50-State Engineering Licensing Compliance Guide
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North Dakota Engineering Industry Licensing

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Licensing requirements for engineering industry firms and individuals in North Dakota.

This page provides an overview of engineering industry licensing in North Dakota for individuals and firms. You will find state requirements, application fees, filing instructions, and more. For assistance with licensing, please contact us to learn about our software and managed license services.

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Company Licenses

North Dakota Engineering Company Licenses

North Dakota Certificate of Commercial Practice

Agency:North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors
Law:

N.D. Cent. Code § 43-19.1-27

Eligible Entity Types:
  • Business Corporations
  • Professional Corporations
  • Limited Liability Companies
  • Professional Limited Liability Companies
  • Partnerships
  • Professional Limited Liability Partnership
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:Yes
Ownership Requirements:

Business Corporations:

  • Officers and directors need not be licensed, but the corporation must appoint a North Dakota licensed individual to be responsible for all professional activities undertaken by the firm in North Dakota.

Professional Corporations:

  • All of the shareholders of PCs must be licensed in a profession practiced by the firm.

Limited Liability Companies:

  • Members and managers need not be licensed, but the LLC must appoint a North Dakota licensed individual to be responsible for all professional activities undertaken by the firm in North Dakota.

Professional Limited Liability Companies:

  • All of the members of PLLCs must be licensed in a profession practiced by the firm.

Partnerships:

  • Partners need not be licensed, but the partnership must appoint a North Dakota licensed individual to be responsible for all professional activities undertaken by the firm in North Dakota.

Professional Limited Liability Partnerships:

  • All of the partners of PLLPs must be licensed in a profession practiced by the firm.

Initial Registration

Form:

Certificate of Commercial Practice Application

Agency Fee:

$100

Turnaround:

Up to 6 weeks. Applicants will receive confirmation by mail.

Before you Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  • Ensure that your business entity will meet ownership requirements.
  • Identify a North Dakota licensed engineer and/or surveyor to act as the individual in responsible charge of the firm's professional activities in North Dakota.

Foreign Applicants:

  • Ensure that your North Dakota entity meets ownership requirements.
  • Identify a North Dakota licensed engineer and/or surveyor to act as the individual in responsible charge of the firm's professional activities in North Dakota.
  • Obtain a certificate of good standing from your business entity's home state (to be filed during the foreign qualification process). The certificate cannot be more than 90 days old when filing foreign qualification documents.
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. If a PC, PLLC, or PLLP, fill out a Certificate of Professional License and submit to the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors. After approval from the board, submit this form during the entity formation process in step 2.
  2. Create an online account and file entity formation documents with the North Dakota Secretary of State.
  3. File a Certificate of Commercial Practice Application with the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. If a PC, PLLC, or PLLP, fill out a Certificate of Professional License and submit to the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors. After approval from the board, submit this form during the entity formation process in step 2.
  2. Create an online account and file foreign qualification documents with the North Dakota Secretary of State.
  3. File a Certificate of Commercial Practice Application with the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors.

Registration Renewal

Form:

Certificate of Commercial Practice Renewal

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$100

Due:

Annually by December 31. Online renewals may be filed as early as October 29.

Required Attachments:
  • List of North Dakota licensees employed by the firm

Amendment

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

If a change occurs in any of the information submitted on the application of any organization or individual operating under a trade name within the term of the certificate of commercial practice, the organization or individual operating under a trade name shall file with the board a written report with respect to the change within 30 days after the change occurs.

Notes:

Most changes can be reported through the contact form on the board website.

Reinstatement

Form:

Certificate of Commercial Practice Renewal

Agency Fee:

$200

Notes:

Licenses that are expired for 5 or more years cannot be reinstated. Instead, a new license application must be filed.

North Dakota Geology Firm License

Not required



Geoscience Firm licensure is not required on the State level in North Dakota.

Individual Licenses

North Dakota Individual Engineering Licenses

North Dakota Engineer Intern Registration

Agency:North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors

Initial Registration

Form:

Engineer or Land Surveyor Intern Registration Application

Agency Fee:

$0

Renewal Not Required

Not required



North Dakota Geologist License

Not required



Professional Geoscientist licensure is not required on the State level in North Dakota.

