Title 5
Businesses and Professions

Chapter 8
Engineers

§ 5-8-11. General requirements for registration or certification.

(a) Professional engineer. The following shall be considered minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is qualified for registration as a professional engineer:

(1) Eligibility. To be eligible for registration as a professional engineer, an applicant shall meet the following requirements:

(i) Be of good character and reputation;

(ii) Submit five (5) references with his or her application for registration, three (3) of which references shall be from registered professional engineers having personal knowledge of the applicant’s engineering experience;

(iii) Satisfy the education criteria set forth in this section;

(iv) Satisfy the experience criteria set forth in this section; and

(v) Pass the applicable examinations as required in this section.

(2) Registration bycomity.

(i) A person holding a current certificate of registration to engage in the practice of engineering, on the basis of comparable written NCEES examinations, issued to him or her by either a proper authority of a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or of any foreign country, and whose qualifications meet the requirements of this chapter, based on verified evidence may, upon application, be registered without further examination.

(ii) A person holding a NCEES Record, whose qualifications as evidenced by the NCEES Record meet the requirements of this chapter, may, upon application, be registered without further examination, provided he or she is qualified.

(3) Graduation from an accredited program, experience, and examination.

(i) A graduate of an ABET-EAC accredited engineering curriculum of four (4) years or more approved by the board as being of satisfactory standing, who has passed a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of engineering and obtained a specific record of a minimum of four (4) years of experience in engineering work of a grade and character that indicates to the board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering, may be admitted, upon application, to a NCEES examination in the principles and practice of engineering.

(ii) A graduate of an ABET-ETAC accredited engineering technology curriculum of four (4) years or more approved by the board as being of satisfactory standing, who has passed a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of engineering and obtained a specific record of a minimum of eight (8) years of experience in engineering work of a grade and character that indicates to the board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering, may be admitted, upon application, to a NCEES examination in the principles and practice of engineering.

(4) Waiver of requirement for NCEES examination in fundamentals of engineering.

(i) A graduate of an ABET-EAC accredited engineering curriculum having a specific record of twelve (12) years or more of experience in engineering work of a grade and character that indicates to the board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering, shall be admitted to a NCEES examination in the principles and practice of engineering. Upon passing that examination, the applicant shall be granted a certificate of registration to practice engineering in this state, provided he or she is qualified.

(ii) A graduate of an engineering technology curriculum, whether accredited by ABET-ETAC or unaccredited, applying for initial or comity registration as a professional engineer in Rhode Island shall not be eligible for waiver of this requirement.

(5) Graduation from a nonaccredited program, experience, and examination.

(i) A graduate of an engineering curriculum of four (4) years or more that is not accredited by ABET-EAC, who has passed a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of engineering and obtained a specific record of a minimum of six (6) years of experience in engineering work of a grade and character that indicates to the board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering, may be admitted, upon application, to a NCEES examination in the principles and practice of engineering. Upon passing these examinations, the applicant shall be granted a certificate of registration to practice engineering in this state, provided he or she is qualified.

(ii) A graduate of an engineering technology curriculum of four (4) years or more that is not accredited by ABET-ETAC is not eligible for registration as a professional engineer in this state unless they obtain an advanced engineering degree from an ABET-EAC accredited program.

(6) Teaching. Engineering teaching in a college or university offering an ABET-EAC accredited engineering curriculum of four (4) years or more may be considered as engineering experience.

(7) Engineers previously registered. Each engineer holding a certificate of registration under the laws of this state as previously in effect shall be deemed registered as an engineer as appropriate under this chapter in accordance with the laws in effect at the time of their initial registration.

(b) Engineer-in-training. The following shall be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is qualified for certification as an engineer-in-training:

(1) Eligibility. To be eligible for registration as an engineer-in-training, an applicant shall meet the following requirements:

(i) Be of good character and reputation;

(ii) Submit three (3) character references, one (1) of which must be from a registered professional engineer;

(iii) Satisfy the education requirements set forth in this section; and

(iv) Satisfy the examination requirements set forth in this section.

(2) Graduation and examination. A graduate of an ABET-EAC or an ABET-ETAC accredited program of four (4) years or more who has passed a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of engineering shall be certified or enrolled as an engineer-in-training, if he or she is qualified.

(3) Graduation from a nonaccredited program and examination. A graduate of a nonaccredited engineering curriculum of four (4) years or more who has passed a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of engineering and has obtained two (2) years of engineering experience of a grade and character approved by the board shall be certified and enrolled as an engineer-in-training, if he or she is qualified. Graduates of a nonaccredited engineering technology curriculum are not eligible for certification as an engineer-in-training.

(4) Duration of engineer-in-training certification. The certification or enrollment of an engineer-in-training shall not expire and does not need to be renewed.