What is the difference between “reciprocity” and “comity”?
Although the two terms are frequently used as synonyms, there actually is a difference. “Comity” is the act of recognizing your status as a professional engineer and, as a courtesy, exempting you from some of the administrative steps and/or exams that would be required of you if you were not already a professional engineer. “Reciprocity” is the act of recognizing you as a “professional engineer” in one state by virtue of your license in another. Most states offer registration by comity. Under comity, you won’t have to retake the PE exam, but you might still have to complete an application, submit references, list your experience, take any special state-specific exams, and/or pay a fee. Under reciprocity, your status as a professional engineer in a new state would be (essentially) automatic, given your status as a professional in another.
