Texas Professional Engineer Renewal
Texas Professional Engineers must complete 15 professional development hours before each annual renewal, including at least one hour in professional ethics, the roles and responsibilities of professional engineers, or review of the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Board Rules.
Authority: Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) | Reviewed: August 3, 2026
Texas permits up to 14 eligible non-ethics PDH to carry forward from the preceding renewal period. The required hour addressing ethics, professional responsibilities, or the Texas Act and Board Rules cannot be carried forward.
Core Requirements
| Requirement | Texas rule |
|---|---|
| Total hours | Complete at least 15 PDH by the annual license-renewal date. |
| Ethics or Act/Rules | At least one current-period hour must address professional ethics, the roles and responsibilities of professional engineers, or review of the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Board Rules. |
| Course subjects | Activities must be relevant to engineering practice and may contain educational, technical, ethical, or managerial content. |
| Carryover | Up to 14 eligible non-ethics PDH may be carried forward from the preceding renewal period. The required annual ethics or Act and Rules hour cannot be carried forward. |
| Provider approval | TBPELS does not preapprove courses, providers, seminars, or other activities. The engineer is responsible for determining relevance and maintaining supporting documentation. |
| Reporting | Certify compliance on the renewal statement. Logs and certificates are generally retained by the engineer and submitted only when requested for an audit. |
| First renewal | Rule §137.17 provides an exemption before a license holder's first renewal. Follow the current renewal form and any instructions issued by TBPELS. |
Qualifying Activities
An activity must relate to engineering practice and contain educational, technical, managerial, or ethical content. Provider documentation helps distinguish a supported online course from informal self-directed study.
The activity should document at least one qualifying hour earned during the current renewal period.
A relevant Online-PDH course with defined learning objectives, study material, an assessment, and a provider-issued completion certificate fits Texas's recognized online-course category. The course information and certificate provide documentation beyond unsupported self-study.
Self-Directed Study
Texas law permits no more than 5 PDH of self-directed study annually. Self-study is professional development not otherwise identified as a qualifying activity, including informal reading, independent research, watching tutorials, or viewing online material without supporting provider documentation.
These elements support classification as an online or continuing-education course rather than informal self-study.
Annual limit: No more than 5 PDH may be claimed for self-directed study.
Records and Audit
TBPELS audits a percentage of license holders after renewal. Engineers must preserve records supporting claimed credit for four years and furnish copies when requested.
If an audit determines that claimed activities do not fall within acceptable educational, technical, ethical, or professional-management content related to engineering practice, the Board may require additional PDH.
Renewal and Exemptions
A license holder is exempt from the continuing-education requirement before the first renewal. Follow the renewal instructions provided by TBPELS for the initial license period.
A license holder properly placed on inactive status and not providing professional engineering services in Texas is exempt. Returning to active status requires delinquent education, limited to 15 PDH after one year or less of inactivity and 30 PDH after more than one year.
A license holder serving on active duty and deployed outside the United States, its possessions, and territories for more than 120 consecutive days during a qualifying year may claim the military exemption. Supporting documentation must be retained for an audit.
A disability, illness, or other clearly extenuating circumstance that prevented participation for a substantial period may support a partial or full exemption. The claim is subject to Board review and documentation requirements.
Official Sources