Oklahoma Administrative Rules

    Applications required to be submitted to the Board are available online and as deemed appropriate by the Board.

• (a) Every individual applying for a license shall submit an application as required by Board policy accompanied by the applicable fees. All application fees are non-refundable.
• (b) An affidavit certifying the truthfulness of the statements in the application shall constitute a part of each application. Withholding information or providing statements which are untrue or misrepresent the facts may be cause for denial of an application or disciplinary action taken against a license or certification.
• (c) An applicant shall request the university or college, or its designee, from which credit has been obtained to forward directly to the Board, or its designee, a properly certified university or college transcript showing all academic work.
• (d) All application forms and information furnished thereon and all examinations and answers thereto shall be entirely in the English language.

    All applicants for original license must show proof they are a United States citizen or show proof they are lawfully present in the United States. 

• (a)  Individual  professional engineer, professional engineer with a structural engineer designation, and professional surveyor initial and comity applicants meeting the requirements of a NCEES Model Law Engineer, NCEES Model Law Structural Engineer, or NCEES Model Law Surveyor, or other requirements as determined by Board statutes, rules and policy may be reviewed and evaluated by the Executive Director or the Board's designee, to determine if the applicant meets or exceeds the approved criteria.  If the applicant meets or exceeds these requirements, the applicant may receive a contingent license authorizing the individual to offer or provide engineering or surveying services in Oklahoma.  A list of all engineers issued contingent licenses will be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the Board for formal approval by the Board.  A list of all surveyors who have been issued contingent licenses and who have passed the appropriate Oklahoma-specific examination will be placed on the agenda of the next meeting for formal approval by the Board.  All other complete comity applicants will be reviewed and evaluated by the Board at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board to determine if they meet or exceed the criteria to be licensed as a professional engineer, professional engineer with a structural engineer designation or a professional surveyor.    
• (b)  Certificate of Authorization applications for firms which meet the statutory and rule requirements may also be approved by the Executive Director or the Board's designee.  If the firm meets or exceeds these requirements, the firm may receive a contingent authorization allowing the firm to offer or provide engineering or surveying services in Oklahoma.  A list of all firms issued contingent authorizations will be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the Board for formal approval by the Board.  
• (c)  A contingent license or authorization will be in effect from its date of issuance until such time as the Board takes final action on the application for a license or authorization.  If the Board determines that the applicant does not meet the requirements for issuance of a license or authorization, the contingent license or authorization shall be immediately and automatically revoked upon notice to the applicant and no license will be issued.  
• (d)  Initial applicants for a professional engineer, professional structural engineer or professional surveyor license shall apply to the Board when all education, examination and experience requirements have been met. 
• (e)  Intern applications for certification may be approved by the Executive Director or the Board's designee.
• (f)  All other applications for professional engineer, professional engineer with a structural engineer designation, professional surveyor and certificate of authorization submitted for a license or authorization shall be first considered by the Board for approval or disapproval. 

    Examinations are offered on dates and locations as set by NCEES and/or the Board.

• (a) Incomplete applications not yet presented to the Board, will be withdrawn from consideration by the Board after one year from the date submitted to the Board and a new and complete application shall be required from an applicant seeking a license.
• (b) The Board shall adopt a policy regarding the number of attempts an examinee may be granted for any Board-approved examination, as well as requirements for re-applying for future examination attempts. NCEES examinations will be administered per NCEES policy and the policies of the Board.
• (c) If an applicant requests that his or her application be withdrawn from consideration, the application will be inactivated upon Board approval.  Any further consideration will require a new and complete application and fee. 

   To be eligible for consideration for an original license as a Professional Engineer or certification as an Engineer Intern, an applicant must meet all qualifications as contained within the Statutes and the Rules of the Board. An application for an Engineer Intern certification or Professional Engineer license shall be reviewed by the Board or its designee. Evidence of minimum qualifications is required by the Board in accordance with Title 59, 475.12a. and the following requirements:

(1) Engineer Intern and Professional Engineer - education requirements for certification or original license:

(A) In addition to the education requirements outlined in Title 59, 475.12a, completion of one of the following shall also be considered as minimum evidence that the applicant has fulfilled the education requirement for certification as an Engineer Intern or a license as a Professional Engineer:

