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State Cert Guide

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How many continuing education hours does a PE need in New Jersey?

If you hold only a New Jersey PE license and are past your first renewal period, you need 24 CPC credits for each biennial renewal. Some of them must be in professional practice ethics. New licensees and engineers who are also land surveyors follow other rules.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
24 CPC credits per biennial renewalThe rule calls them continuing professional competency credits.
Verified. www.law.cornell.edu (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Valid for
Biennial renewalRenewal comes every other year, not annually.
Same source and date as above
Online accepted
Distance learning counts when a final examination is requiredThe rule lists it as one way to earn credit.
Verified. www.law.cornell.edu (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Rule
N.J.A.C. 13:40-13.1It is the section of the administrative code that sets the requirement.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check what applies to you. Each biennial renewal takes 24 credits of continuing professional competency, called CPC credits. At least two, but no more than eight, must be in professional practice ethics.

  2. Step 2. Pick programs that count. One CPC credit is one 60-minute hour with at least 50 minutes of instruction. Courses required for initial licensure, or that primarily cover practice building, practice management or practice marketing, are not approved.

  3. Step 3. Take the credits. Include your ethics credits. Distance learning on engineering topics counts at one credit per hour when it has a final examination.

  4. Step 4. Certify at renewal. You certify on the renewal application that you completed the 24 credits during the preceding biennial period.

Before you pay

We haven’t confirmed a course price. Before you pay, ask whether the provider is one the rule treats as approved, and whether the course is about engineering practice rather than practice management.

Questions

Can extra credits carry over?

Yes, up to a limit. A maximum of 12 CPC credits may be carried over into the next biennial renewal period.

Which providers are approved without applying?

Among them, accredited schools, professional engineering organizations and NCEES-registered providers. The rule says such providers are exempt from applying to the Board for a provider number.

How long do I keep my records?

Keep them for five years after completing the course or equivalent program. You must send the documentation to the Board upon request.

What if I was just licensed in New Jersey?

You need no CPC credits during the renewal period in which you were first licensed. If you were licensed by comity, the rule makes you responsible at your first biennial renewal for one CPC credit for each full calendar month since your New Jersey license was issued.

What if I am also a land surveyor?

Then you need at least 36 CPC credits each biennial renewal. At least 12 must be in professional engineering, with two to eight of those in ethics, and at least 12 in land surveying. The other 12 can be in either field.

What to do next

Start with N.J.A.C. 13:40-13.1 on continuing professional competency. Check the rest of subchapter 13 there before you pay for a course.

www.law.cornell.edu

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