Texas PE Continuing Education Requirements
Texas professional engineer licensing is administered by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS). Texas is currently transitioning from annual renewals to a two-year renewal cycle, so the applicable continuing-education requirement depends on the particular license holder’s assigned renewal period. The current Board rules provide for two-year renewal, while TBPELS transition guidance explains how shorter transition periods are handled.
Renewal frequency. Under current Rule §137.7, PE licenses renew every two years. During the transition, however, some licenses have shorter renewal periods. TBPELS is moving expiration dates to January 31 or July 31, and licensees should use the expiration date assigned by the Board in their individual record.
Annual PDH Requirements & Ethics Mandate
For a full two-year renewal period, a Texas PE must obtain 30 PDH during the renewal period. At least 2 PDH must address professional ethics, the roles and responsibilities of professional engineering, or review of the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Board Rules. Texas PELS
There is an important transition rule. If a PE’s next renewal period is less than two years, TBPELS continues to apply the previous one-year requirement of 15 PDH, including at least 1 PDH of ethics. For example, TBPELS states that PEs renewing in 2026 remain under the 15-PDH requirement. Once a license reaches a full two-year renewal period, the 30-PDH/2-ethics-hour requirement applies.
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Engineering Ethics Fundamentals
1 PDH
Mandatory Ethics Requirement
Leveraging AI in Engineering Practice
5 PDH
Technical Area of Practice
15-Hour AI & Ethics Bundle
15 PDH
Complete Annual Target + Ethics
Qualifying CPC Activities
Rule §137.17 recognizes multiple methods of earning PDH, provided the activity is relevant to engineering and has educational, technical, ethical, or managerial content. Qualifying activities include:
College courses and qualifying continuing-education courses.
Correspondence, online, televised, videotaped, and other short courses or tutorials.
Seminars, workshops, in-house courses, conferences, and technical presentations.
Teaching or presenting qualifying educational activities.
Authoring published papers, articles, books, or accepted licensing-examination items.
Qualifying leadership or committee participation in professional or technical organizations.
U.S. patents.
Self-directed study.
Formal organized educational outreach involving K–12 or higher-education students.
Passing the NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering examination as specified by the rule.
Online courses, webinars, and self-study. Texas expressly permits online and other distance-learning courses. TBPELS also confirms that online classes and videos may qualify when appropriate supporting documentation is available. Under the current two-year rule, self-directed study earns one PDH per hour but is limited to 10 PDH per renewal period. Texas PELS
Course and provider approval. TBPELS does not pre-approve or endorse CEP activities. The individual license holder is responsible for determining whether claimed activities meet the requirements, and the Board retains final authority to determine whether an activity qualifies. This means a continuing-education provider does not need Texas Board preapproval simply for its otherwise qualifying course to be considered for PDH credit.
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US-PE-ET-103 - Audio Podcast Ethics for Professional Engineers
Stream the podcast-style audio modules on your phone or computer at your own pace from the course web site or your favorite podcast platform. Then take the mobile-friendly quiz and receive your certificate of completion.
Designed specifically for busy engineers, this course delivers your required ethics training in a flexible, audio-first podcast format.
Texas Laws, Ethics, Technical course options
Carry-Forward & Recondkeeping Rules
Under the current two-year Rule §137.17, no PDH may be carried forward into the subsequent renewal period. This differs from the former annual system, under which TBPELS allowed carryover of up to 14 non-ethics hours. Licensees still completing a shorter transition renewal should therefore follow the specific transition requirements applicable to that renewal. Texas PELS
Documentation and record retention. The license holder is responsible for maintaining records supporting claimed PDH. Records should identify the activity, sponsoring organization, location, duration, instructor or speaker, and PDH earned, along with evidence such as completion certificates, agendas, conference flyers, or other attendance documentation. Records must be retained for 4 years.
Renewal & Exemptions
Renewal certification and audits. The license holder must certify that the CEP requirements have been satisfied for the renewal period. CEP records are subject to Board audit, and copies must be provided when requested. If the Board determines that claimed activities do not qualify, it may require additional PDH. False reporting can constitute misconduct and result in disciplinary action.
Exemptions and special rules. License holders are exempt from the CEP requirement prior to their first renewal. The rule also provides exemptions or potential partial exemptions for certain military deployments exceeding 120 consecutive days, disability, illness, or other clearly extenuating circumstances. PEs in inactive status who certify that they are not providing professional engineering services in Texas are exempt from the PDH requirement while inactive. Supporting documentation for an exemption must be supplied if requested during an audit.
Meet Your General Technical PE Hour Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
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Texas is transitioning to two-year PE renewals. For a full two-year renewal period, Rule §137.17 requires 30 PDH, including at least 2 PDH in professional ethics, professional roles and responsibilities, or review of the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Board Rules. During the transition, a renewal period of less than two years continues to use the one-year requirement of 15 PDH including at least 1 ethics hour.
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Yes. Rule §137.17 expressly recognizes correspondence, online, televised, videotaped, and other short courses/tutorials. Self-directed study is also allowed; under the two-year rule it is limited to 10 PDH per renewal period. Licensees must retain supporting records.
