CEU Requirements for New Hampshire Professional Engineers

We are often asked by New Hampshire engineers – What are the continuing education requirements for engineers in New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire Continuing Education requirements for professional engineers are: (1) 30 PDHs, (2), the renewal frequency is biennially and it is the last day of an engineer’s month of birth, (3) the maximum number of PDHs that can be forwarded to the next renewal cycle is 30, (4), the courses that a licensee can take in order to earn PDH credits must be in the nature of ethical, managerial, or technical content, and they must be relevant to one’s engineering discipline, and (5), the license renewal date is the last day of a licensee’s month of birth.

One of our most popular continuing education offering is our complete packages for New Hampshire Engineers.

Refer to our New Hampshire PE renewal page for more information.

Required PDH Credits

Licensees should take note that the renewal period for engineering licenses is biennial and they should complete the required 30 PDHs. The licensing board in the state of New Hampshire is the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (NHBPE). Engineers have to continually take courses that broaden and increase their skills and knowledge in their engineering practice. The courses can be ethics, technical, or managerial related but they must be relevant to one’s engineering discipline.

It’s of great interest to note that NHBPE does not require pre-approval of course providers or courses for continuing education. Instead, it’s the responsibility of every engineer taking these courses to determine whether they meet the requirements of the board or not. The board requires that the course activities be relevant to a licensee’s engineering field and also be in a position to improve and expand one’s engineering skills and knowledge. In this regard, it’s imperative to point out that the board accepts electronic license renewal. Moreover, the board deems it necessary for engineers to submit certificates of completion of course credits. In addition, engineers are required to keep records for a minimum of 4 years.

License Renewal Dates

Licensees should be aware that the license renewal date is the last date of one’s month of birth. The year of license renewal is dependent on the year of initial licensure. For instance, if a license was initially issued in an even-numbered year, it will be renewed in an even-numbered year as well. Since the license renewal is biennial, after 2 years, a licensee should have completed 30 PDHs. The objective of each continuing activity that an engineer does should be to maintain, increase, and expand practice knowledge and skill. An important point to note is that an engineer should maintain continuing education records for a minimum of 4 years.

Engineering Ethics and Professional Conduct

Professional engineers should be well equipped with ethical, professional conduct, and legal knowledge to boost their competence while in practice. A high ethical code goes a long way in enabling one to relate with the public and other professionals in a morally right way. Additionally, a high level of professional conduct plays a big role in building one’s professional capacity as a practicing engineer. As a result, one’s output comes with a great deal of professionalism. In the same vein, courses on state rules and laws equip engineers with the knowledge to comply with the state’s regulations as they practice engineering in their different disciplines. Thus, the aim of continuing education courses is to ensure that professional engineers meet the ethical, professional, and legal confines of their practice.

Records Keeping Requirements for Engineers

Professional engineers have to keep records of completed PDH credits. In New Hampshire, one should keep records of completion of continuing education credits for a minimum of 4 years. The board has to see evidence of one’s proof of the completion of such courses. For this reason, the board accepts PDH credits and any other supporting documents as proof of completion. In the records, the board will need evidence of the following: the continuing education activity, the sponsoring organization, the duration taken, location, the speaker’s name, and the PDH credits earned. Engineers present these records upon request by the board.

Continuing Education Activities Accepted by the Board

It’s worth taking note that not all continuing education activities are accepted by the board. Essentially, the activities that qualify for PDH credits are the ones that maintain, improve, and broaden engineering skills. In the same vein, the activities have to be relevant to one’s engineering discipline for them to qualify as appropriate continuing education activities. Here are examples of continuing education activities accepted by the board:

• Taking part in online PDH classes
• Participating in engineering seminars, conventions, training, and conferences
• Publishing books, articles, and papers
• Patents acquisition
• Participating in live engineering webinars
• Teaching and mentoring in engineering-related programs

Online courses are allowed in New Hampshire and there is no limit to the number of credits that one can earn through this platform. It’s also vital to underscore that live webinars are used to facilitate the acquisition of PDH credits for professional engineers in New Hampshire. It’s a viable way of providing continuing education for engineers in the state. For those wishing to take self-study courses, they are allowed as long as they meet the requirements of the board.

Pre-Approval of Continuing Education Activities

In regards to this matter, the board does not pre-approve course providers or courses for continuing education. The licensees taking the courses should determine whether they meet the board’s requirements or not.

Sources of Free Continuing Education Courses

There are different sources and options that one can explore when looking for free continuing education sources. For example, there are online platforms, educational institutions, and professional institutions that offer free continuing education courses for engineers.

Engineering Licensing Requirements

The following are the engineering licensing requirements that one should meet:

• Graduating from an accredited engineering program
• Taking the Fundamentals of Engineering exam
• Gaining substantial experience in engineering practice
• Taking the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam

Engineering Discipline Restrictions for Continuing Education Courses

Whenever one is taking a continuing education course, it has to be relevant to one’s particular discipline. For example, if a licensee specializes in electrical engineering, the continuing education course activities have to be relevant to electrical engineering.

This information is fundamental to all professional engineers in New Hampshire. It’s a guideline on how they should undertake their continuing education courses. They have to follow the board’s requirements to improve their engineering skills and knowledge.