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District of Columbia PE License Renewal: CE hours, deadlines, and portal.

District of Columbia Professional Engineer (PE) licenses renew every two years (biennial). District of Columbia requires 20 PDH per 2-year cycle (about 10 per year). Of the 20 hours, 1 must be in professional ethics. Carryover is not permitted. The approximate renewal fee is $155 per cycle. Online renewal is available through the state board portal. Renew by August 31 of even-numbered years. 20 PDH per cycle including 1 ethics hour.

Renewal deadline:End of August every two years
Renewal cycle
Biennial
PDH required
20 per cycle
Ethics required
1 hour
Approximate fee
$155

District of Columbia engineering compliance at a glance

Everything it takes to legally practice engineering in District of Columbia: your individual PE license, your firm's Certificate of Authorization, and the Secretary-of-State / tax filings that keep the entity in good standing. Costs and cadence are estimates, confirm on the official portals before relying on them.

RequirementApplies toCostRenewsWhat you do
PE license (individual)Always required to practice~$155BiennialEarn 20 PDH, then renew on the board portal · open

On file we show only the individual PE license for District of Columbia. If you practice through a firm, confirm any Certificate of Authorization or entity-report requirement with the District of Columbia board.

CE / PDH requirements in District of Columbia

District of Columbia requires 20 PDH per 2-year renewal cycle (about 10 hours per year). Of that total, 1 hour must be in professional ethics.

District of Columbia does not allow PDH hours to carry over between renewal cycles. Earn the required hours each cycle.

How to renew your District of Columbia PE license

  1. 1
    Confirm your renewal date

    Renew by August 31 of even-numbered years. 20 PDH per cycle including 1 ethics hour.

  2. 2
    Verify your PDH balance

    Confirm you have at least 20 PDH for this cycle, including 1 ethics hour. Save certificates as PDFs in case the board audits you.

  3. 3
    Pay the renewal fee

    About $155. District of Columbia accepts online renewal through the board portal.

  4. 4
    Save your new pocket card

    Once renewed, save your updated wall certificate or pocket card. If your firm needs a copy for project files, send it the same day.

What trips people up

District of Columbia renewal gotchas

Field notes from mapping the District of Columbia renewal flow. Specifics change, so confirm anything time-sensitive on the board portal before you rely on it.

  • Highest renewal fee among the states in this group at $200
  • Access DC is a government-wide SSO - may have separate account issues from the licensing portal
  • License number auto-populates info, reducing data entry but requiring the license number at hand
  • DC government portals can be slow and have maintenance windows
  • Board correspondence goes to specific administrator (currently Ms. Avis B. Pearson)
  • Contact: 202-671-4500 for issues
Practicing through a firm in District of Columbia?

Many states require firms to hold a separate Certificate of Authorization (CoA) to offer engineering services, on its own cycle and fee. PE License Pro tracks individual PE licenses, firm CoAs, and entity filings side by side.

Need a new District of Columbia PE license? Open the District of Columbia application page

District of Columbia PE renewal FAQ

How often does a District of Columbia PE license need to be renewed?+

District of Columbia PE licenses are renewed every two years (biennial). Renew by August 31 of even-numbered years. 20 PDH per cycle including 1 ethics hour.

When is the deadline to renew a District of Columbia PE license?+

District of Columbia PE license renewal deadline: End of August every two years. Dates and cycles can change, so confirm the exact date on the District of Columbia board portal and renew before it. A missed deadline usually means a late fee, and in some states the license lapses and has to be reinstated.

How many PDH hours does District of Columbia require for PE renewal?+

District of Columbia requires 20 PDH per 2-year cycle, including 1 ethics hour.

How much does it cost to renew a District of Columbia PE license?+

The approximate renewal fee is $155 per cycle. Fees can change; confirm the current amount on the District of Columbia board portal.

Where do I renew my District of Columbia PE license?+

District of Columbia renewals are handled by the state's licensing board. The current portal is at https://dlcp.dc.gov/page/board-professional-engineers.

Does District of Columbia allow PDH carryover?+

No. District of Columbia does not allow PDH hours to carry over between renewal cycles.

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