Continuing Education Requirements for NJ PEs

New Jersey professional engineers are required to earn 24 PDH biennially. Two of these credit hours must in the area of ethics. All of the required hours can be earned through online continuing education courses.Continuing Education is known as continuing professional competency (CPC) in New Jersey. All New Jersey engineering licenses are renewed on April 30th of even numbered years.

The New Jersey State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors regulates the practice of engineering in the state.The Board pre-approves CPC providers. PDH-Pro is an approved provider for CPC credits in New Jersey (#24GP00025600).

We prepared a detailed summary and review of the New Jersey continuing education requirements (read the article).

Engineering Continuing Education Requirements for New Jersey

To maintain your status as a professional engineer in New Jersey, you have to renew your license. To keep your license up to date, you may be wondering: what are the continuing education requirements for New Jersey engineers?

In New Jersey, continuing education might also be referred to as continuing professional competency. No matter which term is used, the purpose of continuing education for license renewal is that it should expand and improve your current engineering skills, as well as cultivate new and relevant engineering skills.

Every engineer is required to complete 24 personal development hours (PDH) every 2 years to renew their license. Two of the PDH credits have to be earned by taking ethics courses. You are allowed to carry over up to 12 PDH into the next renewal cycle.

New Jersey Engineering PDH Credits

Engineering licensing in New Jersey is managed by the State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (PELS), and they require that you earn 24 PDH credits every 2 years. A minimum of 2 PDH credits must come from ethics courses, but you cannot earn more than 8 hours in total. You can obtain your continuing education courses by taking online classes, and there is no limit to how many credits can be earned in this manner.

The PELS pre-approves continuing education providers, and if you plan on using PDH-Pro to earn any necessary credits, they have been already been approved (#24GP00025600).

When it comes to renewing your license, this must be completed online—no paper renewals are allowed. When you apply to renew your license, you must submit the certificates of completion that show you have earned the continuing education credits you claim. You must also hold onto this documentation for at least 6 years after filing for license renewal.

New Jersey PE License Renewal Dates

All engineers in New Jersey have their licenses renewed on April 30th of even-numbered years. You have to renew your license online and pay a fee of $80.

Engineering Ethics and Professional Conduct

It has been mandated that to fulfill the continuing education requirements for New Jersey engineers, you must earn 2 PDH credits in ethics, but you can’t earn more than 8 PDH credits in this topic. You have the ability to earn the required credit hours by taking online courses.

New Jersey Engineering Record Keeping Requirements

When it comes to the certificates of completion that prove you earned the continuing education credits that you claim, the following information should be included:

• Title of the course
• Date
• Location of the course
• Name and license number of the candidate
• Number of credits earned
• Name and signature of the course’s director or an appropriate representative

You must have a certificate of completion for every course or activity that you complete. In addition, some of the other information that you need to have on record includes:

• A log that describes each course/activity
• How much time you spent on the course/activity
• Supporting attendance documentation
• Any other documentation related to the event, including course descriptions, materials, or notes you took

You are required to keep the certificates of completion and other documentation on file for at least 6 years. You must also have a written outline of the course materials. The PELS has the opportunity to conduct audits at any time, and you must be able to provide them with the requested documentation to prove you fulfilled the continuing education requirements for New Jersey engineers.

Accepted Engineering Continuing Education Activities

You have the ability to take a wide range of courses and subjects to renew your engineering license, including those that focus on

• Ethics
• Mechanical engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Civil engineering
• Professional conduct
• State laws

Some of the ways in which you can take these courses or activities are as follows:

Online Courses

There is no limit as to how many continuing education credits you can earn from online courses. However, you must receive a certificate of completion to prove you took the course and earned the credits.

Webinars

This is another acceptable way to earn the necessary requirements to renew your engineering license, as long as the live webinar has the proper documentation.

Self-Study Courses

To earn credit for self-study courses, it must be pre-approved by PELS and offer a certificate of completion.

Some of the other options that you can take to earn your continuing education credits include conferences, seminars, and other events, as long as they have been pre-approved.

Unacceptable Continuing Education Activities

Every continuing education course that you take must be technical and related to engineering. It should also expand your engineering skills. When it comes to topics that are not accepted for license renewal, these are any courses that are offered in firm management.

This includes any course or activity that focuses on marketing, building, or management. For any other topic or area, as long as the course/activity has been pre-approved, you can use the credit you earn to renew your license. Remember that you need to keep documentation that proves you attended and completed the continuing education course on file for at least 6 years.

Pre-Approval of Engineering Continuing Education Activities

Any event that has not been pre-approved by PELS will not count toward the continuing education requirements for New Jersey engineers. You are responsible for ensuring that the course or activity has been pre-approved, and there are various places you can check. If you are looking to get a course or activity pre-approved, you must complete an approval form that can be found on the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs website.

Sources of Free Continuing Education Courses

When it comes to free continuing education courses, there are some options available. They may be offered by professional societies as a benefit of membership.

New Jersey Engineering Licensing

To become a professional, licensed engineer in New Jersey, there are several steps you have to complete. These include:

Step 1: Earn a 4-year degree from an accredited institute of higher learning.

Step 2: Pass the Fundamentals in Engineering exam.

Step 3: Complete 4 years of engineer training with a professional, licensed engineer.

Step 4: Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam.

After all of these steps have been completed, you can then apply for your professional engineering license.

Engineering Discipline Restrictions

To fulfill your continuing education requirements for New Jersey engineers, you must ensure that the course or activity you participate in is technical in nature and improves your engineering skills and knowledge. It also has to be accepted by the PELS for continuing education credit. The only restrictions on courses/activities are that they can’t focus on topics related to firm management.