To meet Louisiana’s professional engineer licensure requirements, you need an engineering degree (ideally from an EAC/ABET-accredited program), a passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, four years of progressive engineering experience under a licensed PE, and a passing score on the discipline-specific Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. All licenses are issued by the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS), and applications run through its online portal.
Start With a Qualifying Degree
Your education determines how straightforward the rest of the process will be. LAPELS recognizes three paths.
The cleanest is a bachelor’s degree in engineering from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology through its Engineering Accreditation Commission. An EAC/ABET degree satisfies the education requirement on its own, with no further review.
If your bachelor’s is from a program that isn’t EAC/ABET-accredited, expect a longer path. You’ll need an NCEES credentials evaluation before you can even apply for Engineer Intern certification, plus four years of progressive engineering experience on top of the evaluation. 1Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Engineer Intern Applications
The third route applies if you hold a non-ABET bachelor’s combined with a master’s in engineering from a university that has an EAC/ABET-accredited undergraduate program in the same discipline. This combination still requires a credentials evaluation, but it does not carry the additional four-year experience penalty.
Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam
The FE exam covers core engineering concepts and is usually taken at or near graduation. It’s a computer-based test given year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE centers, with appointments available in quarterly windows: January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December. 2Pearson VUE. NCEES Certification Testing with Pearson VUE Passing the FE is a prerequisite for Engineer Intern certification in Louisiana.
Complete Four Years of Progressive Engineering Experience
Louisiana requires at least four years of progressive engineering experience under the supervision of a licensed professional engineer before you can qualify for PE licensure. “Progressive” means your responsibilities grow over time, showing increasing technical judgment and independent decision-making. Repetitive tasks under close direction don’t carry the same weight as work where you’re expected to exercise engineering judgment.
Up to one year of pre-graduation work can count toward the four years, but only under specific conditions. It must have been earned through a university-sponsored co-op program that was part of an accredited engineering curriculum, and only after you completed at least half of the curriculum. The co-op work must appear on your college transcript, and it must have been performed under a licensed PE’s supervision. 3Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Louisiana Administrative Code – Engineering Experience Subsequent to Degree Ordinary internships and summer jobs outside a formal co-op program do not qualify.
Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam
The PE exam is discipline-specific and tests whether you can competently practice in your chosen field. Most PE disciplines are now computer-based, but availability varies. Some, like Electrical Power, are offered year-round; others are offered on a single set date each year. 4NCEES. PE Electrical and Computer Exam You register and schedule through your MyNCEES account.
You cannot sit for the PE exam until you have accumulated the four years of progressive engineering experience after earning your degree. This is the checkpoint that keeps the timeline honest: the FE tests knowledge; the PE tests judgment built through practice.
Apply for Engineer Intern, Then PE
Engineer Intern Certification
After passing the FE and earning your qualifying degree, you apply for Engineer Intern (EI) certification through the LAPELS online portal. You’ll need a recommendation from a PE with an active license. Both your transcript and passing FE score must be verified through NCEES before LAPELS will process the application. 1Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Engineer Intern Applications
Professional Engineer Application
Once you hold EI status and have logged your four years of qualifying experience, you apply for PE licensure through the same LAPELS portal. The application requires proof of education, a detailed work history, and references. By statute, application fees cannot exceed $200. 5Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 37 Chapter 8 Check the current LAPELS fee schedule before you submit, since the board adjusts fees periodically. 6Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Fee Schedule
Licensure by Comity for Out-of-State Engineers
If you already hold a PE license in another state, Louisiana offers licensure by comity. You apply through the LAPELS online portal, and having a current NCEES Record with your credentials verified streamlines the review considerably. You’ll need a verified transcript of an EAC/ABET degree on file with NCEES and a passing FE score. 7Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Professional Engineer Applications
The comity application fee is $180. 6Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Fee Schedule If your degree is from a non-ABET program, expect additional evaluation steps and longer processing times.
After You’re Licensed: Seal, PDH, and Renewal
Your Official Seal
Every licensed PE needs an official seal that meets LAPELS design specifications. It must include “State of Louisiana,” your full name, your license number, and the designation “Professional Engineer” (you may optionally add your discipline). Two sizes are acceptable: a 1-5/8 inch pocket seal or a 2-inch desk seal. Rubber stamps and computer-generated versions are both permitted. 8Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Louisiana Administrative Code Chapter 27 – Use of Seals
A seal alone is never enough. Every sealed document must also carry your handwritten or electronic signature and the date, placed adjacent to or across the seal.
Continuing Professional Development
Louisiana measures continuing education on a calendar-year basis, which catches some engineers off guard. Every licensed PE must earn 15 professional development hours (PDHs) per calendar year, not 30 per biennial renewal cycle. At least one of those 15 PDHs must be in professional ethics. 9Legal Information Institute. Louisiana Administrative Code tit. 46 LXI-3105 – Requirements You can’t earn more than 8 PDHs in a single calendar day, and up to 7 excess hours may be carried into the next year. 10Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. CPD/PDH Log Instructions
Keep your records. LAPELS requires you to maintain CPD documentation for at least six consecutive calendar years and audits up to 30 percent of renewing licensees twice a year. If you can’t prove compliance during an audit, your license won’t be renewed and is deemed expired. 11Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. CPD/PDH Log Instructions
Biennial Renewal
Louisiana PE licenses renew on a two-year cycle. The standard renewal fee is $120. 6Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Fee Schedule Missing the deadline triggers escalating late fees and, after 120 days, reactivation fees; practicing on an expired license is itself a violation, so treat the renewal date as firm. 12Legal Information Institute. Louisiana Administrative Code tit. 46 LXI-1703