Florida PE CE (PDH) Requirements (2026): 18 Hours Every 2 Years
Requirements Overview
The Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE) mandates 18 CE hours per biennial renewal under Section 471.017(3), Florida Statutes, and Rule 61G15-22, F.A.C. The breakdown is fixed: 1 hour of Florida Laws and Rules, 1 hour of professional ethics, 4 hours in your area of practice, and 12 hours on any topic pertinent to the practice of engineering.
The Laws and Rules hour must come from a Board-approved provider, who reports it directly to the free NCEES CPC Tracking system; you self-report all other credits there. Nothing carries over — every hour must fall inside the single biennium claimed. PEs first licensed on or after March 1, 2025 (2027 expiration) owe only the Laws-and-Rules hour, the ethics hour, and the renewal fee for their first cycle. Keep completion records for at least four years.
Mandatory Topics
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Laws and Rules of Professional Engineers | 1 | Every renewal | Must be taken from a Board-approved provider. Board-approved Laws and Rules providers report the credit directly to the NCEES CPC Tracking system. Can alternatively be satisfied by serving as a member of the Legislature or as an elected state/local official. |
| Professional ethics | 1 | Every renewal | One hour must relate to professional ethics. Can alternatively be satisfied by serving as a member of the Legislature or as an elected state/local official. |
| Area of practice | 4 | Every renewal | Four hours must relate to the licensee's area of practice. |
| General engineering (any topic pertinent to the practice of engineering) | 12 | Every renewal | The remaining 12 hours may be related to any topic pertinent to the practice of engineering. Up to four of these hours may be earned by serving as an officer for a Board-recognized professional or technical engineering society. |
Exemptions
- First Renewal — PEs whose first Florida license was issued on or after March 1, 2025 (2027 expiration) are exempt from the full 18-hour requirement for their first biennium; they need only the 1-hour Laws and Rules course, 1-hour ethics course, and the renewal fee.Still must complete the Florida Laws and Rules courseStill must complete the professional ethics courseStill must pay the renewal fee
How You Can Complete Your CE
Florida CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to Florida that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- Carry-over — No carryover permitted. All CE credits must be earned within the single biennium for which they are claimed.
- Up to four hours of the CE requirement may be obtained by serving as an officer for a Board-recognized professional or technical engineering society.
- Serving as a member of the Legislature or as an elected state or local official satisfies the Florida Laws and Rules and ethics CE requirements.
- Licensees must retain records demonstrating completion of qualifying professional development hours for at least four years from the completion date.
- CE completion must be reported via the NCEES CPC Tracking system; do not send the CE report to FBPE until all courses are completed.
- For the current biennium, CE hours completed since March 1, 2025 must be reported by February 28, 2027 to renew.
- Governing authorities: Section 471.017(3), Florida Statutes, and Rule 61G15-22, F.A.C. (with 61G15-22.006 compliance/audits, 61G15-22.009 exemptions, 61G15-22.012 provider obligations).
Provider Requirements
The Florida Laws and Rules hour must be taken from a Board-approved provider. CE completion is reported through the free NCEES CPC (Continuing Professional Competency) Tracking system; Board-approved Florida Laws and Rules providers report directly, while all other credits require licensee submission. See Rule 61G15-22.012, F.A.C. For provider obligations.
Tips for Florida PEs
- Take the 1-hour Florida Laws and Rules course from a Board-approved provider — only approved providers report it directly to NCEES CPC Tracking, while all other credits you must submit yourself.
- There is no carryover in Florida, so plan each biennium from scratch; hours earned beyond 18 do not roll forward to the next cycle.
- If this is your first renewal and your license was issued on or after March 1, 2025, you only need the Laws-and-Rules hour, the ethics hour, and the fee — not the full 18 hours.
- Up to 4 hours can be earned by serving as an officer of a Board-recognized engineering society; serving as a legislator or elected official can satisfy the Laws-and-Rules and ethics hours.
- Retain proof of completion for at least four years, and report all hours via NCEES CPC — for the current biennium, hours since March 1, 2025 must be reported by February 28, 2027.
Sources
Each figure on this page is taken directly from the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE)'s official rules and continuing-education sources and recorded with the exact source excerpt. Last verified Jul 2026. Read how we compile and verify this data.