The Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Board) is the entity responsible for reviewing and approving applications for licensure, as well as managing, updating, and enforcing the rules that govern the practice of engineering, land surveying, and on-site wastewater system designs. The Board must issue a certificate of registration upon payment of a registration fee to any applicant who, in the opinion of the Board, has satisfactorily met all necessary requirements. To register as a professional engineer or land surveyor, an applicant must show certain evidence satisfactory to the Board, including a minimum eight years of experience and successful passage of certain examinations. There are two stages of examination. The first stage is a fundamentals examination, which may be given in college curricula. The second stage is a principals and practice examination. Land surveyors must also pass a Washington-specific land surveyor exam.
The Board may issue a certificate without further examination to any applicant who holds a certificate of qualification of registration issued following examination by a proper authority of any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or of any foreign country, provided the applicant's qualifications meet other requirements, and the applicant is in good standing with the licensing agency in the other state, territory, possession, district, or foreign country. The Board may not waive the fundamentals examination for out-of-state applicants.
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) is a nonprofit organization that works to improve uniformity of laws and promotes licensure mobility for engineers and land surveyors. The NCEES provides services that include examinations for engineers and land surveyors, record keeping, and credential evaluation.
The Board is permitted to waive the fundamentals examination for applicants who: