A. General

The application form prepared by the applicant and its necessary additions are placed together in the Board office as an application file for each person submitting an application. The completed application file is the instrument by which the Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors makes a judgment on the qualifications of each person applying for certification or licensure with the Board. The applicant is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the submitted application form, as well as the submission of all required transcripts, documents, and reference forms to complete the application file. It is important to the applicant that the application file requirements are completed prior to the deadline date, since the Board is unable to review the applicant's file until it is complete.

The elements of a completed application file are:

(1) The application form prepared by the applicant.

(2) The applicable fee.

(3) The answer sheet to the exam on G. S. 89C and Board rules completed by the applicant.

(4) Transcript(s) mailed directly to the Board from the school or college.

(5) The necessary reference forms prepared by the references and mailed directly to the Board.

(6) Verification of claimed licensures or examinations from other jurisdictions.

The applicant personally mails only items (1), (2) and (3) to the Board. The applicant contacts the educational institution and the persons selected to furnish references, and requests that they mail items (4) and (5) directly to the Board. The Board automatically initiates verification requests to those states having custody of records on the applicant. Verifications of the claimed licensures and examinations, shown by the applicant on the application form, are requested. Since the applicant initiates a chain of events which must be completed prior to the Board reviewing the application, and since the applicant is dependent upon others to complete portions of the application file, it is advisable to initiate application well in advance of the deadline.

B. The Application Form

The Board utilizes two forms of application. One is a separate request for Certification as an Engineering Intern by a student who has attained senior status in an ABET accredited engineering curriculum, or by the engineering graduate who has graduated within the previous two years from an ABET accredited curriculum. The second form is for licensure as a Professional Engineer, and includes application for Engineering Intern status, if not previously completed satisfactorily in North Carolina or in another state.

Both of the above forms, along with necessary explanatory materials and forms are available from the Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors. An order form for each of the application kits is available on request from the Board office.

(1) Student Application for Certification as Engineering Intern

This application is a one-page form, green in color, authorized for use by the student who has attained senior status in an ABET accredited engineering curriculum, or by the applicant who graduated from such a curriculum within two years prior to the requested examination. No others may use this form.

Graduation is a prerequisite for certification for those who apply on the Student Form. Student applicants will not be certified until the Board receives a transcript indicating award of degree directly from the college.

Graduate applicants who have graduated within the previous two years must have the college furnish a transcript indicating award of degree in an ABET accredited curriculum directly to the Board. The application file is not complete until the Board has received the transcript. Any graduate who has delayed application beyond two years after graduation must apply on the Application for Licensure as a Professional Engineer.

After EI certification and upon completion of the required engineering experience, the applicant is ready for the final examination and will be required to complete and submit the Application for Licensure as a Professional Engineer.

(2) Application for Certification as Professional Engineer

This application is a comprehensive form, white in color, requiring a complete listing of experience and the submission of separate reference forms. This application form is for use by all applicants, other than those using the Student Application Form listed above. Those applying for licensure in North Carolina by comity from another state will also complete this form.

The Board uses the submitted form, when completed, to review the qualifications of all applicants who have not completed the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (Exam I). If the applicant has previously completed the examination in North Carolina or in another state, the application form will be used by the Board to review the applicant's qualifications for the Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II).

It is mandatory that the appropriate application be filed with the Board and completed in the prescribed manner. In order to be considered by the Board, the application must:

(1) Be typed, except for signatures.

(2) Have completed responses to all requirements, and be signed in the appropriate places.

(3) Have a recent photograph of durable quality included but not attached to the application.

(4) List experience briefly and in chronological order, beginning with the earliest experience, listing the entire experience or employment record, including names and addresses of employers. If an applicant feels that the available space is insufficient to transmit to the Board a true picture of all experience, the applicant should condense this information to a point where it will fit in the designated space, and then on a separate sheet(s) of paper, clearly marked "EXHIBIT," elaborate on any or all of the listed activities.

(5) Be returned when completed to the Board, unfolded.

C. License Fees

The necessary license fee must accompany the application. A current schedule of fees is included with each application kit. Current fees are available by clicking the link below.

The applicant for licensure by comity will also submit the current fee with the application.

