Current State Requirements for an Engineer in the State of Florida:
8 PDH minimum biennially
Each licensee shall complete 8 professional development hours during each
license renewal biennium as a condition of license renewal. Four hours must
relate to the licensee’s area(s) of practice and four hours must relate to
Chapter 471, Florida Statutes and the rules of the Board, Chapter 61G15, Florida
Administrative Code.
Renewal Date: February 28 of odd years.
Statute: Chapter 61G15-22 F.A.C., Continuing Education
Stipulations
A license that has been inactive for more than one year may be reactivated upon application to FEMC and demonstration to the board by the licensee of having completed 12 hours of engineering related education per inactive year, or portion thereof, in excess of one year. The education shall be related to the licensee’s area of practice. In addition, the licensee shall have completed 4 hours of education that shall involve the law and rules governing the practice of engineering in a course approved by the board.
Licensees who can demonstrate that they have continued the active practice of
engineering during the inactive period, either through an active license to
practice in another state or through practice in an exempt setting during that
period, shall only be required to comply with the laws and rules requirement.
Applicable Course of Study
Area of Practice: An engineering discipline for which a Principles and Practice of Engineering examination is offered pursuant to Rule 61G15-21, Florida Administrative Code.
Professional Development Hour (PDH): A contact hour requires a minimum of 50 minutes instruction or presentation. The PDH is the common denominator for other units of credit.
Continuing Education Unit (CEU): Unit of credit customarily used for continuing education courses. One continuing education unit equals 10 hours of class in an approved continuing education course.
College/Unit Semester/Quarter Hour: Credit for course in ABET-approved programs or other related engineering college course.
Course/Activity: Any qualifying course or activity with a clear purpose and objective which will maintain, improve, or expand the skills and knowledge relevant to the licensee’s area of practice.
Qualifying Activities for Area of Practice Requirement:
(1) Successful completion of college courses.
(2) Successful completion of continuing education courses, successful completion
of correspondence, televised, Internet, videotaped, and other short
courses/tutorials or attending seminars, workshops, or professional and
technical presentations at meetings, conventions or conferences
presented/sponsored by a provider approved under Rule 61G15-22.011, FAC.
(3) Teaching or instructing in (1) – (2) above. However, teaching credit is
valid for teaching a course or seminar for the first time only. Teaching credit
does not apply to full-time faculty.
(4) Authoring published papers, articles, books, or accepted licensee
examination items for NCEES.
(5) Patents.
(6) Active participation in professional or technical societies. Civic or trade
organizations do not qualify under this provision. Credit for this activity
requires that the licensee serve as an officer of the organization. PDH credits
are not earned until the end of each year of completed service.
(7) Courses taken to satisfy continuing education requirements for P.E.
licensure in other states may be used to satisfy the PDH area of practice
requirements, if the courses are otherwise in compliance with these rules.
Conversion of other units of education credit for PDH units:
(1) 1 college or unit semester hour credit is equal to 15 PDH.
(2) 1 college or unit quarter hour credit is equal to 10 PDH.
(3) 1 continuing education unit is equal to 10 PDH.
(4) 1 contact hour of professional development in course work, seminars, or
professional or technical presentations made at meetings, conventions, or
conferences is equal to 1 PDH or, if teaching, 2 PDH.
(5) Each published paper, article, or book is equal to 10 PDH.
(6) Authoring accepted licensee examination items for NCEES is equal to 2 PDH.
(7) Each patent is equal to 10 PDH.
(8) Active participation in professional and technical societies as described in
Rule 61G15-22.003(6). The maximum credit to be allowed is 2 PDH for each
organization.
Continuing Education Courses in Laws and Rules:
(1) In order to meet the criteria contained in Section 471.017(3), F.S., a
course of continuing education for laws and rules of the board must consist of a
minimum of 4 hours of instruction in Chapter 471, F.S. and Chapter 61G15,
Florida Administrative Code.
(2) Four PDH’s in laws and rules of the Board may be obtained by attending one
full day, regardless of actual length, or 8 hours of a board meeting at which
disciplinary hearings are conducted by the board of Professional Engineers and
complying with the following:
(a) The licensee must sign in with staff of the board before the meeting day
begins.
(b) The licensee must remain in continuous attendance.
(c) The licensee must sign out with staff of the board at the end of meeting day
or at such other earlier time as affirmatively authorized by the board. A
licensee may receive PDH credit in laws and rules for attending the board
meeting only if he or she is attending on that date solely for that purpose.
Proof of Compliance
Demonstrating Compliance. In order to demonstrate compliance, licensees must
execute a signed statement accompanying their renewal form and return it to the
board office with their renewal. For each qualifying activity listed, the
following information must be included on the statement:
(1) Title of activity and a description.
(2) The date, location and provider of the activity.
(3) The area of practice to which the activity applies.
(4) The number of PDH credits claimed for each activity.
Record Keeping. It is the responsibility to maintain sufficient records to demonstrate completion of qualifying professional development hours for at least two licensure cycles (four years).
Non-Compliance
In accordance with Section 471.017, Florida Statues, completion of the required professional development hours is a condition of licensure renewal. No license will be renewed or issued until the requirement is satisfied. If, after renewal, it is found that the licensee did not comply with these requirements, disciplinary proceedings will be initiated.
Disallowed Credits
Non-Qualifying Activities. Activities that do not qualify as Professional
Development Hours include but are not limited to the following:
(1) Self-generated courses.
(2) Personal self-improvement courses.
(3) Equipment demonstrations or trade show displays.
(4) Enrollment without attendance.
(5) Repetitive attendance or teaching of the same course.
(6) Tours of buildings, structures, schools, museums and such unless there is a
clear objective to maintain and strengthen competency in a technical field.
(7) Regular employment.
(8) Personal, estate or financial planning.
Carryover Hours Allowed
None
Exceptions
New licensees by way of examination shall be exempt for their first renewal period. Any licensee whose license is placed in retired status shall be exempt thereafter. Any licensee whose license is placed in inactive status.
For more Info:
This information provided by the State Board Statutes and Rules.