Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Licensing
What are the prerequisites for applying for a professional engineer license in Texas?
Per the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Board Rules, the requirements are (refer to Section §1001 of the Act and Board Rules 133.13, 133.21, 133.31 and 133.51):
Board Rule §133.69 allows for waiver of examinations for those who have met specific educational and experience requirements, submitted a written request of waiver, and have not taken and failed the P & P exam in the previous four years. See Board rule §133.69 for the specific requirements.
How do I get an application and information about P.E. licensure in Texas?
You may access the application form, instructions, and the Texas Engineering Practice Act at http://engineers.texas.gov/downloads/#general. Or you may contact the board office to receive the application packet via regular mail.
How long does it take for the Board to process an application?
Typically, the average application processing time is two months depending on how complete the application is and the depth of review necessary. Applications requesting waiver of one or both of the examinations take longer than applications requesting to take the P&P exam or for those currently licensed in another jurisdiction by NCEES exams. The staff will request any missing, insufficient, or incomplete information from the applicant. Submitting an incomplete or insufficient application typically adds to the processing time.
How far in advance can I submit my application?
Applicants should submit the application and the supporting documentation at the same time. Applicants should not submit the application knowing that they will not have the supporting documentation ready for several months. Once received, applications can only stay pending for a maximum of 30 days before being subject to administrative withdrawal.
I have taken and passed the NCEES exams and am licensed in another jurisdiction. Can I obtain my license by reciprocity or comity?
The Act does not allow a true reciprocity or comity between Texas and another state, but does allow an individual licensee in another state and meeting the minimum requirements the ability to apply for a license. The Board will accept the results of NCEES examinations passed in another state. Anyone currently licensed in another state will need to submit a complete application including supplementary experience records, ethics exam, official transcripts, fee, references, and other applicable documents to support the request for licensure.
If I am currently licensed in another country, can I gain licensure in Texas by reciprocity?
The Act allows for reciprocity between Texas and other countries, but the agreements in place at this time are limited to temporary licensure only. Texas has temporary license agreements with Mexico, Canada, and Australia based on the NAFTA and AUSFTA free trade agreements. Texas does allow engineers from foreign countries to obtain a standard license using the regular application process.
My license has been expired for over two years, can I still renew it? If not, what do I have to do to get a license in Texas?
A license that has been expired for two or more years is not renewable by law.
In order to get re-licensed in Texas you would have to re-apply for licensure
under the rules that are in effect at the time you apply.
Is the P.E. license discipline specific?
No. Your primary discipline will be listed in the Board records. If you have expertise in another discipline and can submit sufficient evidence of competency in that discipline (SERs and references), the Board can list a second or third discipline in the records. However, the licensed engineer is bound to only practice engineering in areas where competent, trained, and qualified or may be subject to enforcement actions.
What is the minimum education required to apply for a license in Texas?
Graduation from a four-year program of engineering or related science from a recognized institution of higher education. The Act gives preference to institutions evaluated and accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET) and similar associations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom, and Mexico. EAC/ABET and its associates list the specific engineering disciplines and year when accredited. The Act also provides for non-accredited degrees in engineering and/or related sciences that include at least 8 hours of math beyond college algebra and trigonometry and 20 hours of engineering or related sciences courses. Please refer to Subchapter D. EDUCATION, Board Rule §133.31 for specifics. If you have a transcript from a country that is not listed above, you will need to have a Foreign Credential Evaluation of your transcript.
Can I be licensed if I do not have a degree or non-engineering or related science degree?
Section §1001.302 of the Act specifically requires graduation from a curriculum in engineering or related science. In Texas, if you do not have a degree in engineering or related science, you cannot be licensed.
What is an accredited degree from an engineering curriculum or program?
The Act gives preference to institutions evaluated and accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET) and similar associations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom, and Mexico. This can also be a combination of engineering or related science degrees with a Masters Degree in Engineering. Please refer to Subchapter D. EDUCATION, Board Rule §133.31 for specifics.
What is a non-accredited degree from an engineering curriculum or program?
