Renewing a Professional Engineer license is one of those things that's simple per state and complicated across many. Here is how it works, what to watch for, and where each state's portal lives.
Renewal cycles are state-specific. Texas renews on your birth month. Florida is biennial on a fixed February 28 date. New York is triennial on the date you were originally licensed. Confirm the exact day, not just the year. PE License Pro pulls this from the state board automatically; most other trackers make you type it in.
Total PDH required ranges from 0 (CA, AZ, CO) to 30 per cycle (most states). Ethics hours, if required, are usually carved out of the total. Some states allow carryover from the previous cycle, some do not. Get an audit-ready CSV of your hours before you click renew.
Every state has its own renewal portal. Fees range from about $50 (Arkansas) to over $200 (some western states). Most accept credit cards; a few still require ACH or check. Save the receipt as a PDF.
Once renewed, the board will issue a new pocket card or wall certificate (sometimes digital, sometimes mailed). Save the digital version to your records. If your firm needs a copy for project files, send it the same day.
"December" is not the same as December 31. Several states close renewal at midnight in their local time zone, not yours.
Some boards do not accept CE completed after the cycle ends, even if you renew on time. Earn the hours before the cycle closes, not after.
If your state requires 2 ethics hours of the 30 total, an all-technical 30 will not pass audit. Tag ethics hours separately when you log them.
Your individual PE renewal does not renew your firm's Certificate of Authorization. Many firms find this out when a project gets stamped under an expired CoA.
Cycle, PDH required, and a direct link to the state board's renewal portal. Click any state for the detailed page.
| State | Cycle | PDH | Ethics | Fee | Portal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | biennial | 30 | — | $100 | Open |
| Alaska | biennial | 24 | — | $100 | Open |
| Arizona | biennial | None | — | $100 | Open |
| Arkansas | biennial | 30 | 2 | $80 | Open |
| California | biennial | None | — | $180 | Open |
| Colorado | biennial | None | — | $80 | Open |
| Connecticut | annual | None | — | $285 | Open |
| Delaware | biennial | 24 | 3 | $50 | Open |
| District of Columbia | biennial | 20 | 1 | $155 | Open |
| Florida | biennial | 18 | 2 | $49 | Open |
| Georgia | annual | 15 | — | $100 | Open |
| Hawaii | biennial | None | — | $204 | Open |
| Idaho | biennial | 30 | — | $60 | Open |
| Illinois | biennial | 30 | 2 | $60 | Open |
| Indiana | biennial | 30 | 1 | $100 | Open |
| Iowa | biennial | 30 | 2 | $100 | Open |
| Kansas | biennial | 30 | — | $80 | Open |
| Kentucky | biennial | 30 | 2 | $150 | Open |
| Louisiana | biennial | 30 | 2 | $120 | Open |
| Maine | biennial | 30 | — | $120 | Open |
| Maryland | biennial | 16 | 1 | $86 | Open |
| Massachusetts | biennial | None | — | $150 | Open |
| Michigan | biennial | 30 | 2 | $80 | Open |
| Minnesota | biennial | 24 | — | $180 | Open |
| Mississippi | annual | 15 | 1 | $70 | Open |
| Missouri | biennial | 30 | — | $35 | Open |
| Montana | biennial | 30 | — | $75 | Open |
| Nebraska | biennial | 30 | 1 | $80 | Open |
| Nevada | biennial | 30 | 2 | $100 | Open |
| New Hampshire | biennial | 30 | — | $150 | Open |
| New Jersey | biennial | 24 | 2 | $80 | Open |
| New Mexico | biennial | 30 | 2 | $155 | Open |
| New York | triennial | 36 | 1 | $242 | Open |
| North Carolina | annual | 15 | 1 | $75 | Open |
| North Dakota | biennial | 30 | 1 | $55 | Open |
| Ohio | biennial | 30 | 2 | $40 | Open |
| Oklahoma | biennial | 30 | — | $150 | Open |
| Oregon | biennial | 30 | — | $150 | Open |
| Pennsylvania | biennial | 24 | — | $100 | Open |
| Puerto Rico | biennial | 50 | — | $120 | Open |
| Rhode Island | biennial | None | — | $100 | Open |
| South Carolina | biennial | 30 | — | $70 | Open |
| South Dakota | biennial | 30 | — | $80 | Open |
| Tennessee | biennial | 24 | — | $140 | Open |
| Texas | biennial | 30 | 2 | $100 | Open |
| Utah | biennial | 30 | — | $74 | Open |
| Vermont | biennial | 30 | — | $100 | Open |
| Virginia | biennial | 16 | — | $160 | Open |
| Washington | biennial | None | — | $128 | Open |
| West Virginia | biennial | 30 | — | $63 | Open |
| Wisconsin | biennial | 30 | 2 | $78 | Open |
| Wyoming | biennial | 30 | — | $90 | Open |
It depends on the state. Most states use a biennial cycle (every 2 years). Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, and Nevada renew annually. Arizona, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and a few others use a triennial (3-year) cycle.
Renewal fees range from about $50 to over $200 per cycle. The PE License Pro state directory lists the current approximate fee for every state.
It varies. Most states require 30 PDH per biennial cycle (15 PDH/year average). Some require ethics hours specifically. California, Arizona, Colorado, and a handful of others currently require 0 CE for PE renewal.
Most states allow a short grace period with a late fee. After that, reinstatement is more involved (extra CE, an application, sometimes board review). A few states will revoke the license after a long lapse.
No. PE renewal is administrative, not examined. You demonstrate continued competence through CE / PDH hours, not by retaking the PE exam.
Each state has its own renewal portal, run by that state's licensing board. The PE License Pro state pages link directly to every state board's renewal page so you don't have to dig.
Email reminders at 90, 60, 30 days, then daily the final week. Free for your first license.
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