Professional Engineer License Renewal by State — Fees, CE & Calculator (2026)
Licensing fees, CE requirements, and renewal deadlines for Professional Engineers across all 51 US jurisdictions (50 states + DC).
Professional Engineer Renewal Calculator
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50-State Fee Comparison
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Professional Engineer License Renewal: What the Data Shows
PE license renewal costs range from $50 in Arkansas to $200 in District of Columbia, with a national average of $86. The spread is relatively modest — most states cluster between $75 and $150 — compared to other licensed professions where fees can vary by 5x or more. That said, the biennial cycle means you're paying every two years, so a $180 California renewal translates to $90 per year of active licensure.
Every US jurisdiction requires continuing professional development for PE renewal. The standard is 30 Professional Development Hours (PDH) per two-year cycle, aligned with NCEES model rules, and adopted by the majority of states. California requires the most at 36 PDH, including at least 1 hour in engineering ethics. Arkansas requires the least at 15 PDH. There are no states with zero CE requirements for Professional Engineers — this distinguishes PEs from contractors and electricians, where large numbers of states require nothing.
Ethics and law PDH mandates are widespread. California, Florida, and several other states require a minimum number of ethics PDH within the total requirement. NSPE recommends 1 PDH of ethics per renewal cycle, and most state boards have formalized this into their rules. Some states also mandate specific PDH in areas like ADA accessibility, Florida Building Code, or energy efficiency.
NCEES's comity (reciprocity) program significantly changes the renewal calculus for engineers licensed in multiple states. If you hold a PE in five states, you face five separate renewal cycles with five fee payments — potentially exceeding $500 every two years just in renewal costs, before CE course purchases. Engineers using NCEES's Record service for comity may find that maintaining NCEES continuing education records simplifies multi-state renewals.
Annual renewal cycles are rare among states; the biennial (24-month) model is standard across all 51 jurisdictions. This means your CE hours accumulate over a two-year window, and the vast majority of state boards allow carryover of a limited number of excess PDH to the following cycle — typically up to 15 PDH. Check your board's rules on carryover, as unused PDH from online courses can offset future renewal costs.
CE Requirements by State
States grouped by continuing education hour requirement for Professional Engineer renewal.
- Alabama — 15 PDH
- Louisiana — 15 PDH
- North Carolina — 15 PDH
- Texas — 15 PDH
- Alaska — 30 PDH
- Arizona — 30 PDH
- Arkansas — 30 PDH
- Colorado — 30 PDH
- Connecticut — 24 PDH
- Delaware — 24 PDH
- District of Columbia — 24 PDH
- Florida — 18 PDH
- Georgia — 30 PDH
- Hawaii — 30 PDH
- Idaho — 30 PDH
- Illinois — 30 PDH
- Indiana — 30 PDH
- Iowa — 30 PDH
- Kansas — 30 PDH
- Kentucky — 30 PDH
- Maine — 30 PDH
- Maryland — 24 PDH
- Massachusetts — 30 PDH
- Michigan — 30 PDH
- Minnesota — 30 PDH
- Mississippi — 30 PDH
- Missouri — 30 PDH
- Montana — 30 PDH
- Nebraska — 30 PDH
- Nevada — 30 PDH
- New Hampshire — 30 PDH
- New Jersey — 24 PDH
- New Mexico — 30 PDH
- North Dakota — 30 PDH
- Ohio — 30 PDH
- Oklahoma — 30 PDH
- Oregon — 30 PDH
- Pennsylvania — 24 PDH
- Rhode Island — 30 PDH
- South Carolina — 30 PDH
- South Dakota — 30 PDH
- Tennessee — 30 PDH
- Utah — 24 PDH
- Vermont — 30 PDH
- Virginia — 16 PDH
- Washington — 30 PDH
- West Virginia — 30 PDH
- Wisconsin — 30 PDH
- Wyoming — 30 PDH
- California — 36 PDH
- New York — 36 PDH