The Act provides for degrees in engineering and/or related sciences that are not accredited by ABET and include at least 8 hours of math beyond college algebra and trigonometry and 20 hours of engineering or related sciences courses. In the rule, some technology degrees are accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET but still classified as "non-accredited" at the engineering level. Please refer to Subchapter D. EDUCATION, Board Rule §133.31 for specifics.
How do I tell if my degree is accredited by EAC/ABET or other acceptable organization?
To check and see if your university and degree program is ABET accredited you may visit their website, www.abet.org, or call the Board to confirm accreditation. The ABET site does link to international organizations. ABET lists the discipline and year the accreditation was gained. The Board recognizes those graduating two (2) years prior to the actual accreditation year as acceptable. For example, if you graduated in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 1984, the Board would confirm the degree as "accredited" since that program was granted accreditation in 1986.
What are the Board Rules and policies concerning proof of education or transcripts?
The Board Rule §133.35 requires official transcripts for all degrees utilized to meet the educational requirements for licensing be sent directly from the registrar to the Board. For applicants with a non-accredited degree, an official transcript is also required for any school where 15 or more hours were earned that count toward the degree. Official transcripts in the possession of the applicant are not acceptable to the Board. An applicant may, however, have a credentials evaluation service validate the transcript by sending a copy to the issuing institution for verification.
What if I cannot arrange for an official transcript to be sent directly from my university?
If the applicant can show that a diligent effort was made to obtain the transcript but the school has not responded, the Board will consider alternatives including validating original transcripts in the possession of the applicant by a credential evaluation service.
What commercial evaluation of a foreign non-ABET degree will the Board accept?
Several commercial evaluation services are available. The evaluation shall determine if the non-accredited degree is "equivalent" to an accredited degree and include a description of the courses in semester hours with grades following the practices recommended by the National Council for the Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials. The applicant is cautioned to let the service know the evaluation is for an "equivalency transcript". If the applicant has an advanced graduate degree from a U.S. institution and that institution evaluated the non-accredited transcript and determined the degree to be "equivalent, then the applicant can have the institution submit a statement that informs the Board that an evaluation was performed and the non-accredited degree was found equivalent to an accredited degree.
A new board rule allows applicants with a foreign degree to have that degree evaluated against ABET criteria. If the degree is found to be equivalent to an ABET degree, then the applicant can apply with four (4) years of experience.
Is there a deadline for applying for the PE examination?
The registration deadline for the Principles and Practices examination is posted for each administration on the TBPE website http://engineers.texas.gov/lic_exam_dates.htm. Please note that this is deadline to register for the examination. If an application is to be reviewed in time to schedule for an exam, it must be submitted before the submittal deadline. If a complete application is submitted by that date, we will review it in time for the applicant to schedule for the exam. If an applicant applies after the submittal deadline, we will strive to review the application in time to schedule for the exam, but will not guarantee it will be completed.
The application processing time historically may take from 1 to 4 months depending on the completeness of the application. Not completing the application in its entirety, missing transcripts, incomplete or non-secure reference statements, unfavorable references, failed ethics examinations, missing equivalency evaluations and other required documentation may delay the processing of an application. To ensure you are approved to sit for an upcoming examination, you should strive to submit a complete application approximately four months prior to the examination registration deadline.
Who is eligible to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination?
An undergraduate student who is enrolled in and is within two regular semesters of graduating from an approved engineering program is eligible to take the FE exam. Eligible institutions proctor the FE exams for their students. (Board Rule§133.65(a))
A non-student (previously graduated) who has a degree in engineering or related science may register through the Board to take the examination at NCEES proctored locations. (Board Rule§133.65(d)).
Who
is eligible to take the Principle and Practice (P&P) examination, sometimes
referred to as the PE exam?
(Board Rule §133.67)
The
eligible examinees are:
1.
License holders taking the exam for record purposes and
2.
Those whose applications have been approved by the Board.
I can't find the examination registration forms on the website; where are they?
Students who are within two full semesters of graduating and graduate students may obtain a Fundamentals of Engineering examination registration form from the dean's office. Those who have already graduated and are no longer enrolled may obtain a Fundamentals of Engineering form from our website at: http://engineers.texas.gov/downloads.htm#exams
For both student and non-student FE examinees, you can register for your exams on-line. This feature is posted around 6 weeks before the exam registration deadline.
