Why Every Engineer Should Lookup Their License

PE License Verification Is Critical to Maintaining Your License and Avoiding PenaltiesProfessional engineer performing PE license lookup online

Have you ever wondered if your state engineering board has accurate information about you and your license? Did you recently move, get a new email address, or change your name? Given the importance of your professional registration, it is worth checking that status of your license and the accuracy of your personal information at least once a year. Fortunately, you can quickly and easily verify everything online using your state board’s PE license lookup service.

Every state engineering board allows the public to verify a professional engineer’s license status. This service is mandated by state public information laws. Fortunately, it is possible to lookup an engineer license online in all 50 states.

Each state has a slightly different term for their engineering license lookup service. Some refer to this service as an engineering licensee search. Others use the term license lookup, license verification, or online certification. Regardless of the name, they all allow the public to search for a professional engineer using their name or license number for the purpose of verifying the status of their engineering license.

To help you understand this service, we checked with every state engineering board and prepared this summary of how to verify engineering credentials in every state.

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Why Every Engineer Should Check Their License Status

If you’re a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), keeping your credentials up to date is crucial. State engineering boards require engineers to verify their PE license status regularly. In this guide, we’ll explain how to use engineering license lookup tools and official verification resources to ensure compliance.

As a professional engineer, your license is a very important part of your career and livelihood. You should check the status to ensure it is current and hasn’t expired or become inactive. You should also verify your contact information to ensure everything is in good order.

When you lookup your license, here is a list of things to check.

1. Verify Your License Is Current and Valid

Despite your best efforts to keep your license current, it’s possible that you accidentally missed a renewal date. This is especially a risk if you have multiple engineering licenses. By checking your state board’s license lookup service, you can discover this problem and contact the board to resolve it before you are disciplined.

One of the most common ethical violations pursued by state engineering boards is practicing engineering without a license. The excuse provided by those engineers cited is that they simply forgot to renew their license. Routinely checking that your license is valid can help you avoid this scenario.

2. Correct Errors and Update Missing Information

It is surprising how many errors are discovered in the personal and professional information state engineering boards have. Often, the information you provide is retyped into the Board’s database. This step introduces a lot of erroneous information. Check the spelling of your name, your contact information, and the status of your license.

Other reasons this information is incorrect is because the licensee has moved, changed their phone number, or switched email accounts. All engineering boards require you to notify them of any change in personal information, and some have strict time limits on notifying them.

3. Confirm Your Personal and Private Information

You want to be certain that there is nothing personal that you don’t want the public or your clients seeing – such as your home telephone number or personal email address. Check what’s listed in the state database and make corrections if necessary.

Many PEs use their work address rather than their home address. They also list their business telephone number rather than their home or cell phone numbers. This prevents having your personal information become available to the public.

State Board Professional Engineer License Lookup Information

This section outlines how to perform a state engineering board license check.

How to verify a PE license

To lookup a professional engineering license, check out your state board’s license lookup service from the list below.

Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware

Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana

Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri

Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York

North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island

South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington

West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming

 

Risks of Not Checking Your Engineering License

If your license has lapsed, the sooner you discover and correct this problem, the better off you are. Most boards are not looking to punish engineers for honest administrative errors. The key is to discover this early and contact the Board right away to let them know.

Most states required licensees to notify them of changes in personal information within a certain amount of time. If you notice that your name, address, telephone, email, or employer are incorrect or outdated, contact the Board and let them know. This can avoid potential disciplinary actions and ensures you will receive important communications (such as license renewals) from the Board.

What Information Do You need to Verify a Professional Engineer License

To check the status of an engineer’s license you’ll need at least one piece of information, such as their name or license number. Here is our suggestion of the minimum information you should have to complete your search:

  1. The license number of the engineer. This is the best way to verify the status of an engineer’s registration because each license number is unique.
  2. If you don’t have the license number of the licensee you would like to check, you can also enter:
    • The first and last name of the licensee. Sometimes you can verify the information with just the last name.
    • The address of the engineer. This may not always work because some states don’t allow you to search by address. In addition, an engineer may list his home or business address, and you may not have the one listed.
    • The type of license held by the licensee. This is a bit of a Hail Mary option because there are likely thousands of licensees in each category.

Common Search Criteria

Most of the license lookup sites allow you to limit your search to specific criteria such as the license status, the type of license, or the state where the licensee lives. An effective strategy is to start your search using just one or two search-terms and see what the results look like. If you use too many criteria in your initial search, you may not get any results or you may filter out the individual you’re looking for.

Many of the online license verification pages require you to select the professional board. For engineers, you need to select “Professional Engineer” or “Registered Engineer” or “Engineer”. It is recommended that you select the Board and the name or partial name of the engineer you’re searching for.

If you are unsure on the spelling of a name, you can sometimes use a wildcard (e.g. % after the first 2 or 3 letters of someone’s last name like BR% for Brady.) The entry of more search criteria will help to narrow down your search results.

License Status

Some license lookup pages allow you to filter by the status of the license. Examples of license statuses include:

  • Active
  • Deceased
  • Expired
  • Inactive
  • Pending from Expired Status
  • Active Military
  • Delinquent
  • Retired
  • Revoked
  • Surrendered
  • Suspended

Engineering License Type

Many state boards allow you to specify the type of license an engineer holds. Here are the most common license types:

  • Professional Engineer
  • Engineer in Training
  • Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor
  • Temporary License

Engineering Discipline Lookup

Most state license lookup pages allow you to specify the licensees engineering discipline as part of your search. Here is a list of the engineering disciplines commonly included.

