Online renewals are now open for architects and professional engineers whose last names begin with the letters L through Z. Renewal forms must be received and processed online no later than 11:59 CT on December 31 to avoid a late payment fee. To renew online, visit https://www.nebraska.gov/EA/ea_renew.php.
A penalty of $8 per month ($80 maximum) is assessed for the renewal of licenses after December 31, 2024. Please note you cannot practice with an expired license, as provided in Neb. Rev. Stat. §§81-3442.
If the online renewal system will not accept your password or you wish to renew by check, please contact the Board office at (402) 471-2021 or nbea.office@nebraska.gov for assistance.
You must have satisfied the continuing education requirements before you may renew your license.
If your license expired December 31, 2023 and you wish to renew, you can no longer renew online. Please contact the Board office for a paper renewal application.
Continuing Education Reminders
With renewal season upon us, please review the information below for licensees concerning continuing education (CE).
Requirements – Rule 9.2
Architects must complete 24 hours of architectural-related learning every biennial period, while professional engineers must complete 30 hours of engineering-related learning.
Acceptable topics must be either:
-
technical in nature, or
-
a topic that is part of a profession’s body of knowledge as developed by the applicable national professional engineering society or categorized as a Health Safety and Welfare (HSW) topic by NCARB.
Restrictions – Rule 9.3
The Board does not require that portions of continuing education be completed in person. This is a misinterpretation of Rule 9.3.2.1.
-
Web-based course offerings provided by the following types of providers may constitute the entire biennial requirement:
International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) approved providers, -
Institutions of higher education that have an accredited program in architecture or engineering,
-
Professional engineering or architectural societies,
-
Technical societies and associations recognized at a national level,
-
Governmental agencies, or
-
NCARB and NCEES
may constitute all of the biennial education requirement.
Web-based course offerings provided by providers other than those specified above may constitute no more than one-fourth of the biennial education requirement, which is six hours for architects or seven and one-half hours for professional engineers.
Web-based offerings, including webinars, video conferences, and online meetings led by an instructor that enable both the instructor and attendees to give, receive, and discuss information in real-time are not restricted under Rule 9.3.2.
This flowchart summarizes the process one typically follows to interpret these rules:
Ethics – Rule 9.3.3
At least one hour of the biennial continuing education requirements must be directly related to ethical issues of a licensee’s professional practice.
Self-Guided Activities – Rule 9.3.5
Self-guided activities planned and performed under the licensee’s own direction and guidance may constitute no more than one-fourth of the biennial education requirement (six hours for architects or 7-½ hours for professional engineers).
Self-guided hours are those obtained during a self-directed educational activity. This activity may not have a sponsor or host; you did not receive a certificate for this educational time and earned it under your own direction and guidance.
To document self-guided activities, you must complete a Nebraska Continuing Education Self-Guided Reporting Form and submit this if selected for audit.
No Pre-Approval – Rule 9.4.1
The Board DOES NOT pre-approve CE courses or providers. A CE provider who says they are approved in Nebraska or “all 50 states” is a red flag.
The Board has final authority concerning courses, credit, unit value for courses, and other methods of earning CE credit. Board staff cannot give direction to licensees as to whether a particular course or activity qualifies for credit.
Carryover – Rule 9.4.3
Licensees may carry up to one-half of the required continuing education credits from the previous biennial period. Excess credits can be carried over only into the biennial period immediately following the period in which the credit was earned.
For example, a professional engineer whose license expires on December 31, 2024 gained 25 hours in the 2023-24 renewal period. The required number of hours for professional engineers is 30 hours. This professional engineer can and intends to use 5 excess hours gained in the 2021-22 renewal period. However, to use these 5 hours in the subsequent renewal period, the professional engineer must demonstrate that they gained at least 35 acceptable hours in the 2021-22 period. Therefore, if selected for audit, this professional engineer would need to submit documentation (logs, completion certificates, etc.) for both the 2023-24 and the 2021-22 renewal periods.
Recordkeeping – Rule 9.5
Every licensee is responsible for maintaining records necessary to support credits claimed for continuing education. Records required include, but are not limited to:
-
A log showing the type of activity claimed, sponsoring organization, location, duration, instructor's or speaker's name, and unit credits earned, with supporting information to include verification records in the form of completion certificates or other documents supporting evidence of attendance; or
-
Records relating to continuing education that are maintained by NCEES, NCARB, or other organizations that satisfy Rule 9.5.1 requirements.
Exemptions and Waivers – Rule 9.6
There are some exemptions from CE requirements due to unique situations, such as serving on military duty or experiencing physical disability or illness. Refer to Rule 9.6 to read about those exemptions.
Audits – Rule 9.7
The Board randomly selects architects and professional engineers for CE audits.
If selected for an audit, you will be notified by email in early 2025. Please ensure your email address is up to date.
The following information must be submitted for review:
-
A completed CE log of your continuing education activities for the 2023-24 renewal period, and
-
Either a) attendance verification records in the form of completion certificates or other documents supporting evidence of attendance, or b) records maintained by NCEES, NCARB, or other organizations that satisfy Rule 9.5.1 requirements.
Helpful Tips When Submitting CE Documentation
-
Arrange both the CE log and attendance verification records in order by completion date and combine them into one document, preferably a PDF. If the Board receives materials not in compliance with this requirement, the information will not be accepted, and the licensee will be required to resubmit their information in conformance with the requirements.
-
If claiming carryover hours from a previous renewal period, all documents for that previous renewal period must also be submitted in addition to the 2023-24 renewal period documents.
To learn more about CE guidelines and restrictions, please refer to Chapter 9 of the Board’s Rules.
November 20th Lunch and Learn Webinar
The Board will host the next installment in its Lunch and Learn Webinar series on Wednesday, November 20th, at noon Central Time. This FREE live and interactive webinar will review license renewals, continuing education requirements, and continuing education audits.
If you have specific questions about these topics, we ask that you submit them before the webinar so we can address them during the presentation. Please send questions to nbea.marketing@nebraska.gov.
To register, please click here.
NBEA Lunch and Learn Webinar Series
Thank you to everyone who attended the recent webinars on professional practice and ethics. The webinar is now available on the Board’s YouTube channel. Please click here to view the presentation.
Note that to gain CE credit, you must have attended one of the two live sessions. Credit will not be given for watching the recorded presentation.
Please follow us on all the Board’s social media platforms for upcoming NBEA Lunch and Learn Webinar Series presentations, and never miss any important updates or information!
If you have any suggested topics for future webinars, please email nbea.marketing@nebraska.gov.
FAQ's from the Professional Practice and Ethics Webinars
Q: Can a professional engineer practice in a discipline other than the discipline they are licensed in if they have training and experience in that field?
A: Yes, professional engineers may practice in any discipline they are competent in through training, education, and experience.
Q: Are all disciplinary actions reported to NCEES and NCARB?
A: Yes.
Q: When does remediation occur?
A: Per Rule 8.4, if a complaint alleges the unlicensed practice of engineering or architecture, the Board may, at its discretion, allow a project not in compliance with the E&A Act or the E&A Rules to be remediated by engaging a licensed architect or professional engineer to bring the project into compliance with the E&A Act or the E&A Rules.
Q: How does a licensee track their continuing education hours?
A: Per Rule 9.5, licensees are responsible for maintaining records necessary to support credits claimed for continuing education.
Q: Are there any web-based offerings that are not restricted under Rule 9.3.2?
A: Per Rule 9.3.1, web-based offerings provided by the following may constitute all of the biennial education requirement:
• International Association for Continuing Educational Training (IACET) approved providers
• Institutions of higher education that have an accredited program in architecture or engineering
• Professional engineering or architectural societies
• Technical societies and associations recognized at a national level
• Governmental agencies
• NCARB and NCEES
Q: What about AIA-approved courses or learning programs?
A: AIA approval of a course is not a factor in determining whether the Board will accept it for CE credit as it relates to license renewal.
Q: Can an individual who has a bachelor’s degree in engineering call themselves an engineer without being licensed in Nebraska?
A: Per Neb. Rev. Stat. §§81-3441, an individual cannot use any words, letters, figures, titles, sign, card, advertisement, or other symbol or device indicating or tending to indicate that they are an architect or professional engineer unless they are licensed under the Act.
Yes, they could call themselves an engineer. The protected term in Nebraska is “professional engineer.” If an engineer recently graduated with a mechanical engineering degree, they can call themselves an engineer and not be in violation of the Act. They cannot call themselves a professional engineer.
Architect Registration Exam Appointment Tips
Preparing for an Architect Registration Examination (ARE) appointment? Here are a few reminders and updates to help your exam day go as smoothly as possible—starting with clarifying policies around breaks and technical issues in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines.
Taking a Break During The Exam
You have the option to take a break at any point during your ARE appointment, whether you’re testing online or in person. To take a break, navigate to the Exam Summary page, click Break, and click Yes to confirm that you want to take a break. Then, be sure to notify the proctor that you are taking a break and show them your On Break screen.
The latest update to the ARE 5.0 Guidelines clarifies that candidates must show their proctor the On Break screen before taking a break. This is especially important for candidates taking an online-proctored exam. Failing to show your proctor the On Break screen may result in your exam appointment being terminated.
Don’t forget—after returning from a break, any exam items you viewed prior to your break will be locked, including those left unanswered or marked for later review.
Experiencing Technical Issues
If you experience a technical issue during your appointment, alert NCARB in writing immediately through their Contact Us form. While you should always file an incident report with the PSI proctor, remember that you must also contact NCARB within 15 days of your exam appointment.
NCARB’s Customer Relations team will review your incident following the procedures laid out in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines. The update to the ARE 5.0 Guidelines also clarifies candidates who are unable to complete an exam due to a technical issue beyond their control will be issued a replacement seat credit.
Following Security Requirements
Before your exam appointment, make sure you review the exam’s security policies, including the ARE Candidate Agreement. As a high-stakes licensing exam, the ARE plays an essential role in ensuring the public’s health, safety, and welfare. To protect the integrity of the exam, the details of the content you see during an exam appointment must remain confidential.
Curious what you can and can’t say about your exam? Review the security policies in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines for a refresher.
The Nebraska Professional Archive
Please click here for past issues.
If you have questions about topics in this blog post, previous issues, or other topics that would be helpful to publish in our next release, please contact us.