For those candidates signing up for the Principles and Practices examinations for the first time, you can register for your exams online or request a scheduling form from the board. Information regarding exam registration will be sent with your approval letter.
For both examinations,
completed forms with a check or money order for the correct amount are due in
the board office by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date.
When are the exam dates and what are the fees?
The FE exam is given twice per year, usually in April and October. Most disciplines of the P&P exam are also given twice per year during the same time frame. Some P&P exams are only given once a year during the October time frame. Please consult the Examination Dates page (http://engineers.texas.gov/examdates.htm) in this website for the current schedule and locations. Please consult the Fees page (http://engineers.texas.gov/fees.htm) in this website for the current exam fees.
I was not able to take the exam on the test date. Can I get a refund? Or use the fee toward the next time I sign up to take the test?
Fees are non-refundable. Regardless if you did not take the exam, the Board purchases the exam booklets and reserves testing accommodations in advance of the exam and, therefore, cannot issue refunds.
I took the PE exam and did not pass. What do I do now?
Once you are approved to take the PE exam, you have 4 consecutive chances to pass. If you have taken the exam and did not pass, you may simply register for the next exam available. You do not need to re-apply.
If you have taken the exam a total of 4 times, you will need to re-apply to take the exams. You must wait at least one year from the time you are notified until you re-apply. (Board Rule §133.87(c))
How many times can I take the exams?
For the FE exam, as many times as necessary to pass the exam.
For the P&P exam, each approved applicant has four (4) consecutive chances to pass the exam. (Board Rule §133.87(c))
For the P&P exam, I missed an exam due to illness, death in my family, travel problems, business schedule, misunderstanding of the rules, etc. Can I ask to for an extension to the four (4) consecutive chances?
No extensions can be granted under any circumstances (Board Rule §133.67(b)(4)). Originally, applicants had three chances and one excuse. The Board chose to grant the four (4) consecutive chances to minimize the validation and record keeping associated with excused absences and still allows such flexibility.
Can I take the P&P in any discipline or branch that I choose?
Yes, as long as you are familiar and competent in the discipline. If you wish to have this discipline as your primary discipline, you should have sufficient work experience in this area as well.
Where do I find study materials or a review course?
If you are a student, you might wish to check with the Dean of Engineering office to see if a review course is offered.
I am a veteran. Can I get reimbursement for my exam fees?
Yes. The Texas Board of Professional Engineers has been approved by the VA under the GI Bill for reimbursement of examination fees for the FE and PE exams. This approval allows veterans and other eligible persons to receive reimbursement for the cost of license examinations/tests from the VA. The effective date of approval is March 1, 2003.
This reimbursement is not from the state of Texas or the Texas Board of Professional Engineers. Please do not contact the board for information or reimbursement. The reimbursement information, including forms and a brochure, is available at http://www.gibill.va.gov/pamphlets/lcweb.htm. The link to search for the FE or PE exam is: http://www.gibill.va.gov/Education/LCweb/search.asp.
What type or types of experience may be used to qualify for a P.E. license?
The Act lists engineering activities that are currently acceptable to the Board. Please consult the application guidance document for some specific examples and guidelines. The Board prefers each applicant to possess some design and/or analysis experience and document that appropriately in the Supplementary Experience Record.
Does experience prior to receipt of my degree count?
Generally speaking, experience gained prior to receipt of an engineering degree does not count toward experience. However, if an applicant has successfully completed junior and senior level engineering classes and can document application of theories and principles learned in these classes, the Board may accept such experience.
Does co-op experience during college count toward a P.E. license?
If an applicant has successfully completed junior and senior level engineering classes and can document application of theories and principles learned in these classes, the Board may accept such experience.
Does research experience count toward engineering experience?
The Act allows one (1) year of engineering experience credit for each advanced degree (MS and Ph.D.) from an ABET accredited program. Research associated with obtaining an advanced degree is not creditable; however, if the applicant worked solely as a researcher, this experience would count toward the years of creditable engineering experience.
Does my experience count if I did not work under the direct supervision of a P.E.?
