CEU Requirements for New Jersey Professional Engineers
Many New Jersey engineers ask – What are the continuing education requirements for NJ PEs?
All New Jersey professional engineers must complete 24 hours of continuing education during each 2 year license renewal cycle. Continuing education in New Jersey is known as continuing professional competency (CPC). Two of the 24 CPC hours must be earned in professional ethics. As many as 12 hours may be carried over into the following renewal cycle.
Continuing education is referred to as continuing professional competency (CPC) in the state of New Jersey. Other states use the term professional development hour, or PDH. The New Jersey board requires that courses must support the expansion and improvement of skills, as well as cultivate new and relevant engineering skills.
Check out our New Jersey PE renewal page for a complete list of all license renewal requirements.
New Jersey PDH Credits
The State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (PELS) manages professional engineering licensing in New Jersey. PELS requires engineers to complete 24 CPC hours every two years (biennially). At least 2 hours must be in the area of professional practice ethics, but no more than 8 hours in total may be earned in this category. Online courses are permissible for license renewal of professional engineers, with no limit on the amount of online CPC hours earned.
PELs pre-approves continuing education course providers. PDH-Pro is an approved CPC provider in the state of New Jersey (#24GP00025600).
Electronic renewal of an existing professional engineering license can be completed on the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs website. Individuals renewing their engineering license are required to submit certificates of completion for the CPC hours which they earn. No paper renewals are accepted. Professional engineers must retain their CPC course completion records for a minimum of six years after reporting them.
New Jersey License Renewal Dates
All New Jersey professional engineering licenses must be renewed biennially. The board has set April 30th of even numbered years as the renewal date.
Engineers can renew their license electronically on the State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (PELS) website. The renewal fee is currently $80. Records and certificates of completion must be maintained by the licensee. The board requires all licensees to maintain continuing education records for at least six years.
Engineering Ethics and Professional Conduct
The State Board of New Jersey mandates that 2 of the 24 required CPC hours for professional engineering license renewal be earned in ethics. However, there is a maximum of eight ethics hours earned for each cycle of license renewal. These ethics hours may be completed online without restriction.
PDH-Pro offers an Engineering Ethics course that meets the NJ PELS requirements.
Records Keeping Requirements for Engineers
Records documenting CPC activities must include a verification of completion from the course provider. At a minimum, these certificates must include: the course title, date, location of the course; the candidate’s name and license number; the number of potential credits earned; and a name and signature of the program’s director or an appropriate representative. A certificate of this nature must be obtained for each course the candidate completes. Records must also include: a log describing each event and the time spent performing the activity; supporting documents that prove attendance at each event; and all other documentation that is related to the educational event, such as notes, materials, and course descriptions.
Accurate and complete records of course attendance, as well as successful completion, must be maintained for a minimum of six years. A written outline of the course materials must also be included and retained. All information must be provided to the Board upon request. Candidates are subject to auditing by the Board at any time.
Continuing Education Activities Accepted by the Board
The State Board accepts courses in a variety of subject areas for CPC hours; including, but not limited to: ethics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, professional conduct, and state laws. Various formats of continuing education courses are acceptable to the NJ board.
Online Courses: Online courses are permissible for credit. Additionally, there is not a limit as to the number of online credits which a licensee can earn for credit.Participants in online courses must still attain a certificate of completion for their records.
Webinars: Live webinars are also an acceptable method of earning CPC credit, as long as proper documentation of completion is obtained by the candidate.
Self Study Courses: Independent study courses are another viable option for CPC credit, as long as completion is certified. This type of course must be pre-approved by the Board to earn CPC credit.
Other options include seminars (face-to-face classes), conferences, and assorted events, as long as the Board has approved the activity.
Which Continuing Education Activities Count?
All CPC courses are required to be technical and related to practicing engineering and the expansion of engineering skills. There is one specific topic area for CPC activities the Board rejects. Firm Management is a Board-restricted topic, based on content. This includes courses relating to practice marketing, management, or building. CPC hours will not be recognized for this area. In other areas, as long as pre-approval is attained from the candidate or the course provider, it is possible that CPC credit could be approved by the Board. All records must be kept to prove attendance and completion, as well as certify the validity of the renewed license.
Pre-Approval of Continuing Education Activities
All activities for CPC credit must earn pre-approval from the State Board. If approval is not gained, the event, conference, or other activity will not count as a valid CPC hour. There are many resources candidates can use to locate Board approved activities. To gain approval, the candidate must complete the CPC Approval form on the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs website specifically designed for professional engineers.
Sources of Free Continuing Education Courses
There are a wide variety of options and resources for CPC courses or events for no additional charge to candidates. Becoming a member of a society of professional engineers often comes with free online resources, such as NSPE or professional associations such as ASCE.org.
New Jersey Engineering Licensing
Becoming a licensed, professional engineer requires many steps. First, the candidate must hold a four-year degree from an engineering program that is accredited. Next, he or she must have passed the Fundamentals in Engineering (FE Exam). The candidate must also have completed four years as a training engineer (EIT) under a current professional engineer. The last step for the candidate to attain a license is passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam. Each candidate must register for the PE Exam, which are only held twice per year.
All-In-One Engineering Packages for New Jersey
PDH-Pro and our team of experts monitor the license renewal requirements for New Jersey to ensure our courses and meet the NJ PELS requirements. We developed Continuing Engineering Packages to provide New Jersey professional engineers with a convenient way to renew their license. These packages include all of the required CPC credits and are guaranteed to be accepted by the New Jersey board.
Engineering Discipline Restrictions
The State Board of New Jersey does not restrict or limit the courses that an engineer can take for CPC credit based on their engineering discipline. As long as the CPC course, event, or activity is of a technical nature and it increases skills and knowledge of the profession of engineering, it is valid for continuing education credit. The only restricted topic is Firm Management.
Conclusion
Practicing engineers in the state of New Jersey are required by the Board to renew their licenses every two years. Candidates are required to renew their licenses by April 30th of every even numbered year. Each licensee must complete twenty-four hours of CPC, or Continuing Professional Competency, hours. Applications for renewal along with the $80 renewal fee and certificates of completion for all CPC events are submitted online.