A Comprehensive Guide to Obtaining a Florida Professional Engineering License

Individuals looking to practice engineering in Florida must acquire a professional engineer (PE) license beforehand. Earning this credential indicates that you have the technical expertise needed to provide engineering services, bid for government contracts, and seal engineering designs.

To safeguard lives and property, you must fulfill specific requirements before receiving this permit. Moreover, the journey doesn’t end after receiving the license—periodic renewals are crucial to maintaining your ability to practice in the state.

In this article, we’ll explore the steps and prerequisites for obtaining and renewing the Florida professional engineering license. We’ll also discuss how Harbor Compliance’s Architecture and Engineering Compliance Solutions can ease your licensure workload.

What Is Florida Professional Engineering License

A professional engineering license is a credential that gives individuals the legal authority to practice engineering in a specific state. In addition to granting licensed individuals the title of professional engineer (PE), this permit denotes an engineer’s qualifications and competence.

Any company looking to offer engineering services in Florida needs a qualifying agent who is a licensed professional engineer in that state.

Given the significant privileges and responsibilities associated with the title of a professional engineer, each state in the U.S. has a regulatory body that establishes a set of requirements that must be met before a legal permit can be issued to practice.

In Florida, the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE) sets the standards and handles the issuance and renewal of all professional engineering licenses.

Florida Engineering Business Registration Requirements

To offer engineering services in Florida, your firm must first register and receive approval from the FBPE. There are two key steps involved in securing the legal permit to practice engineering in the state:

1. Registering the firm
2. Adding the qualifying agent

Registering the Firm

To kickstart the process, you’ll need to register your firm with Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) by creating an account on their website. You’ll be expected to provide details about your firm, such as its name, address, tax identification number, and contact information. Once the process is complete, a listing will be created for your company in the DBPR system.

Adding the Qualifying Agent

After registering your firm and creating a listing for it in the DBPR system, the final step is to qualify your firm. This is done by adding your firm’s qualifying agent and linking their information to your company.

Only a Florida-licensed professional engineer can qualify your firm. Once your firm is qualified, you can start offering engineering services in the state.

How To Maintain an Active Florida Engineering Business Registration

After registering your firm with the DBPR, you are not required to renew your registration or print any licenses. However, certain requirements must be met to continue practicing in the state. This typically involves the qualifying agent notifying the board within the following timeframes:

• 30 days—When there are any changes to your firm’s registration application.
• 24 hours—If they decide to leave the firm.

Additionally, if your firm has only one qualifying agent, and they decide to leave the company, you will no longer have the legal permit to practice engineering in Florida.

While your firm won’t need to renew its registration, qualifying agents must renew their professional engineering licenses every two years to maintain an active status. To qualify for renewal, they must complete 18 hours of continuing education, which includes:

• 12 hours on topics relevant to the practice of engineering
• Four hours focused on their specific area of practice
• One hour dedicated to professional ethics
• One hour dedicated to Florida laws and rules governing the engineering profession

If your qualifying agent does not renew their professional engineering license on time, the license will become delinquent. To renew a delinquent license, they’ll need to pay the delinquent fee in addition to the standard renewal fee.

If the engineering license remains delinquent beyond the renewal period, it becomes null and void. In this case, the agent will have to undergo a reinstatement process, which involves reapplication and payment of associated fees to regain active licensure status.

Reduce Your Florida Engineering Business Registration Workload With Harbor Compliance

Staying updated on changing state regulations is crucial to maintaining your firm’s ability to practice engineering in Florida. Your qualifying agents must also track continuing education requirements and renewal dates to keep their licenses active.

Balancing these responsibilities and managing your firm’s core operations can be overwhelming. That’s why organizations like Harbor Compliance offer services to alleviate this burden and free up precious time.

At Harbor Compliance, we understand the challenges engineers and firms face in obtaining, managing, and renewing their professional licenses. As such, we developed the Architecture and Engineering Compliance Solutions to provide the support and resources necessary to address your licensing needs and remain in good standing with your state’s regulatory body.

We offer an extensive and continually updated database with in-depth insights into engineering licensing requirements. Backed by a team of licensing experts, we provide firsthand experience in navigating the complexities associated with obtaining and renewing licenses like the engineering business, geoscience, and land surveying firm registrations.

Advantages of Utilizing Harbor Compliance’s Services To Secure or Renew Your Florida Engineering Business Registration

Rather than handling the responsibilities of obtaining and maintaining your firm’s engineering license in Florida alone, you can opt for professional assistance by partnering with Harbor Compliance. We can step in and streamline the licensing process by:

• Providing a dedicated team of experts who can support you during the entire application process.
• Helping you keep track of Florida’s professional engineering licensing renewal deadlines to ensure your qualifying agents never miss a renewal window.
• Providing access to our Software Suite, which includes comprehensive information on Florida’s state requirements for a professional engineering license powered by our proprietary Compliance Core™ algorithm.

Ordering Harbor Compliance’s Architecture & Engineering Compliance Solutions

At Harbor Compliance, we offer flexible service options, allowing you to decide how much of your licensing workload you want to outsource. Our service options include:

To order the service, all you have to do is complete the form at the bottom of this page:

1. Enter the required information (your name, email address, and phone number)
2. Choose Engineering from the drop-down menu
3. Hit the Submit button

Harbor Compliance’s Additional Services

Apart from assisting individuals and firms in obtaining engineering licenses, we can help you meet all your statutory requirements regardless of the number of jurisdictions you operate in. Our rich portfolio includes services like:

• Registered agent service—As your registered agent, we can receive legal and government documents on behalf of your firm and forward them to you timely.
• Business licensing support—Whether you have a single office in one state or multiple offices across various states, we can assist you in obtaining general business licenses in all the states in which you are registered.
• Beneficial ownership information reporting—We assist you in reporting beneficial ownership information (BOI) by offering filing support for initial, updated, and corrected reports. We will also send proof when the filing is complete.
• Entity lifecycle management—We support you throughout your entity’s lifecycle by submitting filings to form your corporation and for withdrawal and dissolution when you are ready to wind down your operations.
• Nonprofit formation—We assist in handling the paperwork required to form your nonprofit corporation. Additionally, we can help you apply for a nonprofit tax exemption, whether you’re already incorporated or trying to reinstate it if it has been revoked.
• Document filing and retrieval—We offer assistance with in-person drop-off filing at secretary of state offices nationwide, obtaining certified copies required for business license management, and filing articles of reinstatement.
• Tax registration—We can help you secure your Employer Identification Number (EIN) and complete the registration process for payroll and sales and use tax.

• Jump To:
• Florida Engineering Company Licenses
• Florida Individual Engineering Licenses

Florida Professional Engineer FAQs

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Florida professional engineer (PE) license. For more details on licensing processes and requirements, visit the Harbor Compliance Information Center.

Streamline Your Florida Engineering Business Registration Process With Harbor Compliance

As a registered engineering firm in Florida, you’ll enjoy privileges like signing and sealing engineering designs and offering engineering services to the public in your name. However, you must stay informed about changing regulations to maintain your permit.

Harbor Compliance’s Architecture and Engineering Compliance Solutions simplify this process by assisting you in tracking renewal dates and changing requirements through its portfolio management software and team of licensing experts. Additionally, you can check if you’re meeting regulatory requirements with our free Harbor Compliance Score™.

If you would like to learn more about our licensing solutions, you can schedule a demo to see our software in action and select any of our three service options.

Need help navigating engineering license requirements in other states? You can explore the articles listed below: