New Hampshire PE and architect license renewal: what firms need to track

Last checked Sep 28, 2026. Not yet confirmed with the New Hampshire boards. Confirm anything you act on with the board. Not legal advice.

If your firm has engineers or architects licensed in New Hampshire, you track three kinds of dates: each person’s license expiration, the end of each person’s CE period, and the firm’s own registration. Engineers answer to the New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification). Architects answer to the New Hampshire Board of Architects (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification). Worth knowing up front: an A/E firm keeps two firm registrations.

PE license renewal in New Hampshire

Licenses renew every 2 years and expire 2 years from the issue date; firm COAs expire on the last day of the month 2 years from issuance.

The board: New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification). Look up each engineer’s current expiration date on the board’s license lookup rather than trusting the date on an old spreadsheet.

PE continuing education (PDH)

• Hours: 30 PDH every two years. Biennial renewal period for each license, counted back from its expiration date (Eng 403.01(b)). Expiry is individual; the existing state-rules entry says licenses expire 2 years from the issue date (not confirmed here).
• Limits on some activities: committee and task-force service (at most 6) hours.
• Carryover: Up to 15 PDH over the requirement may be carried into the next renewal period (Eng 403.01(c)).
• New licensees: New licensees are exempt from PDH for their first biennial renewal period (Eng 403.02).
• Records: Keep attendance verification records for at least 4 years (Eng 403.07(c)).
• Reporting: On the renewal application the licensee states, under penalty of unsworn falsification, that the required hours are done and lists the basis for each credit (Eng 403.01(a); Eng 401.03(b)(2) yes/no question). OPLC randomly selects at least 3 percent of licensees each year for compliance review (Eng 403.07(d)); failure to document leads to discipline. OPLC offers CE Broker for tracking.

Architect license renewal and CE in New Hampshire

The architect rules on this page come from our rule tables and haven’t been checked against the architecture board’s rules yet. Check with the board before you rely on them.

Biennial, 2 years from date of issue (RSA 310:8). CE is 12 HSW units per year, attested at the biennial renewal. The board: New Hampshire Board of Architects (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification); each architect’s date is on the license lookup.

• Hours: 24 hours every two years, all in health, safety and welfare (HSW) topics. Biennial license term from issue date; 12 HSW units required in each year of the biennium.
• Limits on some activities: professional service (at most 2) hours.
• Carryover: Up to 12 excess units may carry into the next renewal period (Arch 403.01(d)).
• New licensees: No first-renewal exemption found in Arch 403. Military exemption for active duty over 120 consecutive days (Arch 403.05).
• Records: At least 4 years (Arch 403.04(c)).
• Units: An AIA learning unit (LU) is one hour.

Firm registration (COA) and qualifier rules

Engineering firms

A firm offering engineering in New Hampshire needs a firm credential from the board: Certificate of Authorization (COA). A business organization practicing engineering for others needs a Certificate of Authorization; work done only for the organization or its affiliates is exempt, and sole proprietors are exempt from the designation rule. One or more corporate officers, general partners or associates licensed as NH PEs must be designated responsible, and the rules require that person to work for the firm at least 37.5 hours per week; an occasional, part-time or consulting engineer cannot be designated. Changes in listed persons must be filed within 30 days.

Architecture firms

A firm offering architecture needs a firm credential: Certificate of Authorization (business organization). A business organization practicing architecture for others needs a Certificate of Authorization from OPLC (RSA 310-A:42-a). There is no ownership percentage rule. At least one corporate officer, general partner or associate must be a NH-licensed architect designated as responsible for the firm's architectural activities and decisions. Board rules require that person to work for the firm exclusively, at least 37.5 hours per week, unless the firm is solely owned by that architect (Arch 307.01). Occasional, part-time or consulting architects cannot be designated. Changes in officers, partners or responsible architects must be filed within 30 days. The Secretary of State will not register a name using 'Architect' without the certificate.

Ownership: No ownership percentage rule. A designated responsible officer/partner/associate must be a NH-licensed architect, and all personnel acting as architects for the firm must be licensed (RSA 310-A:42-a(I)).

Architect in charge: One or more officers, general partners or associates designated as responsible for architectural activities and decisions must be NH-licensed architects (RSA 310-A:42-a(I)(a)). The designee must be employed exclusively by the firm at least 37.5 hours/week, except for a firm solely owned by a licensed architect (Arch 307.01(b)). Occasional, part-time or consulting architects may not be designated (RSA 310-A:42-a(VI)).

Firm renewal: Certificate of Authorization renews with a renewal fee and updated officer/responsible-architect form (RSA 310-A:42-a(III)). Presumed biennial from issue date under RSA 310:8; not confirmed.

Firms that offer both

Engineering firms need a separate engineering Certificate of Authorization under RSA 310-A:20, and architecture firms need one under RSA 310-A:42-a. Both are issued by OPLC but under separate boards (Board of Professional Engineers and Board of Architects). An A/E firm therefore appears to need two certificates. Not confirmed whether OPLC issues a combined certificate.

Firm numbers: Digits.

Who can seal drawings in New Hampshire

New Hampshire issues a PE license without limiting it by discipline; engineers seal only work within their competence, which your firm judges. New Hampshire has no separate structural engineer license.

On architectural sheets, our data says an engineer may not seal architectural work. RSA 310-A:52 requires an architect's seal for all buildings covered by the NH building code (RSA 155-A), except: one- and two-family homes and farm buildings; alterations not touching the primary structural frame/bearing walls or raising hazard class; federal work; and new structures that are not concrete or steel frame, 2.5 stories or less, 4,000 sq ft or less, and not Group A, E, H, I or R-4. These exemptions apply to anyone. No separate incidental-practice right for PEs was found in RSA 310-A:27.

Before a set goes out, every sheet has to pass four checks: a New Hampshire license, the right discipline, a license still active on the issue date, and the firm’s registration. Compare New Hampshire with other states on who can seal drawings, by state.

Common mistakes

• Treating an engineer’s license as the firm’s. A licensed PE can’t make up for a missing Certificate of Authorization (COA). In New Hampshire the firm needs its own before it offers engineering, and the four sheet checks fail without it.
• Registering an A/E firm with only one board. New Hampshire regulates engineering and architecture firms separately, so a firm that offers both keeps two registrations and two renewal dates.
• Losing the firm’s qualifying engineer without noticing. If the person the firm’s registration depends on leaves, the registration can be at risk. Our data doesn’t record a replacement deadline for New Hampshire, so ask the board. See what to do the day someone gives notice.
• Assuming every engineer renews on the same date. New Hampshire doesn’t use one statewide date for everyone. Licenses renew every 2 years and expire 2 years from the issue date; firm COAs expire on the last day of the month 2 years from issuance. Read each person’s date from the board’s lookup.

Where to file

SealBench never files anything with a board for you. Renewals, CE reports and firm registrations go to the board directly:

• New Hampshire Board of Professional Engineers (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) (engineers and engineering firms)
• New Hampshire engineer license lookup
• New Hampshire Board of Architects (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) (architects and architecture firms)
• New Hampshire architect license lookup

How SealBench helps

SealBench keeps every PE and architect license and every firm registration on your roster in one list, soonest expiration first. Reminders at 90, 60 and 30 days before each date are coming soon. It counts each person’s CE hours and required topics against New Hampshire’s rules, and Set Check shows who can seal each sheet in a New Hampshire permit set, and why anyone can’t. One license is free to track; see pricing.