(i) a degree in engineering from an EAC/ABET-accredited bachelor’s program, or the equivalent, which may include a degree in engineering from a bachelor’s degree program accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) or signatories of the Washington Accord, a degree in engineering from a bachelor’s program that meets the NCEES Engineering Education Standard, or a degree in engineering from a bachelor’s program that, upon evaluation, does not meet the NCEES Engineering Education Standard, but deficiencies outlined in the degree evaluation have been reviewed and waived or corrected with further education approved by the Board or its designee,

(ii)  ​a bachelor's degree in a Board approved related science degree program which meets the Board's statutory definition of a related science degree,

(iii)      a master's degree in engineering from an institution that offers EAC/ABET or ETAC/ABET-accredited programs in the same or similar discipline of engineering,

(iv) a master's degree in engineering from an EAC/M-ABET-accredited program, or

(v)  an earned doctoral degree in engineering acceptable to the Board.

(B)   The Board may accept a bachelor's degree in an engineering or engineering technology program if the program is EAC/ETAC ABET accredited within 3 years of the date of the conferred degree. All other degree programs which are not EAC/ETAC ABET accredited at the time of conferment of the degree, but are currently EAC/ETAC ABET accredited, will be considered by board policy.

(2)   Professional Engineer - experience (original license):

(A)    Experience credit may be claimed to the date of the application. Part-time experience shall be pro-rated after a review by the Board or its designee. Experience record is to be continuous from beginning to the date of the application. Experience time shall not exceed elapsed calendar time. Only experience obtained directly within the professional field will be considered as qualifying experience by the Board and must be verified by reference. Experience should be gained under the supervision of a licensed professional engineer or, if not, an explanation shall be made showing why the experience should be considered acceptable. Experience gained under the technical supervision of an unlicensed individual may be considered if the appropriate credentials of the unlicensed supervisor are submitted and approved by the Board or its designee. In evaluating experience that indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering, the following will be considered:

(i)        Experience must be progressive on engineering projects and must demonstrate an increasing quality and responsibility.

(ii)     Experience must not be obtained in violation of the act.

(iii)   Experience gained in the armed services must be of a character equivalent to that which would have been gained in the civilian sector doing similar work.

(iv)    Sales experience must demonstrate that engineering principles were required and used in gaining the experience.

(v)      Teaching experience must be in engineering or engineering-related courses at a junior-, senior-, or graduate-level in a college or university offering an engineering program of 4 years or more that is approved by the Board.

(vi)       Experience may be gained in engineering research and design projects by members of an engineering faculty, where the program is approved by the Board, or by industry or government employees.

(vii)    Experience in construction must demonstrate the application of engineering principles.

(viii)  Experience should include demonstration of knowledge of engineering mathematics, physical and applied science, properties of materials, and the fundamental principles of engineering design.

(ix)       Experience must include demonstration of the application of engineering principles in the practical solution of engineering problems.

(x)         The board may deem professional experience acquired by applicants outside the United States to be equivalent to the minimum Board requirements established by regulations for professional experience in that jurisdiction.

(B)  Partial experience credit may be given for experience earned prior to receipt of a baccalaureate degree, at the discretion of the Board, if the employment is at least half-time and the work is performed under the supervision of a professional engineer. At the time the experience was gained, the applicant must have passed upper level engineering or related engineering science courses and applied relevant engineering knowledge in the claimed experience. In no case shall the experience credit exceed one half of that required for approved qualifying experience.

(C) A graduate degree that is used to satisfy education requirements cannot be applied for experience credit toward earning a license. To be eligible for experience credit, graduate degrees shall be relevant to the applicant's area of professional practice. Experience credit for a graduate degree cannot be earned concurrently with work experience credit.

(D)  Applicants shall submit a minimum of five (5) acceptable references, three (3) of whom shall be Professional Engineers having personal knowledge of the applicant's engineering experience, none of whom may be current members of the Board or immediate family members. References must verify the periods of qualifying experience since the beginning of the history, leaving no gaps in dates. The Board shall not give credit for engineering experience that has not been verified by one or more references.

(E) An applicant with a Board-approved doctoral degree in engineering shall be required to obtain two (2) years of experience credit after the doctoral degree is conferred, whether or not an M.S. degree was also conferred, to qualify for a license.

