Illinois PE CE (PDH) Requirements (2026): 30 Hours Every 2 Years
Requirements Overview
Illinois requires 30 PDH for each biennial renewal of a Professional Engineer license, administered by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Within that total, three mandatory one-hour core topics must be completed every prerenewal period: 1 hour on Illinois statutes and rules governing PEs, 1 hour of professional conduct/ethics, and 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention.
Up to 15 qualifying general PDH earned late in the cycle (June 1–November 30 of the renewal year) may be carried into the next period, but the three core hours are excluded from carry-over and must be re-earned. IDFPR does not pre-approve individual courses — you determine whether an activity qualifies and keep your own documentation, including the Department's PDH Carryover Form when carrying hours forward.
Mandatory Topics
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sexual harassment prevention training | 1 | Every renewal | A minimum of 1 hour; must meet the requirements of 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.400. A course from the Illinois Dept. Of Human Rights, the licensee's employer, or an acceptable provider may count. This core hour cannot be satisfied by carried-over PDHs. |
| Illinois statutes and rules regulating professional engineers and professional engineering | 1 | Every renewal | A minimum of 1 hour of programs, courses or activities in the area of Illinois statutes and Part 1380 that regulate professional engineers and professional engineering. This core hour cannot be satisfied by carried-over PDHs. |
| Professional conduct and/or ethics | 1 | Every renewal | A minimum of 1 hour of programs, courses, or activities in the area of professional conduct and/or ethics. This core hour cannot be satisfied by carried-over PDHs. |
First Renewal vs. Standard Renewal
Exemptions
- First Renewal — Not required to report CE during the first biennial renewal period in which initial Illinois licensure was obtained.Subject to CE requirements for all subsequent biennial renewal periods
- Military — Licensee on full-time active duty in the U.S. Military, or called to temporary active duty exceeding 120 consecutive days during the renewal period, when the activity/location restricts participation in a professional development program.Renewal fee and documentation supporting the waiver must be submitted
- Hardship — Undue hardship by reason of disability, illness, or other clearly mitigating circumstances preventing participation during a substantial part of the renewal period.Requires a sworn statement by the licensee, a statement from a licensed healthcare provider, or a medical recordDivision may waive, extend the compliance time, or set a particular CE scheduleConsecutive hardship waivers may be prima facie evidence for non-renewal based on inability to actively practice
How You Can Complete Your CE
Illinois CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to Illinois that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- Carry-over — Up to 15 qualifying PDHs gained within six months of the current renewal deadline (June 1–November 30 of the renewal year) and not used for the current renewal period may be carried over to the subsequent renewal period. Carried-over hours may NOT include the state statutes/rules, professional conduct/ethics, or sexual harassment prevention core hours, which must be satisfied during each prerenewal period. Carried-over PDHs must be documented on the Department-issued PDH Carryover Form.
- One PDH equals a minimum of 50 minutes of instruction or participation; 1 CEU equals 10 PDHs; a maximum of 12 PDHs may be earned within any 24-hour period (1380.325(a)(5)).
- Illinois PE licenses renew biennially by November 30 of odd-numbered years; the prerenewal period is the 24 months preceding that date (1380.325(a)(4)).
- Licensees must retain a record of PDHs for 6 years; a log of activities by itself is not accepted (1380.325(d)).
- The Division does not pre-approve any individual courses or programs (1380.325(f)).
- Structural PDHs are not accepted unless the licensee can substantiate how the course enhances their PE license, since an Illinois PE cannot legally offer or perform structural services (1380.325(g)).
- PEs licensed in Illinois but residing/practicing in other states must still comply; substantially equivalent PDHs used for another jurisdiction may be applied to Illinois (1380.325(a)(6)-(7)).
- Activity credit examples: teaching a PE course = 3 PDHs per hour of presentation (initial presentation only); authoring a nationally circulated paper/article or presentation = 10 PDHs; a patent = 10 PDHs; board/committee membership or office = 2 PDHs each, max 8 per prerenewal period (1380.325(b)).
- Each renewal applicant certifies full compliance on the renewal application; IDFPR verifies via random audit (1380.325(h)).
- Rule last amended at 49 Ill. Reg. 10161, effective July 23, 2025.
Provider Requirements
IDFPR does not pre-approve individual courses or programs (1380.325(f)). Acceptable providers for structured educational activities include, but are not limited to: National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES); National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE); Engineering Society of Illinois (ISE); American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL); American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); colleges, universities or other educational institutions; and technical or professional societies or organizations (including manufacturers) relating to professional engineering.
Tips for Illinois PEs
- Complete all three one-hour core topics — statutes/rules, ethics, and sexual harassment prevention — every renewal period; none of them can be satisfied with carried-over hours.
- Only general PDH earned June 1–November 30 of the renewal year can be carried forward, up to 15 hours, and you must log them on the Department's PDH Carryover Form.
- IDFPR does not maintain a pre-approved course list, so you self-determine whether an activity meets the PDH criteria and retain proof.
- Keep certificates and records in case of audit — you report compliance at renewal but submit documentation only if asked.
- The sexual harassment prevention hour is specific to Illinois; a generic ethics course does not satisfy it.
Sources
Each figure on this page is taken directly from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation'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.