Engineering firm licensing. State-specific requirements.
Engineering firms (all disciplines: civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, others) require firm-level registration in addition to individual PE licensure. Multi-state operations require careful coordination.
Start here.
Most states require engineering firm registration at the firm level.
Many states require majority licensed engineer ownership.
Civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, chemical, environmental, others. Each has specific board oversight.
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying facilitates multi-state licensure.
All engineering work signed and sealed by a licensed PE.
The full picture.
Firm registration
Engineering firms must register with the state engineering board in each state where engineering services are provided. Registration requires: ownership compliance, designated responsible engineer, firm name compliance, sometimes financial bonds or insurance.
Ownership requirements
Most states require majority (51%+) ownership by licensed Professional Engineers (PEs). Some states require 100% PE ownership. A few states allow flexible ownership with designated PE on staff.
Disciplines covered
Civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, chemical, environmental, manufacturing, software (some states), agricultural, mining, petroleum, nuclear, others. Each discipline has its own state board oversight.
Entity structure
PLLC or Professional Corporation typically required. Standard LLC and standard corporation often not permitted for engineering practice.
Designated responsible engineer
Each firm typically designates a PE who supervises professional work. This PE signs and seals drawings, calculations, and specifications.
NCEES coordination
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) facilitates multi-state individual PE licensure through reciprocity ("Comity"). NCEES Record simplifies applications.
Multi-state firm operations
Firm registration separately in each state. Individual PEs must hold license in each state where they perform engineering. Comity simplifies but does not eliminate state-by-state requirements.
PE seal requirements
All engineering work product (drawings, calculations, specifications) must be signed and sealed by a licensed PE. Unsealed work is not legally permissible for many uses.
Continuing requirements
Annual firm renewal; individual PE renewal with continuing education (PDH/CEU requirements); periodic board audits; specific discipline updates.
Common questions.
Do I need firm registration?
What ownership is required?
What is NCEES?
What is comity?
Do I need PLLC?
Can a non-engineer own equity?
What is a PE seal?
How often is renewal?
Set up your professional firm.
PLLC formation, registered agent, ongoing compliance. We handle entity-level requirements; you handle the professional practice.
Professional licensing is handled by state boards. File.Business handles entity formation and ongoing compliance.
How we deliver, end-to-end.
Four-step path from request to confirmation. State and IRS turnaround varies; our steps run in parallel where possible to compress the timeline.
Intake + scope
You tell us what you need through a short intake form (or a call for complex matters). We confirm scope, surface any gating issues (deadlines, missing documents, entity status), and quote any state fees that pass through at cost.
Prepare + verify
Our specialists draft the filing, verify entity details against state databases, run internal QA, and route any items needing your sign-off. You see drafts before anything gets submitted.
File with the authority
We submit directly to the state Secretary of State, FinCEN, IRS, USPTO, or whichever authority your filing requires. We pay state fees at cost and track the submission identifier in your account.
Confirmation + vault
Stamped certificate, IRS notice, or filing receipt arrives in your SOC 2 encrypted document vault the moment we receive it. Next filing deadline auto-added to your compliance calendar where applicable.
Built on the same infrastructure used by 220,000+ businesses.
SOC 2 Type II audited
Independent annual security audit covering access control, change management, incident response, and data handling. Current report on request.
All 51 US jurisdictions
Every state plus DC plus Puerto Rico - direct filings, not third-party reseller. We hold registered-agent qualifications in every state we operate.
Deadline guarantee
If we miss a filing deadline on a service you pay us to manage, we pay the state penalty. Specific to each plan and the filings it includes.
4.9 from 8,200+ verified reviews
Independently verified by Trustpilot + Google + our own NPS infrastructure. Customer success team within reach by email, chat, or phone.
60-day money-back promise
Change your mind in the first 60 days and we refund our service fee in full. State filing fees pass through at cost and are non-refundable once paid to the state.
E&O insured
Errors and omissions coverage protects you from service errors. Carrier and certificate available on request for enterprise clients.
Recommended add-ons
Most customers add these to keep their business compliant year-round.
Registered Agent
Most orderedRequired for every registered business entity in every state.
Compliance Monitoring
Best valueTrack every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline.
Annual Report Filing
RecommendedAuto-file your state annual report. Never miss a deadline.
Premium compliance, no service-fee markup.
Trust you can verify
SOC 2 Type II audited platform. 220,000+ businesses served. 60-day money-back on service fees. State fees passed through at cost with no hidden markup. Explicit AUP on restricted industries.
A compliance partner, not a transaction
Most providers go quiet after checkout. We auto-track every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline across your entities. The Business OS dashboard keeps your compliance score visible year-round.
Premium experience competitors cannot match
Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state or federal filings. Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state filings.