You add your Proficiency Bonus once. In D&D’s 2024 rules, having proficiency in two skills that could apply to the same ability check does not let you add the bonus twice. Only an applicable Expertise feature doubles it.
Does proficiency in two skills stack on one check?
No. The 2024 System Reference Document 5.2.1 states: “Your Proficiency Bonus can’t be added to a die roll or another number more than once.” Proficiency lets you add that bonus when a relevant skill applies to an ability check; it does not create an extra bonus when more than one proficient skill could fit the same roll.
For example, if a rule allows a Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check, proficiency in either skill lets you add your Proficiency Bonus. If you are proficient in both, you still add it only once. You can attempt an ability check involving a skill without proficiency, but you do not add the Proficiency Bonus for that skill.
How is Expertise different?
Expertise is the specific rule that doubles your Proficiency Bonus for a check using a skill proficiency in which you have Expertise. It is not another name for having duplicate proficiency, and the same skill proficiency cannot benefit from Expertise more than once. The feature must apply to the skill and check in question.
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| Case | Bonus on the check |
|---|---|
| Ordinary proficiency, including proficiency in two skills that could apply to the same check | Add the Proficiency Bonus once. |
| Applicable Expertise in the skill proficiency used for the check | Double the Proficiency Bonus for that check. |
As an arithmetic illustration, if your Proficiency Bonus is +3, ordinary proficiency contributes +3 once; applicable Expertise makes it +6 for that qualifying check. These figures illustrate the rule rather than describe a particular character.
What is the Proficiency Bonus by level?
The SRD lists the following Proficiency Bonus progression by character level or Challenge Rating:
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| Level or CR | Proficiency Bonus |
|---|---|
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| 29–30 | +9 |
Does this apply to every D&D edition?
This answer uses D&D’s current System Reference Document 5.2.1. The title does not specify an edition; if you are playing another edition or a different game, check that ruleset rather than assuming the 2024 rule applies unchanged.
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