Requirements

Application for Licensure

Licensure and Enrollment Requirements

Provided below are the licensure and enrollment requirements for professional engineers and surveyors as covered by the Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors. Click here for access to available Forms and other documents.

Only applicants who are residents of Mississippi may apply for initial enrollment as an Engineer Intern (EI) or Surveyor Intern (SI) or for initial licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) or Professional Surveyor (PS), with two exceptions:

Mississippi residency is not required for students applying for initial EI enrollment if they are currently enrolled in an ABET-accredited engineering curriculum (undergraduate or graduate level) at Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi College and the University of Southern Mississippi.
Initial PE applicants applying in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Board and the Japan PE/FE Examiners Council (JPEC) are exempt from the rule requiring Mississippi residency.

Student

Engineer Intern (EI)

Engineer intern

The current requirements for initial Engineer Intern enrollment are:

an ABET accredited BS engineering degree (or an acceptable equivalent**) (or a BS degree in engineering, engineering technology, or a related science* that is not ABET accredited plus a graduate degree in a curriculum that is ABET accredited at the undergraduate level). Final transcript required.

successfully passing the FE exam

Submittal of an application for engineer intern enrollment via our online portal. Apply here

Mississippi residency is required for applicants who have graduated and meet the education requirement above. Mississippi residency is not required for students currently enrolled in an ABET-accredited engineering curriculum (undergraduate or graduate level) at Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi College and the University of Southern Mississippi. Students at the aforementioned universities may apply for the FE exam through their dean; all other applicants must apply through the board office. Students at other universities are not eligible to apply for this exam with the Mississippi Board.

Surveyor Intern (SI)

Surveyor intern

The current requirements for initial Surveyor Intern enrollment are:

Must be a Mississippi resident. Must submit an application for enrollment. Application can be found here.

Education based:

BS in geomatics, surveying or surveying technology approved by the board OR
BS degree in a related science** including completion of approved courses* OR
BS degree in a related science** OR
AS degree including completion of approved courses (See regulations for approved courses)
PLUS, successfully passing the Fundamental of Surveying (FS) exam

Experience based:

High school diploma, or its equivalent, and 8 years*** of qualifying surveying experience
PLUS, successfully passing the Fundamental of Surveying (FS) exam

Engineer

Comity

Mississippi’s statute (73-13-35) allows comity licensure provided that the applicant’s qualifications meet the current requirements of the statute and the Board’s regulations.

Mississippi’s current requirements for PE Comity licensure are:

an ABET accredited BS engineering degree (or an acceptable equivalent**) (or a graduate degree in an engineering curriculum that is ABET accredited at the undergraduate level COUPLED WITH either a non-ABET BS degree in engineering, a BS degree in engineering technology, or a BS degree in a related science)
the FE exam
4 years of qualifying engineering experience
The PPE (PE) exam
Current licensure in another state

If your only degree is an engineering technology degree, you are not eligible for PE licensure in Mississippi and you should not submit an application. This is a state law which can not be waived. The Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors does not issue refunds for application fees.

If you are submitting an NCEES record, complete all sections of the online application. An NCEES record is your resume booklet maintained by NCEES for an annual fee; it is not simply a "record" of your exam grades.

Both the FE and PPE exams are required regardless of extensive education, extensive experience, or licensure in other states. The Board may recognize exams passed before the applicant had accrued sufficient qualifying experience according to Mississippi experience requirements, if:

the applicant was a resident of the state in which he was examined and the examinations were passed in accordance with that state's regulations in effect at the time, and
the experience deficiency according to Mississippi experience requirements has been cured.

If you have any questions regarding the possibility of licensure, please submit them in writing to the Board office by email to : information@pepls.state.ms.us

Rule 4.04 of the Board regulations states, "The certificate of licensure for a Professional Engineer comity licensee will bear the date the application is approved by the Board in accordance with Board procedures." Mississippi does not have temporary permits and does not allow for "one project unlicensed practice" or " short-term unlicensed practice".

An application review committee meets usually at the end of each month to review all completed, reviewed, and approved comity applications; licensures are issued at that time. Under these circumstances an applicant is not allowed to offer his services or to begin a project until his licensure is effective. An applicant is not allowed to use an out-of-state seal with a note that his Mississippi application is “in process.”

Graduates of foreign or Non-ABET Universities: The Mississippi Board considers a degree recognized by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) to be equivalent to an EAC/ABET accredited degree.

Be advised that if your BS degree is not an ABET accredited BS degree in engineering and you do not have a graduate engineering degree from an ABET university, your BS degree MUST be evaluated by N. C. E. E. S. Credentials Evaluations (www.ncees.org). NCEES is the only transcript evaluation service acceptable under Board regulations. There is no waiver of this requirement.

Please do not submit an application until you have received the result of NCEES’s evaluation; if the evaluation finds that your degree does not meet the NCEES Engineering Education Standard, you will not be eligible to apply at this time. You may, however, have the opportunity to “cure any deficiencies” by taking additional coursework, as directed by the Board.

PE Comity applicants who have been licensed and practicing for less than ten years must submit experience verification forms from PE supervisors who had review and approval authority over the applicant’s work; these forms must verify at least four years of experience. If the experience verifications in your NCEES Record don’t verify at least four years, then additional verification forms will be required.

