50-State Engineering Licensing Compliance Guide
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New Jersey Engineering Industry Licensing

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Licensing requirements for engineering industry firms and individuals in New Jersey.

This page provides an overview of engineering industry licensing in New Jersey for individuals and firms. You will find state requirements, application fees, filing instructions, and more. For assistance with licensing, please contact us to learn about our software and managed license services.

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Company Licenses

New Jersey Engineering Company Licenses

New Jersey Certificate of Authorization (Engineering and/or Land Surveying)

Agency:New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs - State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Law:

NJ Stat. § 45-8-27

Eligible Entity Types:
  • Business Corporations
  • Limited Liability Companies
  • Partnerships
  • Limited Liability Partnerships
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:Yes
Ownership Requirements:

Business Corporations:

  • Firms may not use the word "engineers" or any derivative of that word or "land surveyors" or any derivative of that word unless at least one executive officer is a New Jersey licensed engineer or land surveyor respectively.

Professional Corporations:

  • All shareholders of New Jersey engineering or land surveying PCs must be licensed engineers, land surveyors, or individuals licensed in a closely related profession.

Limited Liability Companies:

  • Firms may not use the word "engineers" or any derivative of that word or "land surveyors" or any derivative of that word unless at least one member is a New Jersey licensed engineer or land surveyor respectively.

Limited Liability Partnerships:

  • Firms may not use the word "engineers" or any derivative of that word or "land surveyors" or any derivative of that word unless at least one partner is a New Jersey licensed engineer or land surveyor respectively.
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?Yes

Automatic Exemption

Exemption Eligible Organizations:

Professional Service Corporations established pursuant to NJ Rev Stat § 14A:17-1 et seq. are not required to obtain a Certificate of Authorization.

Law:

NJ Rev Stat § 45:8-56

Initial Registration

Form:

Certificate of Authorization Application

Filing Method:

Mail to: 

STATE BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND LAND SURVEYORS
P.O. BOX 45015
NEWARK, NJ 07101

Agency Fee:

$120 if applying during the first year of the biennial license period or $60 if applying during the second year of the biennial licensing period.

Turnaround:

Up to a month. The board will contact designated licensee via email to confirm approval.

Notarization Required?:Required
Before you Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  • Identify a New Jersey licensed individual to act as the licensee in responsible charge for each office the firm has in New Jersey.

Foreign Applicants:

  • Identify a New Jersey licensed individual to act as the licensee in responsible charge for each office the firm has in New Jersey.
  • Ensure that your New Jersey entity meets ownership requirements.
  • Obtain a certified copy of your entity's formation documents from its home state.
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. Form your business entity by completing the online form on the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services website.
  2. Obtain a certified copy of your entity's certificate of formation or incorporation to file with your firm license application.
  3. Obtain a copy of the annual report the entity most recently filed with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services to file with your firm license application.
  4. Apply for a Certificate of Authorization through the State Board of Engineers & Land Surveyors.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. Foreign qualify your business entity by completing the online form on the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services website.
  2. Obtain a certified copy of your entity's certificate of authority (document that grants your business the ability to transact business in New Jersey) and a certified copy of your entity's certificate of formation or incorporation from its home state to file with your firm license application.
  3. Obtain a copy of the annual report the entity most recently filed with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services to file with your firm license application.
  4. Apply for a Certificate of Authorization through the State Board of Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors.
Required Attachments:
  • Certified copy of the certificate of formation or incorporation
  • Certified copy of a Certificate of Authority to do business in New Jersey (foreign only)
  • A copy of the most current New Jersey annual report 
    • If a foreign company is newly registered with the State and has not yet filed an annual report, a New Jersey COGS is required. 

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$120

Due:

By August 31 of even-numbered years.

Required Attachments:
  • List of directors, officers, managers, or members of the firm including addresses, license numbers, and ownership share information
  • List of licensees in responsible charge of the firm's professional services
  • List of branch office locations
  • A copy of the business entity's Department of Treasury annual report

Amendment

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Within 30 days of the effective date of the change.

Notes:

Any changes to the firm's corporate address, professional engineer and/or land surveyor in responsible charge, officers, directors, managers, or principal stockholders must be reported to the board.

Reinstatement

Form:

Reinstatement Application for a Certificate of Authorization

Agency Fee:

$125 + $120 for the two-year biennial cycle for which reinstatement is sought.

