California Structural Engineer License

To get a California structural engineer license, you need to meet multiple state requirements. Harbor Compliance can guide you through the process.

California Structural Engineer License—A Complete Guide

There are multiple prerequisites to getting a structural engineer license in California. From prior experience to complying with regulations, all professionals must meet certain state requirements to earn the title of a California structural engineer.

However, these requirements change continuously. To save you the trouble of catching up with the latest laws and regulations, we've put together an extensive guide that answers how you can get a structural engineer license and renew it when the time arrives.

This guide will also reveal how Harbor Compliance eases your engineering firm's licensure journey and helps professionals keep up with the latest regulations in their state.

The Definition of a Structural Engineer

As a specific branch of civil engineering, a structural engineer ensures that any establishment is made with high-grade materials that can resist horizontal and vertical loads.

There are different tasks they perform to do this, such as:

• Designing
• Analyzing
• Supervising

Using these three primary methods, structural engineers ensure that a building can withstand harsh weather and temperature conditions. Engineers may also create 2D/3D models of a structure to draw detailed scale drawings that represent construction sites.

All structural engineers in California are governed by two main laws:

• Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations
• Professional Engineers Act

Structural Engineer California License Eligibility

Like other states, California has certain eligibility requirements that a structural engineer must meet to apply for a license. These include:

• Examination—The foremost qualification is passing the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) PE Structural Engineering Exam in California. Once completed, you should ideally be registered as an engineer in training (EIT).
• Education—Applicants with a four-year Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology accredited engineering degree can apply for a structural engineering license. However, you'll have to provide proof of work experience (at least two years) after graduating. Those with a master's or PhD degree need to only document work experience for one year.
• Experience—If you don't possess a degree, you can still enroll if you have at least six years of professional qualifying experience. You should also ensure that your work experience matches the criteria as laid down in Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations.
• Valid civil engineering license—Only candidates with an existing (and valid) California civil engineering license are allowed to apply for a structural license.
• Biometric data—All applicants must provide the state of California with a copy of their complete set of fingerprints. If you've already submitted an application (with your fingerprints) before, and it has been at least two years since, you'll need to provide another copy.

Note: The state of California does not provide businesses with an engineering license. Professionals with a PE license can open a business as long as it's not a Limited Liability Company (LLC).

Different Types of Licenses and Their Statuses

California provides licenses to various types of engineers, such as mechanical (M), manufacturing (MF), or consulting engineers (CO). There is a different license for each role.

Additionally, there are certain license statuses that every licensed structural engineer in California should know. These are:

• Clear—A clear status means that your license is up-to-date and valid. However, this does not include any complaints made against your license.
• Deceased—Deceased only applies when the holder of an engineering license has passed away. This information is verified by the board via independent sources.
• 150-Day TempLic—This status is given to engineers who have been given a temporary license for 150 days and can practice for that specific timeframe.
• Retired—Given to professionals who've officially retired from the field of engineering.
• Delinquent—Any delinquent license is past its expiry date and hasn't been renewed yet.
• Denied—A denied status indicates that the license has been suspended due to either breaking the Family Code section 17520 or the Revenue and Taxation Code section 19528.
• Revoked—Applies to licenses abrogated by the state as a disciplinary action.
• Surrender—This status means the licensee has voluntarily surrendered their license to the official board.

Some of these license statuses—Retired, Delinquent, Denied, Revoked, and Surrender—eliminate the right to practice for either a fixed amount of time or indefinitely.

Renewing a Structural Engineer California License

Unlike other states, California does not require its engineers to accumulate professional development hours (PDHs) to maintain their licenses. Every engineering license is valid for two years from the date of issuance.

Engineers, land surveyors, and geologists can renew their licenses by visiting the official Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) online portal.

Eligibility for License Renewal

You're eligible to apply for a renewal if:

1. Your license has an expiry date due within two months (60 days).
2. Your license has been overdue for less than two years.

There are two scenarios for structural engineers whose licenses have remained invalid for more than two years:

Steps To Renew a Structural Engineer California License

Follow these steps to renew your structural engineering license:

1. Create a new account on the BPELSG portal.
2. Select the "Yes" option when asked if you have a license and link your current license(s). Applicants can also link any license they forget to mention when registering via the main dashboard.
3. Confirm all your contact details, such as your residential address.
4. Choose the "Renew" option next to your desired license(s) on the main dashboard.
5. Pay the required amount to renew your license(s).
6. Download your request approval and payment invoice.

