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

Requirements Overview

Vermont's Rule 2.11 requires 30 PDH for every renewal except a licensee's first, which is fully exempt. No fixed hour split applies to any subject, though qualifying activities should relate to technical engineering practice, professional ethics awareness, standards of practice, or engineering management. One PDH equals one 60-minute contact hour, and the 30 hours must fall within the three years preceding the renewal date — a look-back window wider than the two-year cycle itself.

There is no carry-over of surplus PDH; each hour counts toward only one renewal. Courses may be completed in person, online, by correspondence, television, or pre-recorded media with no stated cap on distance formats. Published papers cap at 5 PDH each (15 PDH max per biennium), and college courses convert at 10 PDH per semester credit. The Board audits licensees under Rule 2.13 and requires records retained for two biennial periods.

First Renewal vs. Standard Renewal

Exemptions

• ✓
  First Renewal — Licensees renewing for the first time are exempt from the 30-PDH continuing professional competency requirement.

How You Can Complete Your CE

Vermont CE Rules & Limits

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

• Carry-over — No carry-over of surplus PDHs. PDHs must be obtained during the three years preceding the renewal date (a 3-year look-back for a 2-year cycle), and each PDH can be counted toward only one renewal.
• Vermont IS a CE-required state for PEs, contrary to the frequent report that Vermont requires no PE continuing education. Rule 2.11 mandates 30 PDHs per renewal for all licensees except first-time renewers.
• PDH definition: 1 PDH = one contact hour (60 minutes) of instruction or presentation.
• Look-back window: the 30 PDHs must be obtained during the three years preceding the renewal date (broader than the 2-year cycle).
• PDH caps by activity: authoring published papers/articles/books earns 5 PDHs each, not to exceed 15 PDHs in a biennial period; active participation in development of engineering codes/standards earns up to 2 PDHs per code or standard.
• College course conversions: 10 PDHs per semester credit; 6 PDHs per quarter credit. Teaching/presenting earns double the presentation length (no credit for repetitions of the same material; full-time faculty may not claim teaching credit for regular duties).
• Reinstatement (Rule 2.4): a license expired 2+ years requires a new application plus evidence of 30 PDHs completed within the two years immediately preceding the new application.
• Recordkeeping (Rule 2.12): licensees must keep a PDH log, attendance/completion certificates, and course content evidence; records must be retained for the prior two biennial renewal periods.
• Audit (Rule 2.13): the Board may audit any licensee or a random subset; audited licensees must furnish documentation within 30 days of the audit notice.
• Virtual/synchronous CE: per VT OPR guidance (H.305, 2023), where rules require in-person/face-to-face CE, synchronous (live, interactive, not pre-recorded) virtual courses qualify as live in-person training for renewal.
• Rules source: Administrative Rules for Professional Engineers, Effective August 1, 2017 (Vermont Board of Professional Engineering). Statutory basis: 26 V.S.A. Chapter 20; 3 V.S.A. Governs OPR professions.

Tips for Vermont PEs

• Track your 30 PDH against the 3-year look-back window, not just the 2-year renewal cycle — hours earned earlier than that don't count.
• Don't count on carry-over: Vermont doesn't allow surplus PDH to roll into the next renewal, unlike many neighboring states.
• If publishing papers or articles for credit, remember the 5-PDH-per-item cap and 15-PDH biennial ceiling on authorship credit.
• First-time renewers don't need any PDH — but start logging activity right away since the exemption doesn't repeat.
• Keep PDH logs, certificates, and course-content evidence for two biennial periods in case you're selected for audit under Rule 2.13.

Sources

PE Requirements in Nearby States

Other Professions in Vermont

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.