(F) An applicant with an education path described in OAC 245:15-3-7(1)(A)(i) or (1)(A)(ii), who further obtains a master's degree in engineering from an institution that offers EAC/ABET-accredited programs or CEAB-accredited programs, shall be required to obtain three (3) years of experience following the master's degree to qualify for a license. Under the same conditions, if a Board-approved doctoral degree is conferred, the applicant shall be required to obtain two (2) years of experience following the Ph.D. in engineering.

(G) An applicant with a bachelor's degree in engineering from a program that is a signatory of the Washington Accord shall obtain experience per Board policy and may be required to obtain a degree evaluation from a Board-approved evaluation service to qualify for a license.

(H) Non-U.S., non-EAC/ABET-accredited degrees, non-CEAB-accredited degrees which are not approved by the Board may be considered only following a degree evaluation obtained through a degree evaluation service approved by the Board. If the degree evaluation states that the degree is equivalent to the NCEES Education Standard, then four (4) years of experience will be required following the conferred degree. If the degree does not meet the NCEES Education Standard and deficiencies outlined in the degree evaluation are corrected by further education as approved by the Board, then four (4) years of experience will be required following the conferred degree to qualify for a license. If the applicant described in this paragraph obtains a master's degree in engineering from an institution that offers EAC/ABET-accredited programs or CEAB-accredited programs, they may be required to obtain three (3) years of experience credit following the master's degree to qualify for a license. Under the same conditions, if a Board-approved doctoral degree is conferred, the applicant shall be required to obtain two (2) years of experience following the Ph.D. in engineering to qualify for a license.

(I) Non-U.S., non-EAC/ABET-accredited degrees or non-CEAB-accredited degrees which are not approved by the Board which upon evaluation are not deemed equivalent to the NCEES Education Standard shall be considered at a maximum equivalent to a related science degree.

(J) Non-accredited technology degrees or non-related science degrees for licensure as a Professional Engineer may not be considered qualifying degrees for a license, and may require additional qualifying education to meet the education requirements.

(3) Professional Engineer - examination requirements (original license): When the education requirements of the Statutes and of this Chapter are met, the applicant shall apply to NCEES to take and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination and the Principals and Practice of Engineering Examination. Once these examinations are successfully completed and requisite qualifying experience is complete, the applicant shall apply to the Board for approval and may be, required to pass an examination covering the laws, rules, procedures and practices pertaining to engineering in the state of Oklahoma, prior to being licensed as a Professional Engineer.

(A) Applicants whose qualifying degree is a bachelor’s or master’s degree may apply for a waiver of the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering Examination (the FE exam) by showing proof of a minimum of fifteen (15) years of acceptable progressive engineering experience following the date of the conferred degree qualifying the applicant for licensing. The required experience shall be verified by reference and shall not be self-verified.

Experience earned prior to the conferred qualifying degree shall not be considered in the years of required experience. All elements of the application shall be evaluated by the Board when considering application for a waiver of the FE exam, including but not limited to, reference responses, disciplinary actions, and criminal history, or

(B) ​ Applicants who are primarily employed as an engineering educator instructing upper division engineering courses, who hold a doctoral degree in engineering or another related field of science or mathematics, assessed and ap p roved by the Board, from a college or university that offers an undergraduate or master’s degree program in a related branch of engineering that is accredited by the EAC/ABET or ETAC/ABET, may apply to waive the FE exam by meeting all other requirements stated in the Act and Board rules.

To be eligible for consideration for an original license as a Professional Surveyor or certification as a Surveyor Intern, an applicant must meet all qualifications as contained within the Statutes and the Rules of the Board. Applications for Surveyor Intern certification or a Professional Surveyor license shall be individually reviewed by the Board or its designee. Evidence of minimum qualifications is required by the Board in accordance with Title 59, 475.12b and the following requirements:

