You have read about licensure as a professional engineer in multiple sections of this book. We are licensed professional engineers and have been for decades. We have encouraged you to become licensed for many reasons. In this chapter, we describe the process and the basic minimum requirements for you to attain licensure. It is a time-consuming process, and it will cost you some money. In the long run, however, the career enhancements derived from being a licensed professional engineer will far outweigh the costs of time and money.

The generalized steps given here are essentially true throughout the nation and its territories, but there will be state-specific variations. You will need to learn about those when you begin the process in any particular state.

A Web site you will want to visit is that of the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) at www.ncees.org. There you will find much useful information about the licensure process, as well as many other topics, in addition to links to the various state registration board Web sites. We cannot overstate the fact that rules and regulations can change over time, so check this Web site periodically while you're gathering information on licensure as well as when you're actually ready to pursue your license.

The pathway to licensure can be defined by four mileposts: