Maintain Your Certification

Process 

On initial certification, Civil Engineering Certification (CEC) will issue a Certificate of Special Knowledge with the date issued and a unique certification number. The expiration date will be December 31 of the year an individual is certified if an individual is certified prior to September 1. If an individual is certified after September 1, the individual’s certification expires December 31 of the following year. For example, if a candidate is certified Sept. 15, 2023, the date of the certification expiration is Dec. 31, 2024.

Certifications must be renewed annually for the subsequent year. Renewal notices are sent at minimum 60 days in advance of the certification expiration date.

Those who allow their certification to lapse will be removed from the certification roster and directory, and their authority to use the board-certified credential in personal titles and correspondence will be rescinded.

Applications to recertify following a lapse in certification, as described above, will follow the standard application process to include submission of the application fee.

Recertification Fees

Annual Recertification:
ASCE and/or Institute members - $200
Nonmembers - $250
Retired Recertification:
Annual Retired Recertification Fee - $75
One-time Lifetime Retired Recertification Fee - $300

Professional Development Hours 

A minimum of 20 PDHs, including 2 PDHs in ethics, is required annually. All PDHs must adhere to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) guidelines for continuing professional development and be relevant to the specialty field of practice.

Guidelines for satisfying annual PDH requirements are:

• A minimum of two PDHs are required in professional ethics.
• Attendance at professional society meetings or short courses that provide PDHs or CEUs can be counted, but repeated short courses can only be counted once.
• Up to five hours of self-study in engineering or related professional subjects can be obtained to enhance the board-certified engineer’s knowledge base.
• A maximum of two PDHs per examination, with a maximum of two examinations, or a total of four PDHs, can be credited to those participating in panel oral examinations. The administrative unit/academy can issue PDH certificates to examination panelists upon request.
• Teaching a course or seminar in the certified engineers’ area of expertise in a professional or university setting can be credited for PDHs once for the same course instruction time, plus two hours of preparation time.

A board-certified engineer can transfer up to 20 PDHs annually. A PDH is an instructional or presentation hour, while a CEU is a credit unit typically used for formal continuing education courses. One CEU, equivalent to ten contact hours, equals 10 PDHs in a qualifying continuing education course as outlined by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

All board-certified engineers are encouraged to maintain a record and track of their PDH earned.

Explore ASCE Continuing Education offerings to meet annual PDH requirements.

Retired board-certified engineers

If you are no longer actively practicing engineering in your specialty and do not hold an active PE license, you can renew as a retired board-certified professional. To change your status, please contact CEC staff. The renewal fees are $75 per year, or a one-time fee of $300 for lifetime retired status (fees as of October 1, 2023).

Reinstating Lapsed Certification

Applications to recertify following a lapse in certification, will follow the normal Board Certification application process to include submission of the normal application fee. However, for lapsed certifications the submission of reference letters is optional. The appropriate administrative unit will review the application to determine acceptability and the level of review (e.g., references, exam, interview, etc.) needed for that particular applicant to be recertified. If approved, the period of recertification is the same as a new applicant, e.g., an expiration date on December 31 of the year following the recertification year. No new certificate will be issued. Contact [email protected] with any questions on the re-application/ reinstatement process.

Revocation of Board Certification 

Board certification may be revoked by a two-thirds majority of the trustees of the applicable academy/administrative unit at a duly constituted meeting of the board of trustees for cause. The basis for such cause shall be the receipt of sufficient evidence of fraud or dishonesty, misrepresentation, or concealment of facts on the application, revocation of a valid license to practice professional engineering, conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, or for any other reason considered good and sufficient by the academy board of trustees. The following procedures shall govern academy board of trustees’ actions for the revocation of board certification:

1. A written complaint is filed with the academy board of trustees.
2. The academy secretary shall acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing.
3. The academy secretary shall review the complaint and request any further information that may be required.
4. The academy secretary shall contact the subject of the complaint in writing with a complete description of the complaint and a request for a response. If no response is received within 30 days, then a second notice shall be issued in writing. If no response is received within 15 days, then a final notice shall be issued by certified or registered mail. Following receipt of the response or after 15 days from the date of the final notice, the entire matter shall be referred to the academy executive committee for consideration.
5. After consideration and review of the complaint and the response, if any, the academy executive committee, with the approval of the academy board, shall take one or more of the following actions, as appropriate:
   1. Dismiss the complaint.
   2. Defer the decision with a request for more information.
   3. Refer the matter to a state licensing board.
   4. Suspend or revoke the board certification.
6. The academy secretary shall inform all parties in the writing of the decision of the executive committee and of the right of the parties to appeal the decision to the academy board of trustees.
7. The academy board of trustees shall consider all appeals of the decision of the academy executive committee in a timely manner and take appropriate action. The rulings of the academy board of trustees in all appeal matters shall be final. For all appeals, the president of Civil Engineering Certification (CEC) shall preside at the meeting of the academy board of trustees but have no vote.