Mississippi PE CE (PDH) Requirements (2026): 30 Hours Every 2 Years

Requirements Overview

Of the 30 PDHs, exactly 1 must be in ethics training each renewal period (Rule 6.4; Miss. Code Ann. §73-13-15). The remaining hours are open, though Mississippi Standards of Practice PDHs apply only to surveyors and dual licensees, not to PEs. No more than 8 PDHs earned in any 24-hour period count toward the requirement.

Online and distance formats—webinars, live internet-based, archived prerecorded, and correspondence programs—qualify with no separate cap. The Board does not pre-approve courses or providers but retains final authority over credit.

A PE may carry forward a maximum of 15 PDHs into the next biennial period, though excess ethics hours cannot be carried forward. Supporting records must be retained for three years in case of audit.

Mandatory Topics

Renewal Pathways

Exemptions

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  New Licensee — New licensees by way of initial licensure or comity are exempt in the year they obtain their license.
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  Military Active Duty — Licensees serving on temporary active duty in the U.S. Armed forces for a period exceeding 120 consecutive days in a year are exempt during that year; supporting documentation must be furnished to the Board.
• ✓
  Disability / Illness / Extenuating Circumstances — Licensees experiencing physical disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstances, as reviewed and approved by the Board, may be exempt; supporting documentation must be furnished upon request.
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  Retired Status — Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors currently in Retired Status are exempt.

How You Can Complete Your CE

Mississippi CE Rules & Limits

Details specific to Mississippi that generic CE guides tend to miss:

• Carry-over — A Professional Engineer may carry forward a maximum of 15 PDHs into the subsequent biennial renewal period. PDH units must be submitted during renewal to be considered for carryover. Excess ethics PDHs may not be carried forward.
• Renewal cycle is biennial; PE licenses expire December 31 of their biennial renewal period (Rule 6.6).
• As of the 2025 rule revision (Final Rules approved 11-21-2025), Mississippi moved from an annual 15 PDH/year model to 30 PDHs per biennial renewal period, and the former age-based (over-60 / 20+ years) exemption was removed. Older third-party sites may still show outdated figures.
• No more than 8 PDHs obtained during any 24-hour period will be applied toward the CPC requirement.
• Credit for publishing (papers/articles/books/exam items) and patents shall not exceed 10 PDH units per year.
• The Board does not pre-approve courses or providers; the licensee is responsible for qualifying activities, and the Board retains final authority.
• CPC compliance must be certified at renewal and entered into the NCEES database or the Board website portal.
• Records supporting claimed credits must be retained for 3 years and provided if audited.
• Reinstatement from lapsed or retired status requires the PDH units for the most current one (1) year, including 1 PDH of ethics.
• Out-of-state residents may satisfy CPC via their jurisdiction of residence if that jurisdiction's requirements are substantially equivalent to the NCEES CPC Standard.
• Mississippi Standards of Practice PDHs apply only to Professional Surveyors and Dual Licensees, not to Professional Engineers.

Provider Requirements

The Board does not pre-approve PDHs but does have final authority with respect to approval of courses, credit, PDH value for courses, and other methods of earning credit.

Tips for Mississippi PEs

• Complete your 1-hour ethics PDH early each cycle; excess ethics hours will not carry forward, so there is no benefit to over-investing there.
• No more than 8 PDHs from a single 24-hour period count, so avoid cramming an entire cycle into one marathon session.
• If you hold both PE and PS licenses, you need 36 PDHs with at least one-third earned in each profession, not 30.
• Certify compliance at renewal through the NCEES database or the Board's website portal, and keep supporting records for three years.
• Older third-party sites may still show the outdated 15 PDH/year figure; the current rule is 30 PDHs per biennium.

Sources

PE Requirements in Nearby States

Other Professions in Mississippi

All Professional Engineer CE Requirements by State

Open any other state's PE CE (PDH) requirements, or see the full Professional Engineer CE hub to compare every state in one table.