Protect Professional Licensure for Engineers
Professional engineers make decisions in the design of America’s infrastructure that directly impact public health, safety and welfare. To protect the public, all 50 states and the District of Columbia maintain rigorous licensure requirements for engineers. State licensing boards assess an individual’s education, examination, experience, and ethics in deciding whether to grant an engineering license.
However, professional licensure faces increasing challenges in states across the country from groups arguing that it poses a barrier to entry in the marketplace. This short video explains why engineering licensure is essential, emphasizes that its purpose is not to restrict competition but to protect the public, and urges state legislators to preserve these important safeguards. We encourage you to watch and share the video with colleagues, stakeholder groups, and state legislators.
Engineering has long had a system of comity licensure in which a state engineering licensing board recognizes a license granted by another state board, particularly when the engineer has been designated by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) as a Model Law Engineer(opens in new tab). This process facilitates working across state lines. Some states have additional requirements for comity licensure, such as the seismic principles exam for structural engineers in California. Additional information can be found through the NCEES member licensing board directory(opens in new tab).
More recently, some states have adopted a system of universal licensure (UL), in which an individual licensed in another state who does not have disqualifying ethical violations can receive a license in the UL state without additional review of the license-holder’s qualifications.
The map below indicates which states use comity, which have adopted UL, and whether it applies to engineering.
State Reciprocal License Methods for Engineering