• (1) Professional Surveyor - experience (original license):
  • (A) Experience record may be claimed to the date of the application. Part-time experience shall be pro-rated after a review by the Board or its designee. Experience record is to be continuous from the beginning to the date of the application. Experience time shall not exceed elapsed calendar time. Only experience obtained directly within the surveying area will be considered as qualifying experience. Experience shall be gained under the supervision of a licensed professional surveyor; or if not, an explanation shall be made showing why the experience should be considered acceptable. Qualifying experience may not be claimed prior to the date of the conferment of the applicant’s high school diploma or the eighteenth (18th) birthday of the applicant, whichever comes first.  Experience gained under the technical supervision of an unlicensed individual may be considered if the appropriate credentials of the unlicensed supervisor are submitted and approved by the Board or its designee. In evaluating experience which indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent to practice surveying, the following will be considered:
    • (i) Experience must be progressive on surveying projects and must demonstrate an increasing quality and greater responsibility.
    • (ii) Experience must be obtained in compliance with the Statutes and Rules of the Board.
    • (iii) Experience gained in the armed services must be of a character equivalent to that which would have been gained in the civilian sector doing similar work.
    • (iv) Teaching experience must be in surveying or surveying-related courses at an advanced level in a surveying program that is approved by the Board.
    • (v)  Experience related to property conveyance and/or boundary line determination must be demonstrated.
    • (vi) Experience in the technical field aspects of the profession must be demonstrated.
    • (vii) Experience must include demonstration of the application of surveying principles in the practical execution of surveying tasks.
    • (viii) Experience may be gained in surveying research projects by members of a surveying faculty where the program is approved by the Board.
    • (ix)   The Board may deem professional experience acquired by applicants outside the United States to be equivalent to the minimum Board requirements established by statutes or rules for professional experience.
  • (B) Professional Surveyor applicants shall submit a minimum of five (5) acceptable references, at least three (3) of whom shall be Professional Surveyors having personal knowledge of the applicant's surveying experience and none of whom may be current members of the Board. References must verify the periods of qualifying experience from the beginning of the history, leaving no gaps in dates. The Board shall not give credit for surveying experience that has not been verified by one or more acceptable references.
  • (C)  Pursuant to O.S. Title 59, 475.12b(A)(4), all qualifying courses must be successfully completed at an accredited institution of higher education and, other than the Board-approved core curriculum, must be equivalent to general education requirements typically contained in an approved two (2) or four (4) year surveying degree program. Regarding the corresponding experience requirements for this section of the Act as listed in (i) - (iv) below, if an applicant has a total of six (6) or more years of progressive, qualifying experience, the two (2) years of experience required following the date of the conferment of the degree may be substituted for experience earned prior to the degree.

(i)  An individual graduating from a surveying program of four (4) years or more approved by the Board requires four (4) years of total experience including two (2) years which shall follow the date of the conferment of the degree; or

​(ii)  An individual graduating from a surveying program of two (2) years or more approved by the Board requires five (5) years of total experience including two (2) years which shall follow the date of the conferment of the degree; or

(iii) An individual graduating from a program of two (2) years or more approved by the Board which shall include the core curriculum requires five (5) years of total experience including two (2) years of which shall follow the date of the conferment of the degree.

(iv) An individual graduating from a program of four (4) years or more approved by the Board which shall include the core curriculum requires five (5) years of total experience including two (2) years of which shall follow the date of the conferment of the degree.

• (2) Professional Surveyor – examination requirements (original license):
  • (A) When the education requirements of the Statutes and of this Chapter are met, the applicant shall apply to NCEES and take and pass the Fundamentals of Surveying examination and the Principals and Practice of Surveying examination.
  • (B) Once these examinations are successfully completed and requisite qualifying experience is complete, the applicant shall apply to the Board for approval and may be required to pass other Oklahoma state specific examination(s) or approved NCEES modules as required, prior to being licensed as a Professional Surveyor.
  • (C)  Professional Surveyor – board-approved education (original license): Beginning July 1, 2032, all “board-approved” surveying education programs shall mean ETAC/ABET or ANSAC/ABET accredited programs, or their equivalent, to meet the board-approved definition.

• (a)  An applicant shall submit an application through the online portal, which may or may not include an NCEES Record. A minimum of five (5) references must be provided, three (3) of whom shall be Professional Engineers or Professional Surveyors, respectively, having personal knowledge of the applicant's required qualifying engineering experience as defined in O.S. Title 59, 475.12a (C) (3) or surveying experience, as defined in O.S. Title 59, 475.12b(C).
• (b)  References may not be current members of the Board or immediate relatives.
• (c)  An applicant with less than the standards outlined in O.S. Title 59, 475.12a for engineering and 475.12b for surveying may be required to obtain additional education, experience and examination requirements as the Board may determine to establish the applicant's qualifications. However, applicants who have been continually lawfully licensed to practice professional engineering or professional   surveying in a state or jurisdiction for at least twenty (20) years shall be approved for a comity license upon verification that the applicant obtains a qualifying background check, provides references verifying the competent and lawful practice of professional engineering or professional   surveying, and passes all examination(s) required by the Board's statutes and rules to determine competence at the professional level in laws and rules specific to Oklahoma and professional ethics.
• (d)  The Board may accept an application from an applicant for a professional engineer license based on a current professional license through a Mutual Recognition Agreement provided the applicant is registered through the International Registry for Professional Engineer as developed and published by the International Engineering Alliance, and may be licensed by:

