Where to Take National Exam for California License

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Charles

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Hi everyone,

I am an applicant in Illinois applying for PE in California. I am still a EIT without any registered PE license. Since California Board has the new policy this year that anyone who passed the National Exam by NCEES can send the conformation form to the board for further application. And since Illinois State has the same policy, I am wondering if I can take the NCEES National Exam here in Chicago and send the result to California Board so I don't have to fly to LA to take the exam? Thanks for all your help!

 
Yes, but instead of applying for a license "by exam" you would simply apply for a license "by comity".  Although I would assume you'll still have to take the california seismic/survey exam in CA.  

 
smahurin said:
Yes, but instead of applying for a license "by exam" you would simply apply for a license "by comity".  Although I would assume you'll still have to take the california seismic/survey exam in CA.  
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The additional exams are necessary only if you are looking to become a licensed Civil PE in California. If you are taking the mechanical or electrical PE exam, the extra seismic and surveying exams do not apply.

Also, I believe you can take the CA seismic and surveying exams at Prometric offices around the country, so you could pass all three exams outside of CA and apply "by comity" to become licensed in CA. Anyone is free to correct me if I am incorrect here.

 
in this case, does he need to keep IL license active to keep the CA active, or does it matter? Once the comity is granted, can he let go the IL license and only keep the CA license?

 
really depends if they want to get more licenses in the future and what those states require.  From IL FAQ

Question: I am licensed as a Professional Engineer in another US jurisdiction and want to be licensed in Illinois. Answer: Illinois does not offer Comity or Reciprocity licensure. You must meet Illinois requirements for licensure at the time you were originally licensed. Submit the current application for licensure as a Professional Engineer by Endorsement (available on the Department’s website), the fee of $100 payable to IDFPR, and request your NCEES Record to be transmitted to the Illinois jurisdiction. See experience and foreign applicant requirements on page 1.

IL does let you put your license in inactive status and if you need it less than 5 yrs after that you simply provide them the proof of 30pdhs in the last 24 months and the renewal fee. if longer than 5 yrs they say contact the board.

If you just let it expire, you owe the missed renewal fees, the 30 pdhs proof, and a $50 late fee.  same less/more than 5 yr thing here too.  

 
Charles said:
Hi everyone,

I am an applicant in Illinois applying for PE in California. I am still a EIT without any registered PE license. Since California Board has the new policy this year that anyone who passed the National Exam by NCEES can send the conformation form to the board for further application. And since Illinois State has the same policy, I am wondering if I can take the NCEES National Exam here in Chicago and send the result to California Board so I don't have to fly to LA to take the exam? Thanks for all your help!
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Perhaps not what you want to hear but, if it were me, and I wanted my license (only) in CA, I'd take and pass the exam in CA. 

 
ptatohed said:
Perhaps not what you want to hear but, if it were me, and I wanted my license (only) in CA, I'd take and pass the exam in CA. 
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But that's where I don't think that is necessary.  Most states offer licensure by comity in some form or another (even the quote above stating that IL doesn't offer licensure by comity is somewhat misleading as it implies they do offer licensure by comity as long as you met IL requirements at the time of your initial exam).

I'd call CA and check, but if you're intent is to get license in CA, but live in IL, I'd personally take the exam in IL.  That's a huge expense to fly to CA, have hotel/food/travel expenses to do something you can likely do in your home state.

For example: I live in MT, took the SE exam in MT (which doesn't offer an SE license) and then applied for SE licensure by comity in AK without ever getting an original SE license in my exam state.  I had no issues.  Many MT engineers who want to get the test over early go down to CA, take the PE early, and then once they've accrued their 4-years experience required by the state of MT gain licensure by comity having never received an initial license in the state in which they took their exam.  WIth a few exceptions (See IL above) states grant licensure by comity as a courtesy and simply require that you meet their specific requirements (exam, experience, references, other specific requirements) and aren't overly concerned with where the exam occurred or which state the experience was accrued in.  As long as you meet the requirements, they'll grant a license.

 
smahurin said:
But that's where I don't think that is necessary.  Most states offer licensure by comity in some form or another (even the quote above stating that IL doesn't offer licensure by comity is somewhat misleading as it implies they do offer licensure by comity as long as you met IL requirements at the time of your initial exam).

I'd call CA and check, but if you're intent is to get license in CA, but live in IL, I'd personally take the exam in IL.  That's a huge expense to fly to CA, have hotel/food/travel expenses to do something you can likely do in your home state.

