This guide is a walkthrough of the requirements to take the PE Exam, obtain a PE license, and maintain your PE license, including Professional Development Hours (PDHs) in the state of Minnesota.
I will update this as often as possible, but to make sure you’ve got the most up-to-date information, always check for the right information from these links:
- Requirements to Take the PE Exam in Minnesota. To take the PE exam in Minnesota you must apply with the Minnesota board. You need an approved 4-year degree and to have passed the FE exam. You may declare your 4-years of required experience before or after the PE Exam. You can mail in the application or submit it online. It requires a $75 fee.
- Requirements to Apply for a PE License in Minnesota. When you pass the PE Exam in Minnesota you’ll need to verify your experience if you haven’t already. The easiest way to do this is by sending your NCEES record to the Minnesota board. Once the board verifies your experience, they’ll tell you how to apply for your license and pay the $120 fee.
- Requirements to Renew Your PE License in Minnesota. To renew your Minnesota PE license, log in at the renewal page with your license number and last four digits of your SSN. You need 24 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) each 24 month renewal period (ending in June of even years), and to record how you got them, as part of the renewal process.
If you’re just getting started with the whole process and haven’t become an EIT or passed the FE Exam yet, Minnesota has this really helpful PDF guide that shows you what you should be doing depending on where you are with education, experience, and exams.
This article is meant as a general reference and does not replace the official guidelines from the Minnesota state board or NCEES. It is your responsibility to confirm each part of the application process before completing it.
Requirements to Take the PE Exam in Minnesota
You must fill out an application to take the PE exam in Minnesota. You can find the application at this link. It may be mailed or submitted electronically at this link. As part of the application, you will need to verify the following:
- That you’ve completed a 4-year engineering degree that’s approved by the board. You will need to provide transcripts unless you’re transmitting your NCEES record and your education is already verified there.
- That you have passed the FE Exam. This is also done electronically through your NCEES record.
You also have the option to verify your experience at this time, but you don’t have to. Whether you choose to verify it at this point or later, you will need to have it approved by your supervisors for each of your jobs.
Another part of the application is the typical personal information and questions, including questions about any past criminal activity.
When registering to take the PE Exam in Minnesota on the NCEES website, this is what you will see:
Also note that there are deadlines to apply, and you can check those right here. Additionally, if you fail the PE Exam you will need to re-apply to take it again in Minnesota.
This information can be found at this link.
Requirements to Get Your PE License in Minnesota
Getting your PE license in Minnesota takes three steps once you’ve passed the PE Exam:
- You’ll get notified by NCEES that you passed the PE Exam.
- You will need to verify your work experience if you haven’t already by either mailing in forms to the Minnesota board, or by entering that information on your NCEES Record and having it verified by past employers or managers then transmitting the record to the Minnesota state board. This is by far the easier option, although it does cost $75.
- You’ll have to wait for the Minnesota board to get your NCEES record. Once they do, the board will send you further instructions about how to apply for your actual license. This is all they say about the application, other than letting us know that there is a $120 fee.
Note that you are not a licensed Professional Engineer until Minnesota sends you your license number. Passing the PE Exam does not mean you are automatically licensed.
If you are already licensed in another state and want to get your PE license in Minnesota, also known as a comity license, you’ll need to fill out this form and mail it to the Minnesota state board along with the $75-$100 fee.
This is what I did when I got my PE license in Minnesota after I had already got my Utah PE license and it wasn’t that hard. I just transmitted my NCEES record, which already had all the verified info on experience, exams, and education. All I needed to finish was the application and send it in with the fee, then wait.
Renewing a Minnesota PE License + Professional Development Hours for Minnesota PE’s
To renew your PE license in Minnesota you must complete at least 24 hours of continuing education, also known as Professional Development Hours (PDHs) every two-year renewal period. Two of those hours must be from ethics courses.
You will need to renew your Minnesota PE license every 24 months, on June 30 of even years.
You can renew by logging in at this link by entering your license number and the last four digits of your social security number. Make sure you have your PDH information and credit card ready as the application will time out after a certain time.
You can access the frequently asked questions about renewal at this link.
