Get Licensed in Minnesota
Seeking initial licensure as a professional engineer?
Find below information on the education, examination, experience requirements, as well as application details and forms.
Already licensed in another state?
See the sidebar "Licensure by Comity/EEE (Reciprocal Licensure)."
For general application information relevant to all professions, see Get Licensed.
Board rules allow those who
to directly register with NCEES to sit for the FE (no need to first apply to the Board for authorization to sit).
Since not everyone fits that description—and as a resource to all applicants—the Board has created a visual representation of the paths to the FE and through to EIT certification.
Click the graphic to view it enlarged or to download it as a PDF. Be sure to also read the "Education Overview" and "Examination Overview" sections below for more specifics.
In general, applicants for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam or the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam must hold an EAC-ABET accredited engineering degree or its equivalent. Those attending but not yet graduated from an EAC-ABET accredited engineering program may sit early for the FE Exam when the requirements in MN Rule 1800.2500 Subp. 2 are met.
Find an EAC-ABET-Accredited Degree ProgramIf your degree is not EAC-ABET accredited, you will need to have your education evaluated. You must use one of the two evaluation companies listed below. Request a Subject Analysis Evaluation. This evaluation type is required; other evaluation types will not be accepted. The original evaluation report must be sent directly from the evaluation service to the Minnesota Board, either by US mail or electronically.
Foreign or US transcripts:
NCEES Credentials Evaluation
Foreign transcripts only:
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
For details on the education requirements, see MN Rule 1800.2500.
In most instances, applicants must first pass the FE Exam and then the PE Exam in order to be considered for licensure (although the FE Exam can be waived under certain conditions—see MN Rule 1800.2800). Both exams are administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).
To determine how to sit for the FE, read the education description below that matches your situation. (If you have not already read the Education Overview section above, please do so first.)
Situation 1:
Situation 2:
The FE Exam is administered year-round.
Board:
NCEES: With each exam registration, you pay an examination fee. This fee is set by and paid to NCEES.
If you wish to sit for any discipline of the PE exam as a Minnesota candidate, you must first meet the Board's education and examination requirements, then apply to the Board and obtain approval to sit before you register with NCEES (MN Rule 1800.2900 Subp. 5). PE exam applicants may simultaneously submit evidence of meeting the experience requirements that are necessary for eventual licensure or submit that evidence later. See the Experience section below for more details.
Currently, many PE disciplines are paper-based exams, but NCEES is transitioning each year more exams from paper based to computer based (CBT). Some CBT exams are administered year round. Others are offered one day in October each year. See the NCEES website for details.
See the Instructions Overview for more information on how to apply online.
Principles & Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam Online ApplicationNOTE: Minnesota is not a discipline-specific state. Those applying to sit for any discipline of the PE Exam, including Structural, should use this online application.
IMPORTANT! If you do not submit your experience references along with your PE application, note that you have just three years from your application date to do so, or your application will expire and you will need to reapply. If you fail the PE exam, you will also need to reapply.
CBT exam seats and locations are first-come, first-served. You are advised to apply to the Board as early as possible so that you can then register through NCEES for your preferred test date and location.
See the table below for general deadlines.
PE Exam Date | MN Board PE Application Deadline | NCEES PE Exam Registration Deadline |
---|---|---|
October 2024 (Single-Date Exams) | July 29, 2024 | 1 business day before exam date |
Board Application Fee: $75. This fee is to determine if you meet the requirements to sit for the exam (and, once you pass the exam and submit your experience, are eligible for licensure). Note: If applying for paper-based or CBT single-day exams, the fee covers only the particular exam administration that is open at the time of your application (see deadlines above).
NCEES Examination Fee: This fee is set by and paid to NCEES with each exam registration.
When you apply for the PE Exam, you may provide evidence that you meet the qualifying experience requirements or defer providing that information until later in your application process.
IMPORTANT! If the Board approves you to sit early (prior to providing your experience) for the PE exam, keep in mind you have just three years from your original application date to submit evidence of meeting the experience requirements, or your application will expire and you will need to reapply to be considered for licensure.
Qualifying experience consists of varied, progressive, nonrepetitive, practical experience at engineering work, developing the ability to apply the theoretical knowledge gained during academic training in making sound judgments in solving engineering problems. See MN Rule 1800.2500, Subp. 4 and MN Rule 1800.2805 for full details.
How much experience you need depends upon the type of education you earned. See MN Rule 1800.2500 Subp. 4 for details. Your supervisor does not need to be a licensed engineer in order to sign off on your experience.
Complete the “Experience” Section of the online application.
If you applied using a paper application and still need blank copies of the Experience Reference Forms, see the Legacy Copy: PE Experience in the Additional Resources section.
FE applicants with an EAC-ABET accredited degree: Simply re-register with NCEES for the FE (even if you originally applied through the Board).
All other FE and all PE applicants: See the relevant exam application for how to reapply.
To receive an EIT certificate, the Board must receive:
To determine how to provide that information to the Board, refer back to the "Application Process" under "Fundamentals Exam" in the Examination Overview section above.
Once you pass the FE, you can begin gaining the experience required for licensure and/or apply to sit for the PE Exam.
The Board will notify you by mail once you pass the PE Exam. If you have not already done so, submit your experience by one of the two means described above. You have just three years from your original application date to submit them or you will need to reapply as an EEE applicant. See MN Rule 1800.2900 Subp. 7.
Once you have submitted your experience and the Board has determined that you met the requirements, you will be instructed by mail on how to apply for your license. The license fee is $120.
Note: You are not licensed and cannot practice or hold out as licensed until the Board issues your license.
Regardless of when obtained, your license expires June 30th of every even-numbered year.
For more information on the sample document directly below, see the Experience Overview.
Example Experience Reference Form
Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID)
85 E. 7th Place Suite 160, St. Paul MN 55101 USA
8:00 am–4:30 pm, Monday-Friday
(651) 296-2388
TTY (800) 627-3529
aelslagid@state.mn.us
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