While not mandatory for all career paths, becoming a professional engineer, or PE,  provides many advantages. Licensure is the mark of a professional who has passed at least a minimum screen of competence, and a sign of dedication to the profession. 

Regardless of the path your engineering career may take, there are a number of practical considerations when it comes to licensure.

PEs have distinct powers. Only a PE may prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval, or sign and seal engineering work for public and private clients. Further, some state laws and codes limit certain design and engineering activities to those who hold a PE license.

PEs must maintain high ethical standards. PEs shoulder the responsibility for not only their work and the work completed under their supervision, but also for the lives affected by that work.

Licensure may be a requirement. For those who wish to pursue a career as a consulting engineer or a private practitioner, licensing isn’t something that is merely desirable; it’s a legal requirement for engineers in charge of that work, whether as a principal or an employee.

Licensure for engineers in government has become more common. Many federal, state, and municipal agencies require that certain governmental engineering positions, particularly those considered higher level and responsible positions, be filled only by PEs.

Licensing requirements for educators are on the rise. For those considering a career in education, some states require that those individuals teaching engineering in higher education settings must be licensed.

For many private employers, licensure is a good business decision. Given the public’s heightened attention to product safety, environmental issues, and design defects, industrial employers are increasingly embracing licensure as a way to identify to the courts and the public that those employees responsible for these areas have met at least a minimum level of competence.

The areas in which licensure is required are evolving. The scope of engineering practice is constantly changing and engineering activities that may be exempt today may eventually shift into a practice area that one day requires a license. Further, as each state sets forth its own requirements for those activities that are exempt from or require a PE, each state can modify those requirements. 

Licensure increases geographic mobility. State laws and regulations can vary, but licensure provides a level of consistency that makes it easier to work in another (or multiple) states. For example, while one state may not require a PE license for a person working as a utility employee, a neighboring state where that utility also serves the public may not provide the same exemption and require the PE designation. A license holder would be able to work in either state in that capacity.

Penalties for violating state licensure laws are getting tougher. State engineering boards are increasingly seeking and obtaining the authority to impose civil penalties against unlicensed individuals who unlawfully engage in the practice of engineering.

Licensing helps engineers adapt to changes in the employment environment. Workplace-restructuring, downsizing, outsourcing, privatization, and re-engineering are becoming commonplace. Some engineers have responded to these changes by transitioning into a consulting relationship with former employers and clients—a transition that can only happen with the PE license.