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No. TBPELS states that it does not pre-approve or endorse Continuing Education Program activities. The license holder is responsible for ensuring that claimed PDH satisfies the Board's requirements, and the Board is the final authority on whether an activity qualifies.
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Not under the current two-year rule. Rule §137.17(e) states that PDH units may not be carried forward into the subsequent renewal period. Licensees whose transition renewal is still governed by the prior one-year requirement should follow the Board's transition instructions for that renewal.
Course Syllabus
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Combines six courses covering AI fundamentals, engineering ethics, prompting and documentation, cybersecurity and confidentiality, automation and licensure, and practical AI implementation. Learners examine engineering applications, hallucinations, verification, responsible charge, data protection, recordkeeping, tool selection, workflow design, professional accountability, and the use of platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot. Includes applied scenarios, exercises, companion videos, and a final assessment for each course.
Bundle includes the following courses:
US-PE-AI-101 Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Practice
US-PE-AI-102 Engineering Ethics in the Age of AI US-PE-AI-103 Prompting, Documentation, and Recordkeeping for AI-Assisted Engineering Work
US-PE-AI-104 Cybersecurity and Confidentiality Risks of AI Tools in Engineering US-PE-AI-105 AI, Automation, and the Future of Engineering Licensure
US-PE-AI-106 Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in Professional Engineering Practice
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US-PE-ET-101 Engineering Ethics Fundamentals for Professional Engineers
Covers public protection, competence, responsible charge, truthful communication, and conflicts of interest. Includes four practical video scenarios: The Compressed Review, The Familiar Client, Unfamiliar Scope, The Completed Drawing Set, and The Report Before Closing. Followed by a final quiz.
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This course helps professional engineers understand how generative AI is changing engineering work and how they can adapt without surrendering professional judgment, technical accountability, or responsibility for public safety. Learners review practical workflows using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot for research, document analysis, technical communication, calculation support, project administration, quality control, and professional development.
The course is designed as a practical guide for evaluating, selecting, and applying AI tools in professional engineering workflows. It emphasizes appropriate use cases, productivity gains, effective prompting, verification of AI-assisted outputs, confidentiality protection, and continued professional accountability.
Will AI Replace Engineers? Understanding the Real Career Risk
Examine the realistic career implications of AI for professional engineers. It distinguishes between tasks, roles, and professions, emphasizing that AI is more likely to change routine production tasks than eliminate professional accountability. Learners assess where AI can accelerate work and where human judgment, field awareness, stakeholder communication, and responsible decision-making remain essential.
Choosing the Right AI Tool for the Engineering Task
Review tool selection as an engineering decision. Learners compare platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot based on task fit, source grounding, confidentiality controls, workflow integration, traceability, and cost. The module emphasizes matching the tool to the task, data classification, source requirements, and organizational controls rather than selecting a platform by brand preference.
Prompting and Workflow Design for Professional Engineers
Treat prompting as a form of lightweight technical specification writing. Learners review how to define objectives, context, constraints, sources, output format, uncertainty, and verification requirements. The module emphasizes source-bounded prompting, staged workflows, verification architecture, context management, revision control, and reusable prompt design for engineering tasks.
High-Value AI Applications Across Engineering Disciplines
Identify practical AI use cases across engineering disciplines, including research and requirements analysis, drafting and technical communication, calculation support, code review, technical automation, design-option development, trade studies, reports, specifications, quality control, and project administration. The module emphasizes that AI may improve speed and organization, but engineering conclusions still require discipline-specific competence, verification, and accountability.
Using AI Without Jeopardizing Your License, Employer, or Client
Focus on professional risk management when using AI. Topics include competence, responsible charge, confidentiality, privacy, security, intellectual property, source integrity, documentation, defensibility, organizational governance, incident response, correction, and adoption planning. The module reinforces that AI does not hold a license, owe a duty to the public, or accept disciplinary consequences; professional duties remain with the engineer.
Ten Key Points and Practical AI Use Checklist
The course closes with a practical review emphasizing that AI changes workflows but not professional accountability. Key points include choosing tools based on task and controls, using prompts as technical specifications, verifying AI-generated technical output, protecting confidential information, documenting material AI use, and retaining responsibility for competence, public protection, responsible charge, truthful communication, and final approval.
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Designed specifically for busy engineers, this course delivers your required ethics training in a flexible, audio-first podcast format. Ideal for listening during your daily commute, a walk, or while traveling, this course breaks down the core ethical obligations every Professional Engineer owes to the public, clients, employers, and the engineering profession. Through realistic, cross-disciplinary scenarios, you will examine real-world trade-offs between public safety, project constraints, and professional duty.
What You'll Learn
Core obligations under the PE Code of Ethics across multiple disciplines.
How to navigate competing duties to public safety, clients, and employers.
Practical strategies for identifying and managing ethical risk on active projects.
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US-PE-ET-101: Engineering Ethics Fundamentals (1 PDH)
US-PE-AI-106: Leveraging AI in Engineering Practice (5 PDH)
15-Hr-AI: 15-Hour Artificial Intelligence Bundle (15 PDH)
US-PE-AI-103: Prompting, Documentation, and Recordkeeping (2 PDH)
Training multiple engineers? Ask about group enrollment.