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What is a Registered Professional Engineer?

Friday, February 5, 2010 12:25 am

What is a Registered Professional Engineer, also known as a P.E.? To a client, it means that the person providing engineering services or a feasibility opinion has at least a four-year college degree in engineering, worked under the supervision of a Registered Professional Engineer for four years or more, passed two competency exams and earned a license from a state's licensure board. To keep the license valid, a P.E. must update and improve their skills through continuing education.

Only a century ago, a person could work as an engineer without a degree. In order to protect the public, licensure laws were enacted. Engineers can now earn an advance certification as a Professional Engineer in every state by meeting high standards of professional and ethical practice. It is certainly not necessary to be “licensed” in order for a person to get a job as an engineer. In fact, the actual percentage of individuals having a college engineering degree that becomes a P.E. is no more than 20%. A good analogy is that of an Accountant as oppose to a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

PEs are responsible for how their work, and their staff’s work, affect the lives of others. Being registered by one or more states is a legal requirement for an engineer who elects to head an engineering firm or to be a private practitioner. Furthermore, many states require college engineering instructors to be Professional Engineers.

It is important to note that only a Professional Engineer can prepare, sign, place a seal, and submit engineering plans to a public authority, to public or private clients, or when providing an opinion of technical feasibility.

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