Section 1380.280  Endorsement

a)         Any person who holds an unexpired certificate of registration or license to practice professional engineering, issued under the laws of another state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or a foreign country, and who desires to become licensed by endorsement shall file an application, on forms provided by the Division, together with:

1)         The required fee specified in Section 1380.275.

2)         Proof of meeting requirements substantially equivalent to those in force in this State at the time of original or subsequent licensure by examination in the other state, territory, or foreign country, including official conferred college transcripts, and verification of experience.

3)         A certification by the jurisdiction of original licensure and certification of current licensure from the state, territory, or foreign country of predominant active practice including the following:

A)        The time during which the applicant was licensed in that jurisdiction, including the date of the original issuance of the license;

B)        The basis of licensure and a description of all licensure examinations by which the applicant was licensed in that jurisdiction and the date of successful passage of the examinations;

C)        Whether the records of the licensing authority contain any record of disciplinary action taken or pending against the applicant; and

D)        Documentation submitted from a foreign country shall be translated into English, at applicant's own expense, for review by the Division.

4)         If the qualifications of the applicant at the time of original licensure did not meet the requirements in effect at that time for licensure in this State, the applicant may submit additional certifications from other jurisdictions to indicate meeting the qualifications in effect in this State at the time of any later licensure.

5)         In lieu of the documentation specified in subsections (a)(2), (3) and (9), an applicant may submit a current NCEES Record.

6)         Non-approved program applicants shall, at their expense, submit an NCEES Credential Evaluation that verifies their degree meets the requirements specified in Section 1380.220(a).  Applicants shall obtain the forms from NCEES Engineering and Surveying Credentials Evaluations, 200 Verdae Boulevard, Greenville, SC 29607.

7)         Certification attesting the applicant has read and understands the Act and this Part.

8)         The Division may, in individual cases, upon the recommendation of the Board, waive a portion of the examination requirements after consideration of the quality of an applicant's engineering education and experience, including whether the applicant has graduated from an approved engineering program, has achieved special honors or awards, has had articles published in professional journals, has participated in the writing of textbooks relating to professional engineering, and any other attribute which the Board accepts as evidence that such applicant has outstanding and proven ability in the practice of professional engineering.

9)         Acceptable Experience: Applicants for endorsement having obtained at least four years of acceptable experience after receipt of the baccalaureate degree, in accordance with Section 1380.230, shall be considered in compliance with the experience requirements of Section 10 of the Act [225 ILCS 325/10].

10)        Appendix A of this Part outlines the licensure requirements in force during various periods and should be consulted by the applicant to aid in the evaluation of the applicant's qualifications.

b)         The Division, upon recommendation of the Board, may require an applicant applying from a foreign jurisdiction to take and pass the required examinations specified in Section 1380.260 of this Part, to verify the applicant has satisfactory knowledge and competence using U.S. building, energy conservation, fire, plumbing, mechanical, and accessibility codes and applicable design standards to safeguard the public health, safety, and welfare. (See Section 8 of the Act.)

c)         The Division, upon recommendation of the Board, will accept an applicant applying under this Section through the NCEES United Kingdom Mutual Recognition Agreement ("MRA"), provided the applicant submits an NCEES Record that meets the requirements of the agreed upon NCEES MRA standards by NCEES and the UK Engineering Council, subject to review, to verify the examination and experience are non-structural in nature and complies with Section 4(o) of the Act [225 ILCS 325/4(o)].

d)         The Division shall examine each endorsement application to determine whether the qualifications of the applicant at the time of original or subsequent licensure were substantially equivalent to the requirements then in force in this State.  

e)         When the accuracy of any submitted documentation listed in subsection (a), or the relevance or sufficiency of the course work or experience is questioned by the Division or the Board, because of lack of information, discrepancies or conflicts in information given or a need for clarification, the applicant seeking a license will be requested to provide such information as may be necessary and appear for an oral interview before the Board.

f)         The Division shall either issue a license by endorsement to the applicant or notify such applicant of the reasons for the denial of the application.  An applicant not qualified for licensure by endorsement will automatically be reviewed under the provisions of Section 1380.250.

g)         If an applicant fails to submit all required items for licensure under the Act within three years after filing an application, the application shall expire and be denied.  The applicant may submit a new application for licensure accompanied by the required fee and furnish proof of meeting the qualifications for licensure in effect at the time of new application. (See Section 8 of the Act.)

(Source:  Amended at 49 Ill. Reg. 10161, effective July 23, 2025)