Minnesota PE CE (PDH) Requirements (2026): 24 Hours Every 2 Years
Requirements Overview
The Minnesota AELSLAGID Board requires 24 PDH every two-year renewal period, with the requirement satisfied during the two-year period before the biennial renewal that ends June 30, under MN Statute 326.107. Of the 24, 2 PDH must be in professional ethics (not necessarily profession-specific); those ethics hours must be earned in the current biennium and can never be carried over as ethics hours.
Carry-over of general PDH is permitted up to 12 hours (50% of the requirement). Dual license or certificate holders meet the same 24 PDH total but must earn at least one-third in each profession, with the remaining third in either at their discretion. The Board pre-approves no courses, so licensees self-verify against the statute. New licensees are automatically exempt from CE reporting for their first biennial renewal, and no PDH may be carried over from an exempt period.
Mandatory Topics
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional ethics | 2 | Every renewal | Two of the 24 PDH must be dedicated to professional (but not necessarily profession-specific) ethics. The ethics hours must be earned during the current biennial period and cannot be carried forward/over as ethics hours. A minimum of 2 ethics PDH earned in the current period must be reported to renew. |
Exemptions
- New Licensee (First Renewal) — New licensees and new certificate holders are exempt from continuing education reporting for their first biennial renewal; they do not need to earn or report CE for that first renewal. The exemption is automatic (no application required).No PDH may be carried over from an exempt period.
- Hardship (Illness, Injury, Extenuating Circumstance, Or Military Active Duty) — A licensee who during the biennial renewal experienced a serious illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstance, or who was called to active military duty for a period exceeding 120 consecutive days, may apply for exemption from CE reporting. Requires the CE Exemption Request Form plus supporting documentation, submitted BEFORE renewal; if approved the Board issues a Letter of Exemption that must be submitted with the renewal.Must be requested before submitting the renewal.Requires supporting documentation and Board approval.
How You Can Complete Your CE
Minnesota CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to Minnesota that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- Carry-over — Carryover is limited to 50 percent (12 hours) of the 24-hour biennial requirement. All carryover is treated as 'general' PDH. Professional ethics hours can NEVER be carried over as ethics hours (they must be earned in the biennium to which they are applied). Certain PDH types cannot be carried over at all: professional exam grading/writing (max 5 PDH/biennium), service on public boards/commissions/committees (max 10 PDH/biennium), and patents (10 PDH). PDH earned to remedy a shortage in the current period cannot be applied to the following biennial requirement.
- A PDH hour is defined as no less than 50 minutes (MN Statute 326.106, Subd. 4).
- Governing statute: MN Statute 326.107 (continuing education requirements); the mn.gov page is an overview only and directs licensees to the statute for full detail.
- Renewal is biennial ending June 30; PDH for a given renewal is earned during the two-year period before renewal (e.g., 2024-2026 renewal PDH earned July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024, or the earlier renewal date).
- Certain activity types carry per-biennium caps and are NOT carryover-eligible: professional exam grading/writing (max 5 PDH/biennium), service on public boards/commissions/committees requiring professional expertise (max 10 PDH/biennium), and patents (10 PDH in the biennium granted).
- Recordkeeping: licensees must retain CE documentation (dates, subjects, duration, sponsor, PDH earned, receipts) for four years after the end of the licensure period; do not submit documentation unless requested/audited.
- Noncompliance: if accepted hours fall below 24, the Board notifies the licensee, who has a 180-day cure period to substantiate or earn replacement hours; failure results in suspension. Hours used to cure a shortage cannot count toward the next biennium.
- The Board provides optional tools/forms (CE Assessment Form, CE Documenting Form, CE Record Checklist) and a required CE Exemption Request Form for hardship/military exemptions.
Provider Requirements
The Board does not maintain a list of specific CE programs/activities and does not pre-approve any continuing education providers, courses, or activities. It is each licensee's responsibility to determine whether a course meets the statutory requirements in MN Statute 326.107.
Tips for Minnesota PEs
- The 2 professional-ethics PDH must be earned in the current biennium and can never be carried over as ethics hours; report them to renew.
- General PDH carry-over is capped at 12 hours (50% of the requirement), and ethics hours are excluded from carry-over.
- Dual license/certificate holders still owe 24 PDH total but must earn at least one-third in each profession.
- Certain activities carry caps and cannot be carried over: exam grading/writing (max 5 PDH), public board/committee service (max 10 PDH), and patents (10 PDH).
- New licensees are automatically exempt for their first biennial renewal, but no PDH may be carried over from that exempt period; keep records for 4 years after the licensure period.
Sources
Each figure on this page is taken directly from the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID)'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.