Who must complete it?
All BPELSG-regulated licensees whose licenses expire and renew after June 30, 2026 are affected. The assessment presented in BPELSG Connect is tailored to the license type or discipline.
California Professional Engineer Renewal
California PE Continuing Education Requirements
California does not currently require a general PDH total for Professional Engineer renewal. However, licensees whose licenses expire and renew after June 30, 2026 must complete the Board's separate online Renewal Assessment.
California's assessment is not a PDH requirement
California currently requires zero continuing-education hours for PE renewal. Beginning with licenses that expire and renew after June 30, 2026, the licensee must nevertheless successfully complete BPELSG's online laws-and-rules Renewal Assessment within 60 days after the license expiration date.
0 PDHGeneral CE hours required
2 YearsLicense renewal period
AssessmentBoard laws and rules
60 DaysAssessment deadline after expiration
Current Requirement
No general continuing-education hour requirement
| Item | Current California rule |
|---|---|
| Required PDH | No general PDH or continuing-education hour total is currently required to renew a California PE license. |
| Ethics hours | No separately credited ethics-course minimum applies because California has no general PDH mandate. |
| Course/provider approval | BPELSG does not approve continuing-education providers or courses for a PE renewal-hour requirement that does not exist. |
| Online-course restrictions | No renewal rules impose course timing, monitoring, testing, or live-attendance conditions for voluntary PE education. |
| Carryover | No California PDH carryover applies because there is no mandatory PDH total. |
| CE records | No PE-specific certificate-retention period applies for California renewal credit. Licensees may still retain voluntary learning records for competence, employers, clients, and other states. |
| Renewal assessment | A separate BPELSG online assessment is required for licenses that expire and renew after June 30, 2026. It is not satisfied by taking a commercial PDH course. |
Special California Requirement
Complete BPELSG's Renewal Assessment
The assessment is an online program containing educational reading material and questions about California law and the Board's rules governing professional engineering.
When is it due?
A license may be renewed before the assessment is finished, but the assessment must be successfully completed within 60 days after the license expiration date. Failure to complete it on time may result in disciplinary action.
What does it cover?
Business and Professions Code § 6795.2 limits the PE assessment to educational material and questions concerning the Board's leading administrative and procedural violations and relevant changes or additions to law.
How is it accessed?
The required assessment is provided without an assessment fee through the licensee's BPELSG Connect dashboard. It is a Board obligation and is separate from Online-PDH coursework.
Do not substitute a PDH course: A voluntary California law, rules, or ethics course may support professional competence, but it does not replace the official Renewal Assessment assigned by BPELSG.
Professional Competence
Voluntary education remains valuable
The absence of a PDH quota does not remove a California engineer's duty to perform services competently, work within the engineer's area of qualification, and protect the public.
Useful subjects
- California engineering laws and Board rules
- Professional ethics and responsible charge
- Current building codes and design standards
- Seismic safety and hazard mitigation
- Wildfire, flood, and infrastructure resilience
- Technical developments within the field of practice
- Risk management and failure prevention
- Public health, safety, and welfare
Why keep records?
- Document efforts to maintain professional competence
- Meet employer or client qualification expectations
- Support credit claims in another jurisdiction
- Track codes, standards, and technical subjects studied
- Maintain an NCEES CPC record when appropriate
- Prepare for future regulatory changes
Accurate course description: Online-PDH courses may be used for voluntary professional development or another jurisdiction when eligible, but they should not be described as required for California PE renewal.
Engineers Licensed in Multiple States
Zero California PDH does not waive another state's rules
A California PE who also holds licenses elsewhere must independently meet each other board's total hours, mandatory subjects, provider conditions, delivery restrictions, and record-retention requirements.
Voluntary courses taken by a California PE may qualify in another state, but the receiving board controls acceptance and credit. The California Renewal Assessment does not ordinarily represent transferable PDH credit unless another board expressly accepts it.
License Renewal
Renew through BPELSG Connect
Biennial cycle
California PE licenses are valid for two years from the assigned renewal date, with renewals staggered quarterly. Follow the expiration date shown in the Board's records rather than assuming a common statewide deadline.
Online renewal
An eligible licensee renews through BPELSG Connect, verifies contact information, certifies the application, and pays the required fee. The Board generally opens online renewal within 60 days before expiration.
Assessment timing
The assessment button appears in BPELSG Connect when required. Renewal may be submitted first, but successful assessment completion remains due within 60 days after expiration.
Delinquent licenses
BPELSG Connect may be used when a license has been delinquent for less than two years. Different procedures apply after two years, and a license delinquent for five or more years cannot be renewed and requires a new application.
Official Sources
Check the Board before each renewal
Informational notice: This page distinguishes California's zero-PDH rule from its required Board-administered Renewal Assessment. It is not legal advice. Requirements can change, and each licensee should confirm the current Board instructions before renewal.
Last modified: Wednesday, 22 July 2026, 12:40 PM