Ohio Professional Engineer Renewal
Ohio professional engineers complete 30 continuing professional development hours during each biennial renewal period, including at least 2 hours in professional ethics or rules.
Complete 30 CPD hours every two years, including 2 hours in professional ethics or rules. Up to 15 excess hours may carry forward. Ohio continues to distinguish limited correspondence study from provider-paced or attendance-verified education, so not every ordinary self-paced course can safely be used for all 30 hours.
Core Requirement
| Requirement | Ohio PE rule |
|---|---|
| Total education | Complete at least 30 hours during the two-year period immediately preceding the biennial expiration date. |
| Ethics and rules | At least 2 of the 30 hours must address professional ethics or rules relevant to engineering or surveying practice. |
| Relevant subjects | Coursework and activities may cover technical, ethical, or managerial topics relevant to the practice of engineering. |
| Carryover | Up to 15 excess hours may carry into the next biennium, including up to 2 excess ethics-or-rules hours within that total. |
| Renewal | Registrations expire biennially on December 31 following initial registration or renewal. |
| Provider approval | Ohio does not maintain a general preapproval requirement for every course provider. The registrant remains responsible for demonstrating that the activity and claimed hours comply. |
| Dual registrants | A person registered as both a PE and PS must complete at least 10 engineering-related hours and at least 10 surveying-related hours within the 30-hour total. |
Acceptable Activities
Ohio law recognizes technical, ethical, and relevant managerial learning through several structured professional activities.
Online, Timed, and Monitored Education
Ohio Revised Code section 4733.151 does not literally use the phrase “timed and monitored.” It does, however, award seminar-style credit by actual attendance time and requires completion evidence. The Board’s published interpretation has consequently distinguished traditional self-paced correspondence study from provider-paced or attendance-verified online learning.
Traditional correspondence activities—including ordinary unmonitored self-study—have historically been limited by Board guidance to 3 hours per calendar year, or 6 hours during a normal biennial cycle. An Ohio PE seeking more than 6 online hours should use live webinars with verified attendance or online courses that reliably track time, participation, and completion.
A valid timed-and-monitored format should prevent a learner from receiving more credit than the documented instructional participation supports. A final quiz is useful evidence of completion, but a quiz by itself does not necessarily prove attendance time or convert unrestricted self-study into a timed-and-monitored course.
Exemptions and Special Situations
A registrant is exempt during the first calendar year of registration. A person registered during the first calendar year of a biennium must complete 15 hours before that renewal cycle ends.
Upon request, the Board may waive renewal fees, CPD requirements, or both during qualifying active duty in the United States armed forces or a reserve component.
Documentation and Audit
Ohio requires the registrant to keep records for four calendar years beyond the year in which completion is certified. The Board may audit these records at any time.
If an audit identifies a deficiency, the Board must notify the registrant and allow six months to correct it and submit satisfactory evidence. Failure to do so may lead to suspension or revocation after the required adjudication process.
Official Sources