P.E. license reciprocity in New Jersey 2

[mjr6550]

I am licensed in Pennsylvania and am thinking about getting licensed in NJ. From what I have read it seem like NJ requires P.E. from other states to take the 8 hour Principles and Practice exam. Does anyone know if this is correct? Is that also common with other states?

 

[zdas04]

What I've found is that the best way to get reciprocity is to get a council record with NCEES. With that, many states (but not all) will grant reciprocity pretty quickly. Without it the going gets tougher because it is hard to know what exactly is required. I don't know about Pennsylvania or New Jersey though they may have a special relationship like Colorado and Wyoming seem to have (I've talked to several Colorado P.E.'s with NCEES council records that were rejected by Wyoming for seemingly lame reasons).

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Pick up that 2,000 lb phone and CALL them. They make their own rules regardless. You can find their nunber at ncees.org !!

 

[DRWeig]

Mike and David both have really good points. My NCEES record has really made jumping from state to state a breeze.

Some folks' phones must be welded to their desks. If you can't get the NJ board on the phone, you can surely find their rules for comity on the NJ board web site.

Best to you,

Goober Dave

Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies

 

[mjr6550]

I am typically on the road most days and do not have much time to track down the appropriate person to provide this information. I have dealt with Pennsylvania regarding licensing matters and found that it takes a great deal of time to get reliable (or sometimes unreliable) information from the state. The information on the website is clear that the test is required. I should have not said "seems". Not having tried to get licensed in any other state the purpose of my post was to see whether this is a common practice. I have assumed that most states have reciprocity, but maybe I am mistaken.

 

[DRWeig]

OK, road warrior. I got your info from the NJ board site.

See attached.

I see no requirement for re-taking an exam when applying for comity.

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/pels/comitrev.pdf

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/pels/dirpe.pdf

Best to you,

Goober Dave

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[DRWeig]

One more reassurance: ME down the hall from me just got comity in NJ, based on a TN license and NCEES record. He had smooth sailing, no test.



Best to you,

Goober Dave

Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies

 

[mjr6550]

Thanks for the info. I had read No. 1 of the Comity document and saw that there was not reciprocity. Then I read No. 3 where it states that they may waive the Fundamentals portion of the test, but not the Principles and Practices portion. After rereading this I see this applies to someone who has not taken the tests in another state.

 

[DRWeig]

I think you also may be confusing reciprocity with comity.

There is no reciprocity, which means you cannot practice in NJ with only a license from another state. You must get a New Jersey license.

Comity is state-to-state courtesy, allowing folks registered in other states to get the new state's license without examination, although they nay want new references and stuff.

NCEES eases the matter further for the states that accept it. They provide a second source of vetting and electronic transfer of your current records including transcripts and verification from the state(s) in which you are already registered. When I moved to Georgia, my license in comity from Tennessee was the simplest task I could imagine, thank you NCEES.

The only hassle was proving I was in the US legally, IN PERSON, 140 miles away from my home. Thank you, illegal-immigrant-o-phobes in the Georgia legislature.

For all other states who demand such proof of legal residence and right-to-work, I have an official announcement for you: I was born in Ohio, and last time I checked, Ohio was still a part of the US. Instead of asking me to drive to the board's office and show my face, can you please just call my mom instead? She can tell you where I was born with absolute certainty. My passport is 8 years old. The picture in there is of a younger guy with long hair and a ponytail. I am now quite bald, and skinnier, and I have more lines in my face. But the TSA accepts that picture when I fly, because they have been trained to observe facial geometry that does not change. So please don't reject my passport and send me to drive 140 miles home and back with a renewed-early passport, birth certificate, and letters from US senators and State Department officials to prove I was born here. I'm fed up with you.

Sorry for the rant.



Best to you,

Goober Dave

Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies

 

[MiketheEngineer]

ALMOST all states accept reciprocity!! - I think. Same license for same licens - can't think of one that doesn't THOUGH some may want you to take an "ethics" test or some other generally mnor structural test... like CA or AK

 

[UcfSE]

I got registered in NJ by comity. It took a ridiculous amount of time, mostly because their board personnel aren't too bright or responsible, but I didn't have to take any additional exams. I have my NCEES record too.

 

[kylesito]

MJR...I am licensed in half a dozen states now and PA was by far the WORST to deal with! I could write a whole post of horror stories about trying to go through then (and I do have an NCEES record!).

PE, SE
Eastern United States

"If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death!"
~Code of Hammurabi

 

[Forensic74]

I was able to apply with a NCEES record without taking an exam. Glad to hear I'm not the only one waiting a ridiculous amount of time for a NJ license. ~8 months and counting. It has generally taken about 2 months for them to open an envelope and then it's a 50/50 chance of whatever's inside the envelope being lost.

OP, if you apply, make sure you have everything sent via certified and traceable mail.