Each state has its own requirements for the licensing of engineers. Generally, engineers who receive this professional licensure meet four criteria:

• They have earned a degree from an American Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited school.
• They have passed a Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.
• They have worked for a number of years (usually a minimum of four) under the supervision of a Professional Engineer.
• They have passed the Professional Engineering exam in their specialty.

Professional Engineers who earn the Structural Engineers certification have passed a 16-hour exam designed to test knowledge of vertical and lateral forces and the ability to safely design buildings or bridges. Less than 50 percent of engineers who take the exam pass it successfully.

CSE’s Nic Cuoco holds licensure in 14 states. He is a PE in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington as well as an SE in Illinois.