 ​           (1)  Applying through the Board’s online application system,
            (2) Submitting the required fee,
            (3) Submitting an NCEES Record, and
            (4) Passing the Oklahoma Law and Engineering examination in accordance with                       Board rules.

• (e) Upon satisfactorily complying with minimum requirements of this section and requirements as described in the Statutes and Rules of the Board, the applicant shall be licensed in the State of Oklahoma.

• (a) The Executive Director or the Board's designee shall be authorized to issue a Temporary License to a Professional Engineer, subject to the approval of the Board, under Title 59, 475.22(2) and the following conditions:
  • (1) An applicant who is granted a Temporary License, but fails to submit their complete permanent professional engineer application within the 30 day timeframe, may be in violation of the Statutes and Rules of this Board. An application shall be considered complete when all required properly completed forms and fees have been received in the Board's office.
  • (2) Information relative to a license in the other state or jurisdiction shall be verified before issuance of a Temporary License.
  • (3) The Temporary License fee as prescribed by law shall be remitted with the application and is nonrefundable, unless otherwise waived by Statute or Rules of the Board.
  • (4) A Temporary License shall be issued for a definite period not to exceed 120 days, for a specifically described single work project as set out in the application form and may not be renewed or extended.
  • (5) A Temporary License shall expire the earliest of the issuance of the professional engineer license by this Board or the rejection of the application for a license, but not later than 60 days after issuance.
  • (6) The holder of a Temporary License shall seal plans, specifications, or other documents only in accordance with the Statutes and Rules of this Board. The seal used shall be the holder's license seal of the state on which issuance of the Temporary License as based and immediately under the seal the following shall be inserted:
    • (A) Oklahoma Temporary License number ___________
    • (B) Date of issue _______________________________
    • (C) Date of expiration ___________________________
    • (D) Signature of holder __________________________
  • (7) No person may be issued more than one (1) temporary license in his or her lifetime.
  • (8) A Temporary License application shall include a statement describing the circumstances which require the issuance of a Temporary License for the project. The applicant shall submit either a contract, work order, or correspondence containing the date the proposal was submitted, the scope of the project, the status of the project and the expected date of completion of the project.
• (b) The Executive Director or Board's designee shall be authorized to issue a Temporary License to active duty military personnel who are licensed as a Professional Engineer and/or Professional Surveyor in another state or jurisdiction, upon receiving their notice or orders for military transfer or honorable discharge to Oklahoma, subject to the approval of the Board, pursuant to the provisions of Title 59, Section 4100. Qualifying applicants shall be awarded the opportunity to take any required state specific examination(s) in an expedited manner with fee waivers as described in Board Rules 245:2-1-18(e). All other Temporary License provisions above shall apply to this section as well.
• (c) The Executive Director or Board's designee shall be authorized to issue a Temporary License to the spouse of an active-duty military personnel, pursuant to the provisions of Title 59, Section 4100, upon the applicant showing reasonable evidence that:
  • (1) He or she is the spouse of a member of the Armed Services on active duty within the State of Oklahoma; or
  • (2) He or she is the spouse of a member of the Armed Services who was a permanent resident in the State of Oklahoma for at least six (6) months prior to assignment to active duty; or
  • (3) He or she is the spouse of a member of the Armed Services who is subject to a military transfer to Oklahoma; and
  • (4) He or she is licensed as a Professional Engineer or Professional Surveyor in another state or jurisdiction; and
  • (5) He or she left employment as a Professional Engineer or Professional Surveyor in another state to accompany his or her spouse to the State of Oklahoma.
• (d) Qualifying applicants shall be awarded the opportunity to take any required state specific examination(s) in an expedited manner with fee waivers as described in Board Rules 245:2-1-18
• (e). All other Temporary License provisions above shall apply to this section as well.