Section outline

  • Arkansas Professional Engineer Renewal

    Arkansas PE Continuing Education Requirements

    Arkansas professional engineers generally report 30 professional development hours during each biennial renewal period. Qualifying activities must have a clear educational purpose and maintain, improve, or expand knowledge relevant to the engineer’s field of practice.

    Board: Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors  |  Reviewed: July 20, 2026

    Quick answer for Arkansas PEs

    Complete 30 qualifying PDH per biennial renewal period. Up to 30 excess PDH may carry forward, records must be retained for three years, and a licensee selected for audit generally has 30 days to provide a log and supporting documents.

    30 PDHRequired per biennium
    30 PDHMaximum carryover
    3 yearsRecord-retention period
    30 daysAudit response period

    Core Requirement

    What an Arkansas PE must complete

    RequirementArkansas PE rule
    Total educationAt least 30 PDH during each biennial renewal period.
    CarryoverUp to 30 PDH earned above the requirement may be carried into the immediately subsequent renewal period.
    Required PE subjectsNo separate ethics, Arkansas-law, or other subject allocation is stated for PE-only renewal. Courses must be relevant to the licensee’s field of practice.
    Dual PE/PS licenseA dual licensee generally reports 40 PDH, with at least 10 in engineering and 10 in surveying. Separate surveying-subject rules apply.
    Final credit authorityThe Board has final authority over courses, credit, PDH values, and other methods of earning credit.
    Renewal certificationThe renewal application requires a continuing-education certification stating the PDH claimed.

    Qualifying Education

    Activities must advance professional competency

    A qualifying course or activity must have a clear purpose and objective and maintain, improve, or expand skills and knowledge relevant to the engineer’s field of practice.

    Common qualifying activities

    • College courses
    • Continuing-education courses
    • Correspondence and recorded short courses or tutorials
    • Seminars, workshops, and technical or managerial presentations
    • Teaching qualifying material for the first time
    • Published work, society participation, and patents within applicable limits

    Selected credit conversions

    • One continuing education unit equals 10 PDH.
    • One hour of qualifying coursework or presentation equals 1 PDH.
    • First-time teaching receives twice the participant credit.
    • A published paper, article, or book is limited to 10 PDH.
    • Active society participation is limited to 2 PDH per organization.
    • Each patent grant is limited to 10 PDH.

    Course Format

    Distance-learning courses can qualify

    Arkansas rules recognize correspondence, televised, videotaped, audiotaped, and other short courses or tutorials. The current rule does not state a general numerical cap on online course credit for professional engineers.

    A course must still satisfy the educational-purpose and professional-relevance tests. Keep documentation demonstrating attendance or successful completion and the number of PDH earned.

    Exceptions

    Arkansas recognizes limited exemptions

    First renewal

    A new licensee by examination or comity is exempt from the professional-development requirement for the first renewal period.

    Disability or extenuating circumstances

    The Board may approve an exemption for physical disability, illness, or another qualifying circumstance when the licensee supplies supporting documentation.

    Inactive status

    A licensee who uses the Board’s inactive designation and certifies that no remuneration is being received for professional engineering services is exempt while inactive.

    Experience-based PE exemption

    A professional engineer who is at least 65 years old and has at least 25 years of acceptable professional experience may request the exemption on Board-supplied forms.

    Documentation and Audit

    Keep supporting records for three years

    The licensee must maintain a log showing the activity type, sponsoring organization, location, duration, instructor or speaker, and PDH earned. Completion certificates or other attendance evidence should support the log.

    The Board may conduct random audits after a renewal period. Its rule provides for a two-percent random sample and requires a selected licensee to submit the Board form, CE log, and supporting documents within 30 days.

    Official Sources

    Confirm the current Arkansas rule

    Informational notice: This summary addresses Arkansas continuing education for PE-only licenses. It is not legal advice or a guarantee of course acceptance. Separate rules apply to professional surveyors and dual licensees, and requirements may change after the review date.

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