Illinois PE PDH Requirements

Illinois PE Continuing Education Requirements

Illinois PE PDH requirements mandate 30 professional development hours every two years, with specific mandatory subject-area hours and content standards established by the IDFPR. All requirements are administered by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under Section 1380.325 of the administrative rules.

Listed below are the Illinois professional engineer (PE) license renewal requirements.

PDH hours required	30 PDH
Renewal period	November 30th of odd-numbered years
Provider approval	The Board does not pre-approve course providers
Course content	Courses must contribute to the advancement, extension, or enhancement of the professional skills and scientific knowledge of the licensee in the practice of professional engineering
Maximum PDH to carry forward	15 PDH (hours must be earned June 1 through November 30 of the renewal year)
Online courses	No limit on online courses; course must require evidence of completion
State Board Website	idfpr.illinois.gov

For a narrative overview of the full CE program, see the Illinois PE continuing education requirements article.

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Illinois PE PDH Requirements: The 30-Hour Breakdown

Illinois professional engineer professional development hours fall into two categories: mandatory core hours with fixed subject requirements and elective hours that may be completed in any relevant engineering topic.

Core Hours (3 PDH, Required Every Cycle)

Subject Area	Hours Required	Effective
Professional conduct and ethics	1 PDH	Nov 30, 2023, renewal onward
Illinois statutes and rules	1 PDH	All renewals
Sexual harassment prevention	1 PDH	Renewals on or after Jan 1, 2020

All three core hours must be satisfied in every renewal cycle.

Elective Hours (27 PDH)

The remaining 27 hours may be earned in any area of the licensee’s discretion, provided the coursework meets the IDFPR’s content standard for professional relevance, as outlined in the table above. This includes technical courses, management and leadership training, professional development programs, and engineering software training.

Illinois does not restrict elective PDH to the engineer’s licensed discipline. A civil engineer may earn credit from a mechanical or electrical engineering course, and those hours count toward the 30-PDH requirement.

Accepted Activity Types

The IDFPR accepts the following activity types toward Illinois PE PDH requirements:

• Formal courses, seminars, and workshops from recognized providers
• University courses related to engineering practice
• Professional society and industry conference sessions with documented learning content
• Live and on-demand webinars with a completion verification component
• Structured self-study programs with defined learning objectives and assessment
• Teaching engineering courses (credit available for preparation and first-time delivery)
• Authoring published technical papers or patents

Illinois PE Renewal Requirements and Cycle

All Illinois PE licenses expire on November 30th of odd-numbered years. The 30-PDH requirement must be completed in the 24 months immediately preceding that expiration date. Illinois PE renewal requirements apply to all active licensees. Engineers who also hold licenses in other states must satisfy the Illinois PDH obligation regardless of whether the second state has its own CE program.

Engineers renewing for the first time are not required to complete the PDH obligation for that initial renewal cycle. Engineers who place their license on inactive status must notify the IDFPR in writing; inactive licensees may not practice engineering, but are not required to pay renewal fees.

Renewal is completed through the IDFPR’s online licensing system. For the step-by-step renewal process, see Illinois PE renewal. Illinois PE renewal requirements do not include a mandatory documentation submission step; engineers self-certify completion. The IDFPR conducts random audits, and engineers selected must produce full records for all claimed hours.

Carry-Forward Rules

Illinois permits engineers to carry forward up to 15 Illinois PE PDH hours to the following renewal cycle. To qualify, hours must be earned between June 1st and November 30th of the renewal year. Hours completed earlier in the cycle are not eligible, regardless of the total earned.

Carryover hours must be documented on the IDFPR’s official PDH Carryover Form (Form F2476) and retained with the engineer’s records. The three core hour requirements (professional conduct and ethics, Illinois statutes and rules, and sexual harassment prevention) must be earned fresh in every cycle and cannot be satisfied by carried-forward credits.

Audits, Recordkeeping, and First-Time Renewals

Recordkeeping. Illinois PE license requirements include a six-year record retention obligation. For each completed PDH activity, engineers must retain documentation that includes the sponsor’s name and contact information, course title and content description, date of completion, number of PDH hours claimed, and certificate of completion or equivalent proof of attendance.

Audits. The IDFPR conducts random compliance audits. Engineers selected must produce complete documentation for all claimed hours within the specified timeframe. Failure to provide adequate records can result in license suspension, monetary penalties, or other disciplinary action.

First-time renewals. Engineers receiving their first Illinois PE license are not required to complete the 30-PDH continuing education obligation for their initial renewal cycle. This exemption applies to the first renewal only; all subsequent renewals carry the full requirement.

FAQs

How many PDH hours do Illinois PEs need?

30 PDH per two-year renewal cycle, consisting of 3 fixed core hours and 27 elective hours. For renewal dates and cycle details, see the Illinois PE Renewal Requirements section above.

Which hours are mandatory?

Three: 1 PDH in professional conduct and ethics (required from the November 30, 2023 renewal), 1 PDH in Illinois statutes and rules, and 1 PDH in sexual harassment prevention (required for renewals on or after January 1, 2020). These must be completed every cycle.

Can Illinois PEs carry PDH forward to the next cycle?

Yes, up to 15 PDH, but only hours earned between June 1st and November 30th of the renewal year qualify. Core hours cannot be satisfied by carried-forward credits. See the Carry-Forward section above for the full rules and form reference.

Do Illinois PEs have to submit proof of PDH at renewal?

No. Engineers self-certify at renewal. The IDFPR conducts random audits, and engineers selected must produce full documentation for all claimed hours. Records must be kept for six years.

Complete your Illinois PDH requirements with PDH Pro’s Illinois 30 PDH package, which includes all three mandatory core hours and is guaranteed to be accepted by the IDFPR. Courses are available immediately after enrollment, and certificates of completion are issued as soon as each course exam is passed.