of becoming licensed and want to establish an NCEES Record? If you have passed the FE and PE exam, then some states will allow you to use the NCEES Record for initial licensure. A limited number of boards offer the initial licensing process, so check your MyNCEES account under Exams and Licensure Verification to find out if this is a path for you.

PE/PS Exam Documents

If you are applying to take the PE or PS examination, you are eligible to complete the PE or PS Exam Docs in your MyNCEES profile and transmit to those states listed. The transmission fee is $100. Transmission of the Record does not replace the member board’s application process and fees.

Completing The Application

To start, log in to your MyNCEES account and select Multistate Licensure from your dashboard. We’ve provided a guide through the application process below.

About the application

The application is divided into five sections and can be completed in any order. It is an online application process and provides for electronic verifications.

1. Education information

Details for each college, university, and technical school you attended. Transcripts are required for all work for which academic credit is awarded.

2. Work experience

Chronological listing of work experience beginning with graduation from a university or the first employment after high school

3. Questions for the applicant

A brief series of questions regarding the status and history of your license

4. Exam and license verification

The appropriate state licensing board must verify all exam and license information provided by the applicant.

5. Professional References

Five references who can reflect the character and diversity of your experience and are personally acquainted with your professional reputation. For engineering applicants, references must be engineers who are licensed in the United States. For surveying applicants, references must be surveyors who are licensed in the United States.

Records FAQs

An NCEES Record is a verified compilation of information an applicant is required to submit to a state licensing board as part of the licensure application process.

Each completed Record is a verified compilation of an applicant’s official academic transcripts, full employment history, professional references, and exam results.

An NCEES Record eliminates the hassle of resubmitting your academic transcripts, exam results, employment history and verifications, and professional references each time you apply for comity licensure. It saves time and simplifies the application process when you need to practice in multiple states.

Yes. The NCEES Record is accepted by all U.S. state licensing boards.

No. An NCEES Record does not guarantee licensure in any jurisdiction.

The NCEES Record is designed to meet the licensure requirements of most states. Since licensure requirements vary from state to state, there may be times when a Record holder must submit additional information to a state licensing board in order to satisfy its licensure requirements.

In most cases, requests for additional information are as simple as requiring the applicant to complete a state application and pay a state application fee. However, there may be times when an NCEES Record holder is required to provide additional information about their education, references, existing licenses, or experience information.

There is no charge to complete the application process and no annual renewal fee. Fees are charged each time you transmit your Record to a state licensing board.

  • First transmittal for comity licensure—$175
  • First transmittal for initial licensure—$100
  • First transmittal for PE/PS exam approval—$100
  • All subsequent transmittals—$75 each

The amount of time varies depending on the specifics of the application, but the the average time for completion is 2–3 weeks.

You can check the status of your application at any time via the multistate licensure dashboard in your MyNCEES account. Dashboard sections that are highlighted in green are complete. Those highlighted in yellow require your attention.

Your Record does not require annual renewal. Current Record holders do not need to take any action with their accounts until they have a need for comity licensure.

You will be required to review and update your Record each time you transmit your Record to a state licensing board. Some verifications are valid for a short period of time and should not be updated and re-verified until your are ready to transmit. Work experience verifications do not expire and can be updated at any time.

Yes. Candidates applying for a comity license in Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, or Wyoming must establish an NCEES Record before applying.

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Model Law Designations

The NCEES Records program reviews applicants for designation as a Model Law Engineer (MLE) and Model Law Surveyor (MLS). These designations indicate to state licensing boards that your education, experience, and examinations meet the NCEES Model Law requirements. In many states, this will further expedite the comity licensure process.

When you apply for an NCEES Record, staff will review your file to determine if it meets the Model Law criteria. You do not have to request this. If you qualify, your Record will include the appropriate designation.

Model Law Engineer (MLE)

  • Earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an EAC/ABET-accredited program.
  • Gain four years of acceptable engineering work experience.
  • Pass the FE and PE exams.
  • Maintain a clean disciplinary record.

Model Law Surveyor (MLS)

  • Earn a bachelor’s degree in surveying from an ABET-accredited program.
  • Gain four years of acceptable surveying work experience.
  • Pass the FS and PS exams.
  • Maintain a clean disciplinary record.

Model Law Structural Engineer (MLSE)

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  • Earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering from an EAC/ABET-accredited program.
  • Pass a minimum of 18 semester hours of structural analysis and design courses, of which at least 9 are structural design courses.
  • Pass the FE exam and one of the following:
    • 16 hours of NCEES structural exams, 8 hours of which are the Structural II exam taken prior to January 1, 2011
    • 16-hour state-written structural exams taken prior to 2004
    • NCEES Structural II exam plus 8-hour state-written structural exams taken prior to January 1, 2011
    • PE Structural exam taken after January 1, 2011
  • Gain four years of acceptable structural engineering work experience.
  • Maintain a clean disciplinary record.