New Jersey Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) Approval - Engineering

Agency:New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs - State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Law:

NJ Admin Code § 13:40-13.5

Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:No
Notes:

Accredited schools, universities, and colleges; national and state professional engineering and closely allied professional organizations; and Federal, State, and New Jersey bi-state government agencies and independent authorities that sponsor CPC courses or programs, and CPC providers registered with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying are approved providers and are exempt from the requirement of submitting an application to the Board and obtaining a CPC provider number.

Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?No

Initial Registration

Form:

Continuing Professional Competency Approval Form for Professional Engineers

Agency Fee:

$100

Renewal Not Required

Not required



New Jersey Geology Firm License

Not required



Geoscience Firm licensure is not required on the State level in New Jersey.

Individual Licenses

New Jersey Individual Engineering Licenses

New Jersey Engineer-in-Training Certification

Agency:New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs - State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$30

Renewal Not Required

Not required



New Jersey Geologist License

Not required



Professional Geoscientist licensure is not required on the State level in New Jersey.

New Jersey does not license geologists, however, site remediation work requires a license.

New Jersey Land Surveyor-in-Training Certification

Agency:New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs - State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$30

Notarization Required?:Not required

Renewal Not Required

Not required



New Jersey Professional Engineer License

Agency:New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs - State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Exam Required?Yes
Allow Digital Signatures?Yes
Digital Signature Guidelines:

(a) A digital signature and seal shall carry the same weight, authority, and effect as a handwritten signature and impression-type seal, when the following criteria are met:

1. The digital signing and sealing process satisfies the requirements of the Digital Signature Standard (DSS) established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, FIPS PUB 186-4, Digital Signature Algorithm Validation System, (2013), which is incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented. This standard may be obtained at the following website: http://www.NIST.gov/. The digital signature and seal must be: i. Unique to the licensee; ii. Verifiable by a trusted third party or some other approved process as belonging to the licensee; and iii. Under the licensee's direct and exclusive control; or

2. A digital signature and seal must be linked to a document in such a manner that it is evident if the document has been modified after the digital signature and seal have been applied.

(b) A licensee who digitally signs and seals a document shall maintain an electronic copy of the electronically transmitted document that has also been digitally signed and sealed for future verification purposes in accordance with N.J.A.C. 13:40-3.4(b).

(c) The pictorial representation of the digital signature and seal shall be readily available to the Board upon Board request and shall be produced in a manner acceptable to the Board. It shall contain the same words and shall have substantially the same graphic appearance and size as when the image of the digitally transmitted document is viewed at the same size as the document in its original form.

(d) Licensees are responsible for the use of their private digital keys. A lost or compromised key shall not be used and the licensee shall cause a new key pair to be generated in accordance with the criteria described in (a) above. A licensee shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that a compromised key is invalidated, and shall inform all affected clients that the digital key has been compromised.

N.J.A.C § 13:40-8.1A

Allow Digital Sealing?Yes
Digital Sealing Guidelines:

See digital signing guidelines.

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$75

Reciprocal Registration

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$80

Due:

Biennially by April 30. 

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Not required

New Jersey Professional Land Surveyor License

Agency:New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs - State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Initial Registration

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$75

Notarization Required?:Not required

Reciprocal Registration

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$80

Due:

By April 30 of even-numbered years.

Learn about engineering licensing in other states:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho
Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri
Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania
Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Design Firm - Engineering firm registration is sometimes grouped with architecture and land surveying on a single “design firm” application form.

EI (Engineering Intern) - A term also used to describe an Engineer in Training.

EIT (Engineer in Training) - A professional designation granted upon having completed at least 3 years of school at an ABET-accredited university and having passed the FE exam.

FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) - An exam testing on basic engineering principles that is required to become an engineer in training.

PE (Professional Engineer or 'Principles and Practice in Engineering') - Means either Professional Engineer or refers to the Principles and Practice in Engineering exam that is a prerequisite for an engineering license.

Reciprocity - When a licensed engineer in one state can provide documentation (often an NCEES Record) to more easily apply for a license in another jurisdiction.

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
Accrediting board that sets standards for university programs in a variety of applied science disciplines.

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
Engineering, architecture, and land surveying advocacy group.

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Organization that provides continuing education, professional conferences, and advocacy efforts to the civil engineering community.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Mechanical engineering organization that focuses on education and professional development.

Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC)
Reviews accreditation requirements and makes final decisions regarding the accreditation process.

National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES)
Develops, administers, and scores the exams used for engineering licenses.

National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
NSPE is an advocacy group for professional engineers.

Revised February 20, 2023. Complete data last reviewed June 09, 2021.
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