It’s easy for things to fall through the cracks when we get busy—even important to-dos like renewing your professional engineer (PE) license. All 50 states require you to renew your license, and 42 require continuing education (CE) before you do.
Forgetting to renew before the deadline can be costly, not only in late fees but also in lost work opportunities.
This article provides an overview of the process to renew an expired professional engineer license. Keep in mind, every state has slightly different requirements, so you will need to verify the exact requirement in the state where you work.
Check Your State’s Renewal Requirements
Renewal requirements vary by state, including renewal cycle, professional development hours (PDH) or CE requirements, renewal fees, and any penalties or additional requirements for late renewals.
For example, in Utah, PE licenses expire on March 31 of odd years and require 30 CE units to renew. In Florida, your license is renewed every two years after completing 18 CE units from a Florida-approved CE provider with at least one hour related to Florida Laws and Rules of Professional Engineers.
California does not require CE. The state has a 60-day grace period after the license expiration date before applying a delinquent penalty fee equal to half the current renewal fee. However, if the fee is not paid by the expiration date, your license is considered expired, and you are not legally allowed to work—the grace period only applies to renewal fees.
In most states, licenses are renewed annually or biennially (every two years). To find your state licensing agency, search “[your state] board of professional engineers” online or visit the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). NCEES maintains a directory of the state licensing agencies.
Complete the Required Continuing Education (CE) Credits
In every state where CE is required, you must meet those requirements before renewing your license, whether your license has already expired or not.
CE is required in all states except:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Washington
The requirements vary considerably. In Delaware, 24 CE units are required with three to six PDH in ethics and a maximum of nine PDH related to business management. In several states the course type is not specified.
In some states, CE must be in person or virtual. For example, Ohio only allows 3 of the 30 units required biennially to be via correspondence courses.
It is also important to know the difference between CE units and PDH. PDH are specific to engineers and required by the NCEES (15 PDH annually) to maintain continuing professional competency (CTC) standards. CE units are set by individual states and can be industry-specific or cover topics like management or communication. Not all PDH count toward CE.
Six states require pre-approved CE providers, including:
- Florida
- Indiana
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin limit the number of correspondence courses allowed.
Submit Your Renewal Application
It’s imperative that you check your state’s requirements for renewing an expired license. The fastest way to find your state board is to use the NCEES directory. You may be required to pay late fees or penalties. In most cases, you are not permitted to work with an expired license, regardless of whether there is a grace period for paying the fees or completing the required CE.
Some states have a delinquency period where you can renew your license without having to go through the application process. For example, in California, your license is delinquent beginning the first day after the 60-day grace period and ending five years after the grace period.
During the delinquency period, you can renew your license by paying the appropriate fees; however, after five years, you’re required to go through the application process from the beginning.
Avoid Future Expirations
The best way to ensure your license does not expire is to maintain your contact information with your state board and set reminders in your calendar. McKissock’s new student dashboard lets you plan and track your continuing education hours. The dashboard organizes classes and recommendations based state requirements and electives. It also tracks your progress and alerts you to upcoming deadlines.
The McKissock’s student dashboard stores all this information for you as well as keeps your CE records organized.
Whatever method you use to track your license, make sure it works for you! Missing your renewal date can be costly. If you realize your license is expired, work diligently to reinstate it as quickly as possible. McKissock learning offers PE renewal packages so you can expeditiously meet your CE requirements.
We’re here to help you stay current with engineering trends and required continuing education. If you’re looking for Professional Engineering continuing education courses, McKissock has you covered.
