Professional Engineer
A PE renews without a continuing-education attestation or PDH log under the current BRPELS renewal instructions.
Washington Professional Engineer Renewal
Washington PE Continuing Education Requirements
Washington does not currently require Professional Engineers to complete continuing-education or PDH hours as a condition of license renewal.
Do not apply the land-surveyor requirement to a PE license
Washington's professional-development requirement applies to Professional Land Surveyors and certain on-site wastewater professionals—not to Professional Engineers. A person holding both PE and PLS licenses must still satisfy the PLS requirement for the surveying credential.
0 PDHRequired for PE renewal
2 YearsProfessional license cycle
BirthdayIndividual expiration date
120 DaysRenewal opens before expiration
Current PE Requirement
No mandatory continuing education for Washington PEs
| Item | Current Washington rule |
|---|---|
| PE continuing education | No PDH, CE, ethics, or HSW hours are currently required to renew a Washington Professional Engineer license. |
| Course or provider approval | Because PE renewal does not depend on CE, Washington does not require a PE to use a Board-approved CE provider for renewal credit. |
| PE CE records | No PE-specific course log, certificate-retention period, or CE audit submission is currently prescribed for renewal. |
| Voluntary education | Engineers may take technical, ethics, code, safety, and management courses voluntarily or to meet employer, client, certification, or another jurisdiction's requirements. |
| Professional competence | The absence of a PDH quota does not remove the engineer's duty to practice competently and only within qualified areas. |
License Distinction
Washington regulates several credentials differently
Professional Land Surveyor
A PLS is subject to continuing professional development. The current renewal page directs PLS licensees to maintain proof using the Board's Professional Development Log.
Dual PE/PLS licensee
A dual licensee cannot use the PE exemption to avoid the separate PLS professional-development requirement.
On-site wastewater credential
On-site wastewater designers have their own continuing-education chapter and should not rely on this PE-only summary.
Common source of error: WAC 196-16 and references to 30 PDH concern land surveyors. They should not be presented as Washington PE requirements.
License Renewal
Renew every two years by the licensee's birthday
BRPELS states that professional licenses expire every two years on the licensee's birthday and may be renewed beginning 120 days before expiration. Renewal is handled through the state's online licensing service or by mail.
A license that has been expired for more than five years requires the licensee to pass the Washington Law Review for the applicable profession before renewal.
Multistate Practice
Other licenses may still require PDH
A Washington PE who is also licensed elsewhere must independently satisfy every other board's renewal rules. Courses taken for another jurisdiction may be useful professional development even though Washington does not require them for PE renewal.
Using Online-PDH courses
Online-PDH courses are not needed to meet a Washington PE-hour quota because no such quota currently exists. They may still be used for voluntary development or another jurisdiction when that board accepts the course content, format, provider, assessment, and certificate.
Watch for Changes
Check active Board rulemaking before each renewal
Washington enacted amendments to RCW 18.43 effective June 11, 2026, and BRPELS has active rulemaking involving WAC 196-12, the chapter governing registered Professional Engineers. The current statute and renewal instructions still do not impose PE continuing education, but future rulemaking can change licensing procedures.
Use adopted law, not draft packets: Committee packets and proposed language are not enforceable requirements until properly adopted and effective. Verify the current WAC and BRPELS renewal page before publishing a future update.
Official Sources
Verify Washington's current requirements
Informational notice: This summary applies to Washington Professional Engineer renewal and is not legal advice. BRPELS is the final authority. Licensees holding PLS, on-site wastewater, or out-of-state credentials must review those separate requirements.
Last modified: Wednesday, 22 July 2026, 1:30 PM