Washington Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (BORPELS)

Please Note

We are a service company that can help you file with the Washington Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (BORPELS). We are not associated with this nor any other government agency. We offer paid services and software to help you file. You are not required to purchase our service to file - you may file directly with this agency without using our service.

Contact Information

Phone: 360-664-1575

Web: Home Name search
Email: engineers@brpels.wa.gov

Licenses

We track the following licenses with the Washington Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (BORPELS) in order to provide compliance services to our clients. As a client, you see this and other reference data in License Manager in-line with your licenses.

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All corporations, joint stock associations, and limited liability companies (LLCs) that offer engineering or land surveying services must have a certificate of authorization in Washington, except for professional service (PS) corporations and professional service limited liability companies (PLLCs).

Washington Certificate of Authorization (Engineering and/or Land Surveying)

Agency:Washington Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (BORPELS)
Law:

RCW § 18.43.130

Eligible Entity Types:
  • Business Corporations
  • Limited Liability Companies
  • Partnerships
  • Joint Stock Associations
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:Yes
Ownership Requirements:

Business Corporations:

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

Professional Corporations:

  • All shareholders, directors, and all officers, other than the secretary and the treasurer, must be licensed in a profession performed by the firm.

Limited Liability Companies:

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

Professional Limited Liability Companies:

  • All members and managers must be licensed in a profession performed by the firm.

Partnerships:

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

Professional service corporations and professional limited liability companies are not required to hold a certificate of authorization to perform engineering services in Washington.

Requirement Notes:


  • General Business License required

Initial Registration

Form:

Corporation or Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authorization Application and a Designated Engineer/Land Surveyor Affidavit

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$150

Turnaround:

Up to 4 weeks. Applicants will be notified by mail or email.

Before you Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  • Identify a Washington licensed engineer and/or land surveyor, who is a full-time employee, to be in responsible charge of the firm's engineering and/or surveying activities in Washington.

Foreign Applicants:

  • Identify a Washington licensed engineer and/or land surveyor, who is a full-time employee, to be in responsible charge of the firm's engineering and/or surveying activities in Washington.
  • 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 60 days old when filing foreign qualification documents.
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. File entity formation documents with the Washington Secretary of State - Corporations Division.
  2. File a business license application with the Department of Revenue.
  3. File a Corporation or Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authorization Application and a Designated Engineer/Land Surveyor Affidavit with the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors or complete the online application process to obtain a license.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. File foreign qualification documents with the Washington Secretary of State - Corporations Division.
  2. File a business license application with the Department of Revenue.
  3. File a Corporation or Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authorization Application and a Designated Engineer/Land Surveyor Affidavit with the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors or complete the online application process to obtain a license.
Required Attachments:
  • Individual qualifier must sign an affidavit consenting to the appointment (part of the application)
  • Corporate resolution naming the  qualified individual is required (part of the application)

Registration Renewal

Instructions:

Mail to: 

  • Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
    Department of Licensing
    PO Box 35001
    Seattle, WA 98124‑3401
Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$110

Due:

Annually by the end of the registration anniversary month. Renewals may be filed as early as 120 days prior to the expiration date.

Required Attachments:
  • List of licensees in responsible charge of the firm's professional services
  • List of branch office locations including licensee in responsible charge

Amendment

Form:

Change of Designated Engineer/Land Surveyor

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Within 30 days of the effective date of the change.

Notes:

Other information updates should be reported to the board in writing.

Washington Engineer-in-Training Certification

Agency:Washington Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (BORPELS)

Initial Registration

Form:

Certification Application

Agency Fee:

$0

Renewal Not Required

Not required



Washington Land Surveyor-in-Training Certification

Agency:Washington Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (BORPELS)

Initial Registration

Form:

Land Surveyor-in-Training Registration Application

Agency Fee:

$0

Renewal Not Required

Not required



Washington Professional Engineer License

Agency:Washington Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (BORPELS)
Allow Digital Signatures?Yes
Digital Signature Guidelines:

The terms "signature or signed," as used in chapter 18.43 RCW and/or Title 196 WAC, means the following:

(1) A handwritten identification or a digital representation of your handwritten identification that represents the act of putting your name on a document to attest to its validity. The handwritten or digital identification must be: (a) Original and written by hand, or a scanned image of an original, handwritten identification; (b) Permanently affixed to the document(s) being certified; (c) Applied to the document by the identified licensee; and (d) Placed directly over the seal/stamp of the licensee.

(2) A digital identification that is an electronic authentication process attached to or logically associated with an electronic document. The digital identification may include a scanned or digitized signature. The digital identification must be: (a) Unique to the licensee using it; (b) Capable of independent verification; (c) Under the exclusive control of the licensee using it; and (d) Linked to a document in such a manner that the digital identification is invalidated if any data in the document is changed.

WAC 196-23-070

Allow Digital Sealing?Yes

Initial Registration

Form:

Professional Engineer Registration Application

Agency Fee:

$65

Registration Renewal

Form:

Professional Engineer Renewal Application

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$116

Due:

Biennially by the licensee's birthday. The initial license will expire on the next occurrence of the engineer's birth date. If the next birth date is within three months of the initial date of licensure, the original license will expire on the engineer's second birth date following original licensure.

Washington Professional Land Surveyor License

Agency:Washington Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (BORPELS)

Initial Registration

Form:

Professional Land Surveyor Registration Application

Agency Fee:

$140

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$116

Due:

Biennially by the licensee's date of birth.

Washington Structural Engineer License

Agency:Washington Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors (BORPELS)
Allow Digital Signatures?Yes
Digital Signature Guidelines:

The terms "signature or signed," as used in chapter 18.43 RCW and/or Title 196 WAC, means the following:

(1) A handwritten identification or a digital representation of your handwritten identification that represents the act of putting your name on a document to attest to its validity. The handwritten or digital identification must be: (a) Original and written by hand, or a scanned image of an original, handwritten identification; (b) Permanently affixed to the document(s) being certified; (c) Applied to the document by the identified licensee; and (d) Placed directly over the seal/stamp of the licensee.

(2) A digital identification that is an electronic authentication process attached to or logically associated with an electronic document. The digital identification may include a scanned or digitized signature. The digital identification must be: (a) Unique to the licensee using it; (b) Capable of independent verification; (c) Under the exclusive control of the licensee using it; and (d) Linked to a document in such a manner that the digital identification is invalidated if any data in the document is changed.

WAC 196-23-070

Allow Digital Sealing?Yes

Initial Registration

Form:

Structural Engineer Registration Application

Agency Fee:

$65

Registration Renewal

Form:

Professional Engineer Renewal Application

Agency Fee:

$116

Due:

Biennially by the licensee's birthday.

Notes:

Licensees who hold more than one type of engineering license only need to file a single renewal application and pay the $116 fee.

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