Wash. Rev. Code » Title 18 · Chapter 18.43
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 18.43.040 (2025)

Registration requirements

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The following requirements will be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is qualified for registration as a professional engineer, structural engineer, professional land surveyor, engineer-in-training, or land-surveyor-in-training.
(1) PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER. To be licensed as a professional engineer, an applicant must meet the examination and experience requirements delineated in this subsection (1).
(a) Examination requirements. An applicant must have received passing scores on examinations required by the board in rule.
(b) Experience requirements. A specific record of eight years or more of experience in engineering work of a character satisfactory to the board and showing that the applicant is competent to practice engineering.
(i) The experience must be broad based and progressive to include gaining knowledge and comprehension of engineering subjects and applying engineering principles.
(ii) Education or teaching at a college or university may constitute a portion of the required experience as follows:
(A) An undergraduate degree, or its equivalent, in an engineering program approved by the board will be considered the equivalent of four years of experience;
(B) Satisfactory completion of each year of an engineering program may be considered the equivalent of one year of experience at the discretion of the board;
(C) An undergraduate degree in a nonengineering program may be considered the equivalent of engineering experience at the discretion of the board;
(D) No more than four years of experience may be granted for undergraduate education; and
(E) Experience may be granted for teaching and postgraduate education as further defined by, and at the discretion of, the board.
(iii) The mere execution, as a contractor, of work designed by a professional engineer, or the supervision of the construction of such work as a foreman or superintendent may not be deemed to be the practice of engineering.
(2) STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. Structural engineering is recognized as a specialized branch of professional engineering. A professional engineer must be registered as a structural engineer to provide structural engineering services for significant structures. To become licensed as a structural engineer, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
(a) Hold a current registration as a professional engineer in this state;
(b) Have at least two years of structural engineering experience, of a character satisfactory to the board, in addition to the eight years' experience required for registration as a professional engineer; and
(c) Pass additional examinations as prescribed by the board.
(3) PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR. To be licensed as a professional land surveyor, an applicant must meet the examination and experience requirements delineated in this subsection (3).
(a) Examination requirements. An applicant must have received passing scores on examinations required by the board in rule.
(b) Experience requirements. A specific record of eight years or more of experience in land surveying work of a character satisfactory to the board and showing that the applicant is competent to practice land surveying.
(i) The experience must be broad based and progressive to include gaining knowledge and comprehension of land surveying subjects and applying land surveying principles.
(ii) Education or teaching at a college or university may constitute a portion of the required experience as follows:
(A) An undergraduate degree, or its equivalent, in a land surveying program approved by the board is considered the equivalent of four years of experience;
(B) Satisfactory completion of each year of a land surveying program may be considered the equivalent of one year of experience at the discretion of the board;
(C) An undergraduate degree in a nonland surveying program may be considered the equivalent of land surveying experience at the discretion of the board;
(D) No more than four years of experience will be granted for undergraduate education; and
(E) Experience may also be granted for teaching and postgraduate education as further defined by, and at the discretion of, the board.
(4) ENGINEER-IN-TRAINING. An applicant who has completed four years of experience of the type outlined in subsection (1)(b) of this section and has received a passing score on a board-approved examination on the fundamentals of engineering may apply for an engineer-in-training certificate from the board.
(5) LAND-SURVEYOR-IN-TRAINING. An applicant who has completed four years of experience of the type outlined in subsection (3)(b) of this section and has received a passing score on a board-approved examination on the fundamentals of land surveying may apply for a land-surveyor-in-training certificate from the board.
[ 2026 c 134 s 5; 2007 c 193 s 1; 2000 c 172 s 1; 1995 c 356 s 2; 1991 c 19 s 2; 1947 c 283 s 7; Rem. Supp. 1947 s 8306-24. Prior: 1935 c 167 s 2; RRS s 8306-2.]

Notes:

Effective date—2007 c 193: "This act takes effect July 1, 2008." [ 2007 c 193 s 3.]
Effective date—1995 c 356: See note following RCW 18.43.020.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases, 1986–2020 · leading case: Ritter v. Bd. of Reg. for Prof'l Engineers & Land Surveyors, 161 Wash. App. 758 (Wash. Ct. App. 2011).
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Ritter v. Bd. of Reg. for Prof'l Engineers & Land Surveyors, 161 Wash. App. 758 (Wash. Ct. App. 2011). · cites it 3× “RCW 18.43.040(2) provides, “No person shall be eligible for registration as a professional engineer .”
Ritter v. State, Bd. of Reg., 255 P.3d 799 (Wash. Ct. App. 2011). · cites it 3× “RCW 18.43.040(2) provides, "No person shall be eligible for registration as a professional engineer.”
Fisheries Engineers Inc. v. State Of Washington, No. 53614-5 (Wash. Ct. App. Nov. 10, 2020). · cites it 3× “RCW 18.43.040(1)(a), (c). The PERA also identifies structural engineers as a specific sub-category of professional engineers.”
Martin v. TX Eng'g, Inc., 719 P.2d 1360 (Wash. Ct. App. 1986). “RCW 18.43.040. The apparent purpose for these requirements is to ensure that the uninformed public is not rendered services by an incompetent engineer, not to protect engineering employers who may grade the employees' competence by their own standards.”
Wash. Rev. Code § 18.43.040(1)(a): 1 case
Fisheries Engineers Inc. v. State Of Washington, No. 53614-5 (Wash. Ct. App. Nov. 10, 2020). “RCW 18.43.040(1)(a), (c). The PERA also identifies structural engineers as a specific sub-category of professional engineers.”
Wash. Rev. Code § 18.43.040(1)(a)(iii): 1 case
Fisheries Engineers Inc. v. State Of Washington, No. 53614-5 (Wash. Ct. App. Nov. 10, 2020). “RCW 18.43.040(1)(a), (c). The PERA also identifies structural engineers as a specific sub-category of professional engineers.”
Wash. Rev. Code § 18.43.040(1)(b): 1 case
Fisheries Engineers Inc. v. State Of Washington, No. 53614-5 (Wash. Ct. App. Nov. 10, 2020). “RCW 18.43.040(1)(a), (c). The PERA also identifies structural engineers as a specific sub-category of professional engineers.”
Wash. Rev. Code § 18.43.040(2): 2 cases
Ritter v. Bd. of Reg. for Prof'l Engineers & Land Surveyors, 161 Wash. App. 758 (Wash. Ct. App. 2011). “RCW 18.43.040(2) provides, “No person shall be eligible for registration as a professional engineer .”
Ritter v. State, Bd. of Reg., 255 P.3d 799 (Wash. Ct. App. 2011). “RCW 18.43.040(2) provides, "No person shall be eligible for registration as a professional engineer.”
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