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

Requirements Overview

North Dakota requires 30 PDH per biennial renewal for Professional Engineers, governed by NDAC Title 28-04-01 and the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. Of that total, a minimum of 20 hours must be technical subjects that safeguard public health, safety, and welfare (no more than 10 may be non-technical), and at least 1 hour must be engineering ethics.

Up to 15 qualifying PDH may be carried forward into the next biennial period. The Board does not pre-approve courses, providers, or activities — each licensee is responsible for determining whether an activity qualifies and for keeping records. A comity exemption applies to engineers who meet another state's equivalent requirement.

Mandatory Topics

Renewal Pathways

Exemptions

• ✓
  Comity — Comity for continuing professional development is allowed if the registrant is currently licensed in another jurisdiction/state that requires mandatory continuing professional competency and meets North Dakota's minimum requirements.

How You Can Complete Your CE

North Dakota CE Rules & Limits

Details specific to North Dakota that generic CE guides tend to miss:

• Carry-over — A maximum of 15 qualifying professional development hours may be forwarded to the subsequent biennial renewal period.
• Renewal cycle is biennial (every two years); CE allowances are all stated as biennial requirements.
• At least 20 of the 30 PDH must be technical (health/safety/welfare); a maximum of 10 PDH may be nontechnical, of which at least 1 PDH must be ethics-oriented.
• Records must be maintained for a minimum of four years from the date of the last biennial renewal for audit purposes; a detailed activity log and attendance verification (certificates, etc.) are required.
• The board does not preapprove courses, providers, or activities; the registrant determines eligibility and the board makes final PDH determinations at audit.
• Governing rule: North Dakota Administrative Code (NDAC) Title 28-04-01.
• Online/distance-delivery rules are not addressed on the official CE page (no stated limit).

Provider Requirements

The board does not preapprove courses, providers, or activities. It is the responsibility of the registrant to determine whether the activity meets the requirements; the board makes the final determination of PDH credit during audit.

Tips for North Dakota PEs

• Keep at least 20 of your 30 PDH in technical, health-safety-welfare subjects; non-technical activities are capped at 10 hours.
• Complete at least 1 hour of engineering ethics each renewal period.
• You can carry up to 15 excess PDH forward into the next biennium.
• The Board pre-approves nothing — you self-determine whether an activity qualifies and retain your own documentation.
• If you meet another state's equivalent CE requirement, North Dakota's comity provision may let you satisfy the requirement that way — confirm with the Board.

Sources

PE Requirements in Nearby States

Other Professions in North Dakota

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.