Qualified individuals may apply to this board for a license to practice professional engineering (PE) and/or a license to practice professional land surveying (PLS):
For information and instructions on how to apply for a PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER (PE) license Click Here:
For information and instructions on how to apply for a PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR (PLS) license, Click here:
Please note that in all applications we will ask you to select a default mailing address. This will be your address of record with us that we will use for correspondence. It will also be the address released as part of an Open Records request. For faster communication, we ask that you also provide an email address and phone number.
Who May Apply
This Board accepts applications for INITIAL LICENSURE from qualified individuals who are not already licensed, and for LICENSURE BY ENDORSEMENT from qualified individuals who already hold a current license from another jurisdiction. This board also accepts applications for REINSTATEMENT from individuals whose Kentucky license has expired.
A person may not be eligible for licensure if not of good character and reputation, if convicted of a felony within the past ten years involving violence, sexual misconduct, fraud, or deceit, or judged mentally incompetent.
Admission to practice must be determined by individual qualifications.
Kentucky law does not allow the issuance of temporary licenses to practice engineering or surveying.
Tax Compliance
Per KRS 131.1817, our Board provides information on licensees and permit holders to the Kentucky Department of Revenue for the purpose of tax compliance. If you have questions regarding tax issues, please contact the Department of Revenue at http://revenue.ky.gov/.
Methods of Becoming Licensed
The Kentucky Revised Statutes provide two methods by which a qualified applicant may become licensed to practice in Kentucky:
KRS 322.120 sets forth the requirements for LICENSURE BY ENDORSEMENT on the basis of having met the requirements for licensure in another state or jurisdiction, which requirements were not lower than those effective in Kentucky on the date of the applicant's original licensure.
201 KAR 18:115 sets forth the requirements for REINSTATEMENT of a license.
Please note that all fees are non-refundable.
Examinations
All examinations required by this board are administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying - NCEES.
The Fundamentals of Engineering, Fundamentals of Surveying, and the Principles and Practice of Surveying exams are computer based and given year round at Pearson VUE testing centers across the country. The Fundamentals exams are six hours in length and the Principles exam is seven hours in length. You may take the exam at any location. For further information please visit
www.ncees.org.
Principles & Practice of Engineering exams are transitioning to a computer based format. As of April 2019, the Chemical, Nuclear, Petroleum and Environmental exams are computer based. The Chemical and Environmental exams are available year-round. The Nuclear and Petroleum exams are given one time per year. Contact NCEES for the schedule.
As of 2019, all other Principles and Practice exams are "paper and pencil" format and are given in April and October. They are one day; 8 hour exams except for the Structural exam which is a two day; 16 hour exam. These exams will also transition to a computer based format. The transition is scheduled to be complete by 2023.
Exam fees are as follows:
Fundamentals of Engineering $175
Fundamentals of Surveying $175
Principles & Practice of Engineering $350 (paper & pencil); $375 (computer based)
Principles & Practice of Surveying $300
Structural - Day One $500
Structural - Day Two $500
NOTICE TO VETERANS - all the exams have been approved by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for reimbursement as part of their benefits program. Please contact your local VA for further information.
NCEES Record
All applications require a complete and up-to-date NCEES Record. The NCEES Record is a service of NCEES. It is a comprehensive record of your professional career, based on information you provide. It includes information on your education and degrees, the exams you have taken, your professional work experiences, verification of that experience, professional references, and verification of your licenses in other states. Please go to
ncees.org and log in to, or create, your MyNCEES Account. From there, you can learn more about the Record program and start the process to have your own Record compiled. Once compiled, you can authorize NCEES to transmit your Record to any member board.
Verifications
NCEES also facilitates the request for, retention and delivery of verifications of your exam results and state licenses. To get started go to
ncees.org and log in to, or create, your MyNCEES Account. From there, you can manage your verifications and verification requests.