License Requirements
Professional Engineering
General Requirements | Fees | Partial Refunds | Education and Experience Requirements | Examination Requirements | Applicants Licensed in Another State (Endorsement) | Table of Education/Experience Credits | Summary of Requirements "At a Glance"
General Requirements
Any use of the title "Professional Engineer" or provision of professional engineering services within New York State requires licensure, except in certain "exempt" settings. These settings are detailed in Section 7208 of the Education Law.
To be licensed as a professional engineer in New York State you must:
- be of good moral character;
- be at least 21 years of age; and
- meet education, examination and experience requirements.
Submit an application for licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.
The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 145, section 7206 of New York's Education Law and Part 68 of the Commissioner's Regulations.
You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.
Fees
The fee for licensure is $377.
The fee to apply for eligibility for admission to Part A of the examination as a New York candidate only is $70.
When the Department determines you are eligible for the examination, you will be sent an examination eligibility letter. This letter will include instructions on how to schedule and pay an additional fee to sit for the examination with NCEES and our examination administrator - Castle Worldwide Inc.
Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.
- Do not send cash.
- Make your personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. * Your cancelled check is your receipt.
- Mail your application and fee to:
NYS Education Department
Office of the Professions
P.O. Box 22063
Albany, NY 12201.
*NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.
Partial Refunds
Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.
- For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Professional Engineering Unit at opunit1@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 250 or by fax at 518-402-5354.
- The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.
If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.
Education and Experience Requirements
To become licensed as a professional engineer in New York State you must complete a combination of education and experience for which years of credit are awarded. The credit awarded for your education determines the required number of years of experience you need:
- A total of 6 years of credit is required for admission to the
Fundamentals of Engineering examination (Part A)
- A total of 12 years of credit is required for admission to the Principles and Practice examination (Part B) for licensure.
The table
below and a PDF
chart (
129
KB) are provided to help you determine your eligibility
and the number of years of experience you need to take Part A
or Part B of the examination.
Experience acceptable for licensure must be of a scope and nature satisfactory to the Department and must be appropriately verified by the Department. The experience must:
- demonstrate the intensive application of engineering principles in the practical solution of engineering problems;
- demonstrate a knowledge of engineering mathematics, physical and applied sciences, properties of materials, and the fundamental principles of engineering design;
- be broad in scope;
- develop and mature the applicant's engineering knowledge and judgment; and
- include at least two years of experience working on projects requiring knowledge and use of codes and practices commonly used in the United States.
All the experience you wish to have evaluated must be described on Forms 4 and 4A and should be accounted for chronologically. Experience descriptions must include specific duties you personally performed, the complexity of the work, and make clear the extent of your responsibility for the work. Please list your experience in a comprehensive, detailed, and explicit manner. The Department will consider only experience that you have completed by the date the application is signed. The quality of the experience, not merely the calendar time, will be evaluated. Time claimed on the forms cannot exceed actual calendar time.
Examination Requirements
To be licensed as a professional engineer in New York State, you must pass:
- Part A, the Fundamentals of Engineering examination, and
- Part B, the Principles and Practice of Engineering examination.
Examinations are developed by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and administered by CASTLE Worldwide Inc.
After your education and experience has been approved by the Department, you will be eligible for the examination(s). At that time, you will be sent an examination eligibility letter with instructions regarding scheduling the exams(s).
Examinations are administered twice a year, in April and October, at various sites throughout New York State. The deadlines for submitting licensure applications are:
- For April 2012 examinations - October 19, 2012
- For October examinations
- Part A, Fundamentals of Engineering Examination – June 1st of same year
- Part B, Principles and Practice of Engineering examination – May 1st of same year
The deadlines for scheduling the exam(s) with NCEES and Castle Worldwide – our exam administrator, will be indicated in the examination eligibility letter.
NCEES limits calculators allowed in examination room
NCEES policy prohibits calculators that communicate or that may compromise the security of the examination. NCEES publishes a list of the calculators that are acceptable for both Part A - the Fundamentals of Engineering examination, and Part B - the Principles and Practice of Engineering examination. Only the models listed on the NCEES website will be permitted in the examination room.
For further information regarding NCEES examinations please visit
the NCEES website at www.ncees.org
or
call 1-800-250-3196.
Accommodations
Individuals with Disabilities/Sabbath Observers/Military
After your licensure/examination application materials have been reviewed and approved by the Department, you will be sent an eligibility letter. This letter will include instructions on how to schedule and pay the examination fee(s). The process to request a reasonable accommodation or alternate test date will be part of the registration/scheduling process with NCEES and Castle through their online system. If you are requesting accommodations, we suggest you begin the process as soon as the NCEES registration process opens for the exam you plan to take, as this will assist in the timely processing of your request.
Applicants Licensed in Another State (Endorsement)
You may be eligible for licensure in New York State if you:
- meet all requirements for licensure in New York State, except having completed the examination, and
- have been issued a license or a certificate to practice professional engineering upon written examination by a board of examiners in another state or political subdivision of the United States.
The examination for the license or certificate must be equivalent to the examination required in this state at the time it was issued.
You must submit full documentation of compliance with all other New York State licensure requirements including professional education and satisfactory professional experience, among other requirements, as part of your application for licensure by endorsement. New York State does not have a reciprocity/comity agreement with any jurisdiction; if you are applying with a NCEES Record, you would need to submit Form1 and request NCEES to have your current NCEES Record transmitted to us for review.
| Degree: | Field of Study: | Accreditation: | Credits based on Education: |
Work Experience Credits Required for Part A, Fundamentals Exam: |
Additional Work Experience Credits Required for Part B, Principles & Practice Exam and for Licensure: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor | Engineering | ABET/EAC | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| Bachelor | Engineering Technology | ABET/TAC | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Associate | Engineering Technology | ABET | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Bachelor | Engineering | Regional | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Bachelor | Technology | Regional | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Bachelor | Architecture | Regional | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Bachelor | Science related to engineering | Regional | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Associate | Engineering Science/Pre-Eng. equivalent | Regional | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Associate | Technology | Regional | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Bachelor | Not directly related to engineering | Regional | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Associate | Not directly related to engineering | Regional | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| None | No college study | N/A | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Required Forms & Fees | Path to Licensure or Practive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For Admission to Part A of Examination | For Admission to Part B of Examination | For Admission to Part A & Part B of Examination | Licensure Based on Endorsement | ||
| With NCEES Record | Without NCEES Record | ||||
| FORM 1 and Fee (see Fees above) | X | X | X | X 1 | X |
| FORM 2 | X | X | X | X | |
| FORM 3 | X 2 | X | |||
| FORM 4 | X 3 | X | X | X | |
| FORM 4A | X 4 | X | X | X | |
Notes:
- Please provide specific information as requested. Do not use the phrase "Refer to NCEES record."
- To document completion of Part A of the examination.
- If experience is required.
- If experience is required.
