Washington PE and architect license renewal: what firms need to track

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

Engineers: the Washington PE license renewal and CE page has the next deadline, every CE rule with its source, and what changed recently.

If your firm has engineers or architects licensed in Washington, 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 Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. Architects answer to the Washington State Board for Architects (Department of Licensing). Worth knowing up front: Washington is one of the few places with no PDH hours for PE renewal, so the engineering side is mostly about dates; an A/E firm keeps two firm registrations; some structural work needs a structural engineer license.

PE license renewal in Washington

Individual licenses expire every two years on the licensee's birthday; firm certificates of authorization renew annually.

The board: Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. 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: No PDH hours are required to renew a PE license.
• New licensees: Not applicable: Washington has no PE CE requirement at any renewal.
• Records: Not applicable for PEs (no CE requirement).
• Reporting: No CE reporting or CE audit for PEs. The statute makes CE a renewal condition only for professional land surveyors (RCW 18.43.080(2)); the board page says PDH logs are kept by PLS and on-site wastewater designers only.

Architect license renewal and CE in Washington

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.

Individual license renews every 2 years and expires on the licensee's birthday. Firm certificate renews annually with the business license renewal date set by the Business Licensing Service. The board: Washington State Board for Architects (Department of Licensing); each architect’s date is on the license lookup.

• Hours: 24 hours every two years, at least 16 in health, safety and welfare (HSW) topics. The two-year license period ending on the licensee's birthday.
• Limits on some activities: self-directed study (at most 8), presenting (at most 16) and professional service (at most 8) hours.
• Carryover: Up to 12 PDH above the requirement, earned in the second year of the prior period, carry forward (WAC 308-12-250).
• New licensees: No first-renewal exemption found in rule. WAC 308-12-250 phrases the 24 PDH as for the upcoming two-year period. Exemptions only for hardship, military duty of 120+ days, or inactive/retired status (WAC 308-12-290).
• Records: Rule recommends keeping records 10 years (WAC 308-12-270). DOL page says keep records 5 years after audit, covering the current period and 3 prior years.
• Units: An AIA learning unit (LU) is one hour.

Firm registration (COA) and qualifier rules

Engineering firms

A firm offering engineering in Washington needs a firm credential from the board: Certificate of authorization (COA). Corporations and LLCs need a certificate of authorization (RCW 18.43.130(6), (8)); partnerships only need to employ a registrant, professional service corporations and PLLCs are exempt, and sole proprietors do not apply. The firm designates by board or manager resolution a Washington-licensed PE with full authority over final engineering decisions, who may not be designated for another corporation or LLC; a change must be reported within 30 days. No full-time, officer or residency requirement appears in the statute (not yet confirmed: WAC 196-24).

Architecture firms

A firm offering architecture needs a firm credential: Certificate of Authorization (architect firm endorsement on the business license). Every business entity that practices or offers architecture needs a certificate of authorization, including sole proprietorships (RCW 18.08.420). The firm must designate a Washington-licensed architect with full authority for final architectural decisions who is a general partner, manager, or director. The designated architect must be regularly employed in the office with direct supervisory control (WAC 308-12-085). The board must be told of a new designated architect within 30 days of the change. No ownership percentage rule appears in the statute. The firm endorsement is issued through the Business Licensing Service and renews annually with the business license. Residences up to 4 units, farm buildings, and buildings up to 4,000 sq ft are exempt (RCW 18.08.410).

Ownership: No ownership percentage rule found. The designated architect must be a general partner, manager, or director (or equivalent) of the entity.

Architect in charge: One designated Washington-licensed architect with full authority for all final architectural decisions, serving as a general partner, manager, or director, regularly employed in the office with direct knowledge and supervisory control of the work. Notify the board of a new designated architect within 30 days of the change (WAC 308-12-085).

Firm renewal: Annual, synchronized with the business license renewal date through the Business Licensing Service (WAC 308-12-085).

Firms that offer both

Architects and engineers are licensed by separate Washington boards (chapter 18.08 RCW vs chapter 18.43 RCW). An A/E firm needs the architect certificate of authorization and, separately, the engineering firm registration. Not confirmed on a board page that addresses combined firms.

Firm numbers: Firm COA digits.

Who can seal drawings in Washington

Washington issues a PE license without limiting it by discipline; engineers seal only work within their competence, which your firm judges. A PE must also hold a structural engineer license to provide structural engineering for significant structures (hazardous and large essential facilities, over 100 ft, 5+ stories, and others in RCW 18.43.020).

On architectural sheets, our data says an engineer may seal architectural work only in limited cases. RCW 18.08.410 does not restrict engineering as authorized under chapter 18.43 RCW. DOL FAQ says only a Washington architect may prepare and seal architectural documents for a building permit. Anyone may design residences up to 4 dwelling units, farm buildings, buildings up to 4,000 sq ft, and alterations up to 4,000 sq ft that do not affect life safety or structural systems.

Before a set goes out, every sheet has to pass four checks: a Washington license, the right discipline, a license still active on the issue date, and the firm’s registration. Compare Washington 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 Washington 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. Washington 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 Washington, so ask the board. See what to do the day someone gives notice.
• Assuming every engineer renews on the same date. Washington doesn’t use one statewide date for everyone. Individual licenses expire every two years on the licensee's birthday; firm certificates of authorization renew annually. 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:

• Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (engineers and engineering firms)
• Washington engineer license lookup
• Washington State Board for Architects (Department of Licensing) (architects and architecture firms)

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 Washington’s rules, and Set Check shows who can seal each sheet in a Washington permit set, and why anyone can’t. One license is free to track; see pricing.