  • Aeronautical Engineering (AE)
  • Agricultural Engineering (AG)
  • Building Systems (BS)
  • Chemical Engineering (CH)
  • Civil Engineering (CE)
  • Control Systems Engineering (CS)
  • Electrical Engineering (EE)
  • Environmental Engineering (EN)
  • Fire Protection Engineering (FP)
  • Forest Engineering (FR)
  • Geotechnical Engineering (GE)
  • Industrial Engineering (IE)
  • Manufacturing Engineering (MF)
  • Mechanical Engineering (ME)
  • Metallurgical Engineering (MT)
  • Mining Engineering (MI)
  • Naval Arch/Marine Engineering (NA)
  • Nuclear Engineering (NU)
  • Petroleum Engineer (PT)

Understanding the License Lookup Search Results

Generally, the results of your search return the name and license number of the engineer your checking on. You may have to click on a link (such as the license number or “More Details”) to get additional information regarding the licensee.

Some state boards report formal disciplinary actions against a licensee. If so, this information will be noted, and you will find a link to additional information about the enforcement action.

Correcting Wrong Information on Your Engineering License

If you discover incorrect or incomplete information about your engineering license, you should correct it right away. Most state boards have a “Contact Us” page that indicates the best way to communicate with them.

If possible, you should make requests to correct your information in writing to document the date of your request and to ensure the errors are properly corrected.

Professional Engineer License Lookup

Need to perform a Professional Engineer license lookup? Click below to use the official verification tool for your state.

Alabama professional engineer license lookup

Verify an Alabama PE license through the Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Alaska professional engineer license lookup

Verify an Alaska PE license through the Alaska State Board of Registration.

Arizona professional engineer license lookup

Verify an Arizona PE license through the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration.

Arkansas Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify an Arkansas PE license through the Arkansas Board of Licensure.

California Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a California PE license through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

Colorado Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Colorado PE license through the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations.

Connecticut Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Connecticut PE license through the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.

Delaware Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Delaware PE license through the Delaware Association of Professional Engineers.

Florida Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Florida PE license through the Florida Board of Professional Engineers.

Georgia Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Georgia PE license through the Georgia State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Hawaii Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Hawaii PE license through the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Idaho Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify an Idaho PE license through the Idaho Board of Licensure of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors.

Illinois Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify an Illinois PE license through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Indiana Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify an Indiana PE license through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.

Iowa Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify an Iowa PE license through the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board.

Kansas Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Kansas PE license through the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions.

Kentucky Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Kentucky PE license through the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Louisiana Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Louisiana PE license through the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board.

Maine Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Maine PE license through the Maine State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers.

Maryland Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Maryland PE license through the Maryland Board for Professional Engineers.

Massachusetts Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Massachusetts PE license through the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure.

Michigan Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Michigan PE license through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

Minnesota Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Minnesota PE license through the Minnesota Board of AELSLAGID.

Mississippi Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Mississippi PE license through the Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.

Missouri Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Missouri PE license through the Missouri Division of Professional Registration.

Montana Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Montana PE license through the Montana Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Nebraska Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Nebraska PE license through the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects.

Nevada Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Nevada PE license through the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

New Hampshire Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a New Hampshire PE license through the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers.

New Jersey Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a New Jersey PE license through the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

New Mexico Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a New Mexico PE license through the New Mexico Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.

New York Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a New York PE license through the New York State Education Department.

North Carolina Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a North Carolina PE license through the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.

North Dakota Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a North Dakota PE license through the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers.

Ohio Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify an Ohio PE license through the Ohio Engineers and Surveyors Board.

Oklahoma Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify an Oklahoma  PE license through the Oklahoma State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Oregon Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify an Oregon PE license through the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying.

Pennsylvania Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Pennsylvania PE license through the Pennsylvania State Registration Board for Professional Engineers.

Rhode Island Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Rhode Island PE license through the Rhode Island Board of Registration for Professional Engineers.

South Carolina Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a South Carolina PE license through the South Carolina State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.

South Dakota Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a South Dakota PE license through the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions.

Tennessee Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Tennessee PE license through the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners.

Texas Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Texas PE license through the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Utah Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Utah PE license through the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.

Vermont Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Vermont PE license through the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation.

Virginia Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Virginia PE license through the Virginia Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Landscape Architects.

Washington Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Washington PE license through the Washington State Department of Licensing.

Washington DC Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Washington DC PE license through the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection.

West Virginia Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a West Virginia PE license through the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers.

Wisconsin Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Wisconsin PE license through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.

Wyoming Professional Engineer License Lookup

Verify a Wyoming PE license through the Wyoming Board of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors.

Conclusion

Verifying your professional engineer license is an essential step to maintaining compliance with state board requirements and ensuring your credentials remain valid. Each state provides an official license lookup tool, allowing engineers, employers, and regulatory bodies to confirm licensure status quickly and accurately.

By regularly checking your engineering license verification, you can avoid lapses, stay compliant with state engineering boards, and protect your professional reputation. Use the state-by-state lookup resources provided above to easily access your licensing information and stay up to date with renewal requirements.

For more professional development opportunities, check out our state-approved continuing education courses to keep your engineering credentials current.