PE Comity applicants who have been licensed and practicing for ten years or more should submit experience verification forms from prior supervisors. If these cannot be obtained, the applicant should provide a written explanation or justification for why experience verification forms from prior supervisors cannot be obtained. In such circumstances, the Board will consider experience verification forms or character reference forms from Professional Engineers who are familiar with the applicant’s work.

Professional Engineer (PE)

engineer image

Mississippi’s current requirements for initial PE licensure are:

Be a Mississippi resident
an ABET accredited BS engineering degree (or an acceptable equivalent**) (or a graduate degree in an engineering curriculum that is ABET accredited at the undergraduate level COUPLED WITH either a non-ABET BS degree in engineering, a BS degree in engineering technology, or a BS degree in a related science)
the FE exam
4 years of qualifying engineering experience
The PPE (PE) exam

Co-op experience: applicants who complete an approved co-op program may (your choice) be given up to 6 months of experience "credit"; but be aware that other states may not recognize a PE exam taken before a full four years of experience was accrued after graduation.

If your only degree is an engineering technology degree, you are not eligible for PE licensure in Mississippi and you should not submit an application. This is a state law which can not be waived. The Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors does not issue refunds for application fees.

Both exams are required regardless of extensive education, extensive experience, or licensure in other states. The Board may recognize exams passed before the applicant had accrued sufficient qualifying experience according to Mississippi experience requirements, if: 1) the applicant was a resident of the state in which he was examined and the examinations were passed in accordance with that state's regulations in effect at the time, and 2) the experience deficiency according to Mississippi experience requirements has been cured.

If you have any questions regarding the possibility of licensure, please submit them in writing via E-mail to the Board office.

JPEC Applicants

The Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Japan PE/FE Examiners Council (JPEC). This MOU establishes a professional licensure program available to applicants who have passed the FE and PE examinations administered by NCEES/JPEC in Japan and satisfied the licensure requirements for licensure as a Mississippi Professional Engineer.

If the applicant to JPEC successfully passes the FE and PE exams, the individual would apply as a Mississippi candidate for licensure as a PE and upon meeting the Mississippi requirements for licensure, as determined after review by the licensure board, would be licensed as a Mississippi Professional Engineer under Mississippi Statutes 73-13-1 to 73-13-45. This requires that the applicant have a U.S. social security number or complete the Affidavit form certifying as to why the applicant has no U.S. social security number.

The JPEC applicants must comply with U.S. immigration laws regarding citizenship and/or work visas if working in the state of Mississippi.
The JPEC applicants who have not received a degree from an institution in an English-speaking country will be required, in support of their application, to submit proof of a score of 550 or higher on a TOEFL exam (test of English fluency) or a certificate of his or her proficiency by a P.E. or other professional person who is fluent in English.
The JPEC applicants must have successfully passed the NCEES FE and PE examinations.
The JPEC applicants’ education must be accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) or be evaluated by NCEES Credential Evaluation Service and found to meet the NCEES Engineering Education Standard.
Five references must be provided with the application – three of whom must be United States and/or Japan licensed Professional Engineers who can attest to the quality of the applicants’ experience and education.
The JPEC applicants’ outside-U.S. engineering experience will be evaluated by MSBLPES upon application to determine if the application be accepted by MSBLPES.

The applicant would pay the application fee.

Upon successfully meeting the requirements of Mississippi Statutes 73-13-1 to 73-13-45, as determined by the licensure board, the JPEC applicant will be issued a Mississippi PE license and be subject to all applicable laws and rules.

Mississippi statute 73-13-43 requires engineering services being offered or performed in Mississippi by a corporation, firm, or partnership to have an engineering Certificate of Authority.

If you meet the requirements above, and are ready to proceed, complete the Social Security Number Affidavit form. (The intent of this form is to explain why you do not have a U. S. Social Security Number.) Mail your completed Affidavit form to the Board.

The Board office will advise you by email when your Affidavit has been received. You should then allow another two (2) weeks for the Board's review.

If Board's review finds that the Affidavit indicates you have complied with U.S. immigration laws and/or work visas, the Board will advise you by email how to proceed with the next step in the application process. This next step will require a completed application, official transcript, proof of English proficiency, verification of the NCEES FE and PE exams, references and other documentation as may be required by the Board regarding outside-U.S. experience.

Surveyor

Professional Surveyor (PS)

The current requirements for Professional Surveyor (both initial and comity) licensure are:

Education based:

completion of approved courses (see Mississippi regulations for approved courses)
the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam
4, 5, 6 or 7 years of qualifying surveying experience
the Principles & Practice of Surveying (PPS) exam
the Mississippi Section examination (Mississippi state-specific exam)

Experienced based:

the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam
12 years of qualifying surveying experience
the Principles & Practice of Surveying (PPS) exam
the Mississippi Section examination (Mississippi state-specific exam)

For initial PS licensure (not comity), you must also be a Mississippi resident.

Firm

Mississippi Code 73-13-3 provides that as of January 1, 2005 a Certificate of Authorization (COA) shall be required by a corporation, firm or partnership offering engineering and/or surveying services in Mississippi. An individual licensee practicing in his own name as a sole proprietorship is not required to register under this section.

Be advised that ALL Mississippi licenses (for individuals and for firms) expire on December 31; so if you are issued a Certificate of Authority late in the calendar year, be advised that it will expire at year's end and will need to be renewed for the following year.

Provided below are the applicable links for COA applications for engineering and surveying respectively.

Engineering COA Instructions & Application

Surveying COA Instructions & Application