It might. Section §133.43 allows for certain engineering work to be exempt from the requirements of the Act and that experience may not need to be directly supervised by a P.E. If your employment falls into an exempt category, it can count towards the experience requirements but must still be referenced by a P.E. Board Rule §133.51 allows for a reference who did not work with the applicant to review and judge the SER. An applicant must get a P.E. reference to verify the minimum years of experience as needed in the application.
How many references do I need?
If not requesting exam waivers, three (3) references are required, all must be currently licensed P.E.s. If requesting exam waivers, then five (5) references are required from currently licensed P.E.s. The P.E. references not licensed in Texas must provide a copy of their current pocket card to verify licensure.
What do I do if I cannot find my original boss or P.E. supervisor to verify my experience?
Board Rule §133.51(b) allows for a reference who did not work with the applicant to review and judge the SER. An applicant might ask any of the references that are familiar with the applicant to review and judge the experience. The reference shall mark the appropriate box on the reference Statement (Character and Review of SER only for Purpose of Reference Statement).
For References: What do I do with a reference statement?
The instructions should be on the back of the reference statement or ask the applicant to supply them to you. In summary, if you are verifying the Supplementary Experience Record, you should read the record carefully, sign it if it is accurate, and fill out the appropriate blocks on the Reference Statement. You can add additional pages if necessary. If you cannot answer the questions on the Reference Statement because the applicant worked with you a long time ago or other reason, please note that the question is N/A (not applicable) and state the reason. Be sure to include your Texas P.E. number or a copy of your current pocket card if from another state. Place the completed Reference Statement, signed SER, and copy of your pocket card in an envelope. Seal the envelope and sign your name across the seal. Please place a piece of clear tape over your signature. This procedure is important to ensure confidentiality and that references are not screened. You may either mail the envelope to the Board or return it to the applicant.
For the Reference: I know the applicant, but I did not work with him/her and did not supervise the work in the SER. Can I still be a reference for the applicant?
Yes. Board Rule §133.51(b) allows for a reference that did not work with the applicant to review and judge the SER.
What do I need to do to get my EIT certificate?
After you pass the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, you must submit an official transcript to the Board along with the $15 registration fee. The Board will mail to you your certificate. You can link to the necessary forms at: http://engineers.texas.gov/downloads#eit.
Will my EIT certification expire? And can it be renewed?
EIT certificates are good for eight (8) years and can be renewed upon request. FE exam scores do not expire.
Is it mandatory to have EIT certification in Texas?
No. EIT status is not mandatory in Texas; however, all graduate engineers are encouraged to become EITs to maintain professional ties with other engineers, to keep informed of various P.E. and other engineering issues, and to continue your professional growth.
Can my EIT status be transferred to Texas from another state?
Since each state does its own licensing, there's no way to do a transfer but you can apply for an EIT in Texas even if your education was in another state and you took the FE exam in another state. You can find the EIT Certification Form on this website. The Board will need official transcripts from the university showing that your degree has been conferred. You will also need to have the verification of the exam results sent to us from the appropriate state Board. Click here to go to the EIT Certification Form
Although I received my degree from a foreign university, I have been in the United States for several years and communicate well in the English language. Do I still need to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)?
Board Rules §133.21(c) addresses this topic. Either the TOEFL or other evidence suggesting command of the English language is required. Results from a previous TOEFL with a score of at least 550 and a Test of Spoken English score of 45 are acceptable. Paragraph (d) allows for an applicant to request waiver of the language requirements. This request should be supported by correspondence or other documentation from someone who can vouch for the applicant's ability to communicate in the English language.
Once I have a license, how often do I need to renew?
The Texas P.E. license is renewed annually. The Board will mail renewal notices but the license holder is solely responsible for renewal payment. Licenses are renewed on the date preceding the quarter in which the license was issued. The renewal dates are December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30 of each year. For example, if the license was received on February 20, 2000 (1st quarter), the renewal fee would be due on December 31, 2001.
Are there continuing education requirements associated with getting a P.E. license in Texas?
Yes, the requirements are outlined on the following page: CEP Information
Each application for licensure through reciprocity or comity is reviewed on an individual basis by the Director of Licensing and must be approved by the board before a license is issued.
