How to Verify a Professional Engineer (PE) License

Why PE verification matters

Professional Engineer licensure is not a certification — it is a legal credential issued by state licensing boards that authorizes the holder to offer engineering services to the public and to stamp engineering documents. Practicing as a PE without a valid license is a misdemeanor or felony in most states.

For employers in civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineering, verifying PE status before hire is both a compliance obligation and a liability management requirement. A stamped drawing from an unlicensed "engineer" can void project permits, trigger regulatory action, and expose the employer to negligence claims.

Unlike certifications that lapse quietly, a PE license lapses when the engineer fails to renew — typically every two years — and the state board removes active status from their public record. Verification catches this before you put an unlicensed engineer in a role that requires a stamp.

Step 1: Identify the state of licensure

PE licenses are issued by individual state boards, not a federal agency. Engineers may hold licenses in multiple states through comity (reciprocity), but each license is issued and tracked independently by the granting state.

When a candidate lists "PE" on a resume, ask them to specify:

• Which state(s) they are licensed in
• Their license number for each state
• Their engineering discipline (civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.)

Engineers working on federally funded projects or across multiple states often hold licenses in several states simultaneously. Verify the license in the state where work will be performed — comity licenses are separate and must be independently verified.

Step 2: Look up the state board's license portal

Every U.S. state engineering board maintains a public license lookup. Most are accessible without registration. Search "[state] engineering board license lookup" or go directly through the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) state society directory to find the correct board portal.

What to look for in state board results:

Step 3: Cross-check with NCEES

The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) administers the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams used by all 50 states for licensure. Engineers who passed through NCEES have a record at MyNCEES.org.

MyNCEES records are the property of the engineer and are not fully public, but engineers can share verification links from their MyNCEES profile. Ask candidates to provide either a verification link or a copy of their official NCEES record. This confirms:

• Exam history (FE and PE passage dates)
• Engineering discipline
• Record of licenses issued across states

NCEES records do not replace state board verification — the state board lookup confirms current active status. NCEES confirms the credential is legitimate and not fabricated.

Comity (reciprocity) licenses

Most states grant PE licenses through comity to engineers already licensed in another state, without requiring them to retake the exam. These comity licenses are separate from the original license and must be verified independently.

If a candidate claims a PE license in the state where your project is located but their primary license is in another state, verify both:

1. The original license state (confirms the underlying credential is legitimate)
2. The comity license state (confirms they are authorized to practice in your jurisdiction)

Discipline-specific verification

PE licenses are discipline-specific — a Civil PE cannot legally stamp electrical engineering documents, and vice versa. When verifying, confirm that the candidate's licensed discipline matches the role's practice area.

Common PE disciplines:

• Civil
• Structural
• Mechanical
• Electrical and Computer
• Chemical
• Environmental
• Industrial
• Fire Protection
• Petroleum
• Agricultural and Biological

State board license lookups typically show the discipline alongside the license status. If the discipline is not displayed, request a copy of the original license certificate.

Checking for disciplinary actions

State engineering boards publish disciplinary actions — revocations, suspensions, consent orders — as public record. For high-stakes hires (chief engineer, lead-of-record, public safety roles), check the board's disciplinary action database in addition to the license lookup.

NCEES also maintains a roster of disciplinary actions taken by member boards. The NCEES Engineering Licensee database can be a useful cross-reference when an engineer has practiced across multiple states.

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