For example: I live in MT, took the SE exam in MT (which doesn't offer an SE license) and then applied for SE licensure by comity in AK without ever getting an original SE license in my exam state.  I had no issues.  Many MT engineers who want to get the test over early go down to CA, take the PE early, and then once they've accrued their 4-years experience required by the state of MT gain licensure by comity having never received an initial license in the state in which they took their exam.  WIth a few exceptions (See IL above) states grant licensure by comity as a courtesy and simply require that you meet their specific requirements (exam, experience, references, other specific requirements) and aren't overly concerned with where the exam occurred or which state the experience was accrued in.  As long as you meet the requirements, they'll grant a license.
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I understand.  But then he'll have an IL license too, right?  What does he do with it if he doesn't want/need it?  I know some people who are dually licensed but only need one license (for now) but they don't want their other license to lapse as sometimes it's a big hassle to reinstate an expired license, if needed.  So then they end up paying an extra ongoing renewal fee to keep active a license they don't need.  This could happen to the OP, right?   

 
I don't think comity even needs to come into play here.  The OP needs to sign up with NCEES to take the PE exam and then follow up with CA after he passes.  Why get licensed in IL at all if the OP intends to practice in CA?

 
ptatohed said:
I understand.  But then he'll have an IL license too, right?  What does he do with it if he doesn't want/need it?  I know some people who are dually licensed but only need one license (for now) but they don't want their other license to lapse as sometimes it's a big hassle to reinstate an expired license, if needed.  So then they end up paying an extra ongoing renewal fee to keep active a license they don't need.  This could happen to the OP, right?   
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But he doesn't need to gain licensure in IL which is part of the point I was trying to make (possibly poorly).  Comity does not require a license in that original state. It simply means you already have all the required items to get licensure, and the state will grant you the courtesy of not making you retake the PE exam.  

Its really no different than what CU07 is describing.  I think we're getting caught up on the label of "comity".  It just means you have passed the exam in another state, and California in this instance grants the applicant the courtesy of not requiring them to re-take the exam in California.  It doesn't mean the applicant had to have been licensed elsewhere already.  Getting a license elsewhere really has nothing to do with it.

People often think of comity as reciprocity.  Reciprocity would be where a state would grant someone a license because they are already licensed somewhere else.  Reciprocity doesn't exist.  States have their own specific requirements for licensure, comity simply exists so that engineers don't have to take the same PE exam over and over each time they want to move states.  

 
Setting aside the "comity" label essentially what i'm recommending is that the OP:

Step 1: Take and pass exam in Illinois

Step 2: Apply for license in California

Never apply for a license in Illinois.  It just so happens that the license application in California will be... "by comity".  

 
smahurin said:
Setting aside the "comity" label essentially what i'm recommending is that the OP:

Step 1: Take and pass exam in Illinois

Step 2: Apply for license in California

Never apply for a license in Illinois.  It just so happens that the license application in California will be... "by comity".  
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If what you are saying is true, and it is easy enough to apply for comity, then your plan makes a lot of sense.  But I am wondering how the OP can take and pass the exam in IL without obtaining an IL license.  Dumb question I'm sure, but how can he tell IL that he wants to take the 8hr NCEES exam but not apply/receive an IL licensure? 

 
If you have an american abet accreditted degree you can apply to take the test anytime and apply to the state for license when the required number of years experience is obtained.  you no longer have to get approved before taking the test, unless you have a non-abet or foreign degree

 
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You don't have to apply for approval to sit for the exam with CAPELS, so the OP can just register with NCEES and take it at their preferred location in IL as far as I can tell.  I don't think IL even needs to be notified in any way.  Since CA changed their application process in December 2016 to allow applicants to wait until after passing the PE to apply, I am not sure it's even an application by comity anymore, even by name.

The OP can confirm this by calling CAPELS and confirming that he can select any site with NCEES if he would like.

 
Charles said:
Hi everyone,

I am an applicant in Illinois applying for PE in California. I am still a EIT without any registered PE license. Since California Board has the new policy this year that anyone who passed the National Exam by NCEES can send the conformation form to the board for further application. And since Illinois State has the same policy, I am wondering if I can take the NCEES National Exam here in Chicago and send the result to California Board so I don't have to fly to LA to take the exam? Thanks for all your help!
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Charles, If you intend to eventually apply for licensure in a state that allows the NCEES PE exam to be taken prior to applying with the licensing board and you have previously obtained your EIT (passed your FE Exam), you are free to register with NCEES (registration is now closed for April 2017) anytime registration is open and schedule a seat wherever NCEES has space open in your state.  NCEES administers the national exams for the licensing member boards.

California is one state that does currently allow for the exam to be passed prior to application for licensing.  Comity DOES NOT apply in this situation.  Now, there may be some states that process these sorts of applications under that process, but the definition of Comity implies initial licensure already obtained somewhere,  You would just be satisfying your requirements in a different order...and one that is non-traditional, which leads to some of the confusion.

If you are planning to apply to California for professional engineer licensure, you need to pass the appropriate national PE exam since California is a discipline-specific state.

 

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