Note: Your dashboard can take 48 hours to update the license status.

First-Time License Renewal and Penalty for Missing Deadlines

New license holders are given a set time frame—usually until June—to renew their license. Once the due date arrives, engineers are sent a renewal notice with the complete amount they need to pay. Upon payment, a license will be valid for the next two years.

Structural engineers need to ensure that they first link their civil and structural engineering licenses on the BPELSG portal. After linking, they need to renew their civil engineering license and then proceed to renew their structural engineering license.

The state of California provides engineers with a 60-day grace period to renew their licenses. Any renewal requests after the grace period will result in extra charges (equal to half of the original renewal amount).

In such cases, your license will only be renewed once you pay your renewal amount and the extra charges. If you don't renew your license by its expiration date, your license becomes void, and you won't be allowed to legally practice or offer structural engineering services.

Whether it be the various qualifications needed to make a license or the intricate renewal process, all California state requirements change constantly. Keeping up with every rule and law on top of their professional responsibilities represents a significant time investment for busy engineers.

As an engineering firm looking to stay in good standing with the state, you should ensure the professional engineers in your company have renewed licenses, and managing such a task is not easy. Enter Harbor Compliance!

Harbor Compliance—Helps You Manage Engineering Licenses With Ease

To help engineering firms stay current with every state's requirements, Harbor Compliance provides them with state-of-the-art compliance solutions.

Using our range of Architecture & Engineering Compliance Solutions, we help a wide range of professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries obtain/renew their licenses without spending time, effort, and money on research. These include:

• Engineering Firm
• Geoscience Firm
• Land Surveying Firm

Our services extend beyond helping engineering firms attain licenses. We can also help you keep track of the licensing requirements and other updates within your company, giving you time to focus more on your business than administrative tasks.

Benefits of Using Harbor Compliance's Architecture & Engineering Compliance Solutions

When you partner with Harbor Compliance, you work with a group of professionals who are experts in licensing and registrations. To ensure a hassle-free experience, you can choose one of our three service models most suitable for your needs and organization:

1. Fully managed—This option provides a comprehensive service that enables you to delegate most of your licensing tasks to our team of professionals, including licensing renewals and business license application submission and filing. Note that this option is suitable for firm licenses only.
2. Self-managed—If you want more control over your licensing affairs while still allowing you to benefit from our licensing management features to visualize and monitor your licensing status and conduct research, this option is for you.
3. Hybrid—With the Hybrid option, you can delegate parts of your licensure workload to our dedicated team of experts while you manage other tasks on your own using our software solutions.

We further help both individuals and businesses view all of their licenses in one place. Track your renewal dates and assign any related tasks to our team within a couple of clicks.

By using the Requirements Research Engine™ powered by Compliance Core™, you can check state requirements within the Client Portal itself. Continual updates help you ensure that you're receiving the latest information from any state across the U.S.

The Process of Ordering Harbor Compliance's Service

Explore our short step-by-step guide to learn how you can order our service:

1. Visit the Architecture & Engineering Compliance Solutions service page.
2. Open the Contact Us form.
3. Fill out the form.
4. Click Let’s talk.

Additional Services by Harbor Compliance

Apart from licensing, we offer more services that allow companies to meet their respective state requirements. Check the following table for more details:

Structural Engineer California License FAQs

Below, we'll answer some commonly asked questions about the structural engineering license in California. You can always visit our Information Center to get more details.

Manage the Complexities of Engineering Licensure With Harbor Compliance

Every engineering firm must ensure that they're well-versed with current laws and regulations to avoid missing out on any state requirements. This is exactly what Harbor Compliance does best—it keeps you in the loop. Partner with us today to enjoy comprehensive Architecture & Engineering Compliance Solutions under one roof.

Once you've got your structural engineering license, don't forget to use our Harbor Compliance Score™ to get your compliance score and check your standing within California and across the U.S. Feel free to take a zero-cost demo with us and see why we're the only regulatory management partner you'll ever need. Contact our support staff for more information, and explore the table below to learn about the licensing process in different states.