§ 5-8-11. General requirements for registration or certification.
(a) Professional engineer. The following shall be considered minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that
the applicant is qualified for registration as a professional engineer:
(1) Eligibility. To be eligible for registration as a professional engineer, an applicant shall meet
the following requirements:
(i) Be of good character and reputation;
(ii) Submit five (5) references with his or her application for registration, three (3)
of which references shall be from registered professional engineers having personal
knowledge of the applicant's engineering experience;
(iii) Satisfy the education criteria set forth in this section;
(iv) Satisfy the experience criteria set forth in this section; and
(v) Pass the applicable examinations as required in this section.
(2) Registration bycomity.
(i) A person holding a current certificate of registration to engage in the practice of
engineering, on the basis of comparable written NCEES examinations, issued to him
or her by either a proper authority of a state, territory, or possession of the United
States, the District of Columbia, or of any foreign country, and whose qualifications
meet the requirements of this chapter, based on verified evidence may, upon application,
be registered without further examination.
(ii) A person holding a NCEES Record, whose qualifications as evidenced by the NCEES Record
meet the requirements of this chapter, may, upon application, be registered without
further examination, provided he or she is qualified.
(3) Graduation from an accredited program, experience, and examination.
(i) A graduate of an ABET-EAC accredited engineering curriculum of four (4) years or more
approved by the board as being of satisfactory standing, who has passed a NCEES examination
in the fundamentals of engineering and obtained a specific record of a minimum of
four (4) years of experience in engineering work of a grade and character that indicates
to the board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering, may be admitted,
upon application, to a NCEES examination in the principles and practice of engineering.
(ii) A graduate of an ABET-ETAC accredited engineering technology curriculum of four (4)
years or more approved by the board as being of satisfactory standing, who has passed
a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of engineering and obtained a specific record
of a minimum of eight (8) years of experience in engineering work of a grade and character
that indicates to the board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering,
may be admitted, upon application, to a NCEES examination in the principles and practice
of engineering.
(4) Waiver of requirement for NCEES examination in fundamentals of engineering.
(i) A graduate of an ABET-EAC accredited engineering curriculum having a specific record
of twelve (12) years or more of experience in engineering work of a grade and character
that indicates to the board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering,
shall be admitted to a NCEES examination in the principles and practice of engineering.
Upon passing that examination, the applicant shall be granted a certificate of registration
to practice engineering in this state, provided he or she is qualified.
(ii) A graduate of an engineering technology curriculum, whether accredited by ABET-ETAC
or unaccredited, applying for initial or comity registration as a professional engineer
in Rhode Island shall not be eligible for waiver of this requirement.
(5) Graduation from a nonaccredited program, experience, and examination.
(i) A graduate of an engineering curriculum of four (4) years or more that is not accredited
by ABET-EAC, who has passed a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of engineering
and obtained a specific record of a minimum of six (6) years of experience in engineering
work of a grade and character that indicates to the board that the applicant may be
competent to practice engineering, may be admitted, upon application, to a NCEES examination
in the principles and practice of engineering. Upon passing these examinations, the
applicant shall be granted a certificate of registration to practice engineering in
this state, provided he or she is qualified.
(ii) A graduate of an engineering technology curriculum of four (4) years or more
that is not accredited by ABET-ETAC is not eligible for registration as a professional
engineer in this state unless they obtain an advanced engineering degree from an ABET-EAC
accredited program.
(6) Teaching. Engineering teaching in a college or university offering an ABET-EAC accredited engineering
curriculum of four (4) years or more may be considered as engineering experience.
(7) Engineers previously registered. Each engineer holding a certificate of registration under the laws of this state
as previously in effect shall be deemed registered as an engineer as appropriate under
this chapter in accordance with the laws in effect at the time of their initial registration.
(b) Engineer-in-training. The following shall be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that
the applicant is qualified for certification as an engineer-in-training:
(1) Eligibility. To be eligible for registration as an engineer-in-training, an applicant shall meet
the following requirements:
(i) Be of good character and reputation;
(ii) Submit three (3) character references, one (1) of which must be from a registered
professional engineer;
(iii) Satisfy the education requirements set forth in this section; and
(iv) Satisfy the examination requirements set forth in this section.
(2) Graduation and examination. A graduate of an ABET-EAC or an ABET-ETAC accredited program of four (4) years or
more who has passed a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of engineering shall be
certified or enrolled as an engineer-in-training, if he or she is qualified.
(3) Graduation from a nonaccredited program and examination. A graduate of a nonaccredited engineering curriculum of four (4) years or more who
has passed a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of engineering and has obtained
two (2) years of engineering experience of a grade and character approved by the board
shall be certified and enrolled as an engineer-in-training, if he or she is qualified.
Graduates of a nonaccredited engineering technology curriculum are not eligible for
certification as an engineer-in-training.
(4) Duration of engineer-in-training certification. The certification or enrollment of an engineer-in-training shall not expire and does
not need to be renewed.