North Dakota Land Surveyor Intern Registration

Agency:North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors

Initial Registration

Form:

Principals and Practices of Land Surveying Examination Application

Agency Fee:

$0

Original Ink:Not required
Notarize:Not required

Registration Renewal

Not required



Intern certificates do not expire.

North Dakota Professional Engineer License

Agency:North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors
Allow Digital Signatures?Yes
Digital Signature Guidelines:

3. A registrant shall also apply the registrant's signature across the face of the seals for a nondigital signature. A digital signature is not required to be across the face of the seal. A rubber stamp or facsimile signature is not allowed. The signature and seal must also be dated. No further certification need accompany the seal and signature.

4. The term "signature", as used herein, shall mean a handwritten identification containing the name of the person who applied it; or for electronic or digital documents shall mean a digital signature that shall include an electronic authentication process in a secure mode that is attached to or logically associated with the electronic document to which it is applied. The digital signature must be unique to, and under the sole control of, the person using it; it must also be capable of verification and be linked to a document in such manner that the digital signature is invalidated if any data on the document is altered.

...Electronic reproductions of drawings, plan sheets, specifications, studies, reports, plats, maps, and other engineering and surveying work product that are distributed to reviewing agencies, owners, clients, contractors, suppliers, and others must either contain the electronic seal and digital signature as required by this chapter, or have a digital signed and electronic sealed statement from the registrant transmitting the same which shall read:

"This document(s) was originally issued and sealed by (name), Registration Number (number) on (date)".The statement shall also include the statement that "The original documents are stored at (location)", or "The original documents have been destroyed and are no longer available", whichever is applicable.

Sets of plans or drawings must have this statement attached to every sheet of the set. For specifications, reports, and studies, only the cover or introductory sheet need include this statement.

North Dakota Admin Code 28-02.1-08-.02

Allow Digital Sealing?Yes
Digital Sealing Guidelines:

Seals may be of rubber stamp, metal impression type, computer-generated, or electronically generated. Electronic seals may not be used in any document unless the document contains a signature that meets the requirements of a digital signature.

North Dakota Admin Code 28-02.1-08-.02

Initial Registration

Form:

Principals and Practices of Engineering Examination Application

Agency Fee:

$0

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$240

Due:

By December 31 of even-numbered years. Licenses issued in the 4th quarter of renewal years are exempt from the first renewal period.

North Dakota Professional Land Surveyor License

Agency:North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors

Initial Registration

Form:

Principals and Practices of Surveying Examination Application

Agency Fee:

$0

Original Ink:Not required
Notarize:Not required

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$240

Due:

By December 31 of even-numbered years. Licenses issued in the 4th quarter of renewal years are exempt from the first renewal period.

Original Ink:Not required
Notarize:Not required

Learn about engineering licensing in other states:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho
Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri
Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania
Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Design Firm - Engineering firm registration is sometimes grouped with architecture and land surveying on a single “design firm” application form.

EI (Engineering Intern) - A term also used to describe an Engineer in Training.

EIT (Engineer in Training) - A professional designation granted upon having completed at least 3 years of school at an ABET-accredited university and having passed the FE exam.

FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) - An exam testing on basic engineering principles that is required to become an engineer in training.

PE (Professional Engineer or 'Principles and Practice in Engineering') - Means either Professional Engineer or refers to the Principles and Practice in Engineering exam that is a prerequisite for an engineering license.

Reciprocity - When a licensed engineer in one state can provide documentation (often an NCEES Record) to more easily apply for a license in another jurisdiction.

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
Accrediting board that sets standards for university programs in a variety of applied science disciplines.

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
Engineering, architecture, and land surveying advocacy group.

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Organization that provides continuing education, professional conferences, and advocacy efforts to the civil engineering community.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Mechanical engineering organization that focuses on education and professional development.

Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC)
Reviews accreditation requirements and makes final decisions regarding the accreditation process.

National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES)
Develops, administers, and scores the exams used for engineering licenses.

National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
NSPE is an advocacy group for professional engineers.

Revised October 18, 2021. Complete data last reviewed July 03, 2018.
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