Click here for License Fees

D. Transcripts From Educational Institutions

The applicant will arrange for the educational institutions attended or from which the applicant has graduated to submit transcripts showing the degree(s) obtained, directly to the Board. Copies of transcripts from the applicant or other sources may not be accepted by the Board in lieu of a copy furnished directly to the Board by the school or college.

If attendance at college did not result in a degree, the furnished transcript should verify the education record shown in the application form. Those applicants who have not attended school beyond high school should have the high school furnish a transcript of high school attainment and graduation.

E. Reference Recommendations

The Board is assisted in its evaluation of an applicant's qualifications by brief reports from professional persons who have knowledge of the applicant's qualifications and who are willing to serve as references and supply the Board with confidential reports. The applicant must contact those individuals selected to submit a recommendation, furnish them with the Board form and a return envelope, and request that the form be completed and mailed directly to the Board. It is important for the applicant to stress the importance of a timely, complete, and prompt evaluation. The reference should also be made aware of the confidential nature of the evaluation.

The Board requires that the recommendations furnished for Board review be current evaluations (within one year) and from persons, not including family members or members of the Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors, who are familiar with the applicant's engineering work and knowledge. The applicant should select individuals as references who, by education, experience and professional standing, are in a position to know and judge the quality of the applicant's work. It is also important that the individuals selected be adequately familiar with Chapter 89C of the North Carolina General Statutes, so that they will not credit the applicant with performing professional work in violation of the statutes.

If the information submitted by the applicant's references is not adequately informative, the Board may request an evaluation from others listed in the application, or request additional references from the applicant. Since this will delay application processing, the applicant should carefully select references who will give a candid, complete, and independent evaluation for the Board's review.

The applicant is required to supply the Board with the following reference reports on the reference forms supplied by the Board:

(1) Applicants requiring completion of the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (Exam I) must furnish three (3) references. One (1) of the references must be a licensed Professional Engineer.

(2) Applicants who have completed Exam I, but require completion of the Engineering Principles and Practice Examination (Exam II), must furnish five (5) references. Two (2) of the references must be licensed Professional Engineers.

The reference forms must be complete and current (within one year) when submitted for Board review. When an application has to be reviewed by the Board for a second time and if the references are not current, the applicant will be required to have additional reference submissions to ensure adequate current references for consideration by the Board.

The professional references should preferably be licensed to practice engineering in North Carolina. However, the Board will consider, in order of preference, Professional Engineers, employers, clients, contractors, and others.

In distributing the reference forms to the selected references, the applicant should type the reference's name and address in the space provided on the front side of the form.

F. Filing Deadline

The application file must be complete and in the Board office by January 2nd in order for the Board to review the file for the spring examinations. The file must be complete and in the Board office by August 1st in order for the Board to review the file for the fall examinations. The completed file has all the items required and as described above. Those files, which are not complete, will be retained until completed and submitted to the Board for the next examination cycle after completion. The applicant will be notified by postcard when the file is complete. Until receipt of such notice, the applicant should assume that the file is not complete. A telephone call to the Board office will enable the applicant to determine what items in the file have not been received.

If the file is not completed within one year, the applicant will be notified and the file will be forwarded to a record holding facility for destruction.

G. Notification of Board Action on Application

After the Board acts on an application file, the applicant is notified of the Board's decision in writing. If the applicant is approved for seating at an examination, a seating notice authorizing admission to the examination and indicating the time, date, and place of examination will be sent to the applicant. Upon approval for examination by the Board, administrative and financial obligations are incurred by the Board for the specified examination; therefore, each applicant is expected to be present for the examination. Excused absences are authorized only for jury duty, or upon a doctor's certificate of an applicant's physical inability to attend.

If the Board does not approve the applicant for immediate seating, the applicant will be informed and told what additional requirements are necessary, and informed when to reapply for the Board to reconsider the application. The application file will be retained until the applicant has had an opportunity to complete the additional requirements. The applicant will be required to indicate completion of the additional requirements and continued readiness for examination, by submitting a Supplemental Experience Form updating work experience since the file was last reviewed by the Board. If the elapsed time between original submission and reapplication for examination is greater than one year, the applicant will be required to obtain additional references, which are current.

H. Current Address of Applicant

The applicant is required to explicitly notify the Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors of any address changes after submission of the application to the Board. This is necessary to ensure that the Board can contact the applicant regarding its determinations or requirements.