News

BRPELS is seeking a collaborative, forward‑thinking Deputy Director to help guide the future of engineering, land surveying and on‑site professions statewide.

We are a small, proactive and cohesive agency that values professionalism, community engagement, soft‑skills development and continuous learning. This role is a chance to expand your knowledge of laws and rules, contribute to public protection and make a meaningful statewide impact.

As our Director moves toward retirement, we’re double filling this position to support succession planning and ensure leadership…

Ade J. Bright, PE, SE, has been appointed by Governor Bob Ferguson as a new Board member for the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPELS).

Ade is a distinguished structural engineer and the founder and president of Bright Engineering, Inc., based in Seattle. With a career spanning over 48 years, he holds both a B.S. in Civil Engineering (1976) and an M.S. in Structural Engineering (1977) from the University of Washington.

Licensed as a Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer in Washington, Oregon and Colorado, Ade has earned a…

If you have been affected by wildfires, BRPELS and other state agencies are helping licensees and businesses with license renewals and other processes. If you need help contact us. Here's a link to the Governor’s emergency proclamation, suspending some state laws to help those impacted by wildfires. 

Several Washington PLS’s report a survey scam posing as a legitimate prospective customer. It looks like a normal request for professional services — but it’s actually a money trap that could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Here’s How the Scam Works

As exams and experience are now decoupled, do not apply to BRPELS until you pass the NCEES exams AND meet our qualifications, listed in both WAC and RCW.

A warning: BRPELS will only keep your application active for 3 months. After that, your application will be abandoned and fee forfeited. 

What is decoupling?

Decoupling is separating experience from the exam. This means that the examinee can take any NCEES exam before…

Our agency newsmagazine…

June 23rd is International Women in Engineering Day!

- Support women to achieve their potential as engineers, applied scientists and leaders and to reward excellence.
- Encourage and promote the education, study and application of engineering.
- Work with organizations and influencers to promote gender diversity and equality in the workplace.

Learn more here.
 

BRPELS Director Ken Fuller, PE, spoke to the annual conference of Washington State Association of County Engineers meeting in Longview Wednesday, June 10, 2026. He presented on engineering ID theft and fraud, an issue growing across the US and Washington state. 
The problem starts when a fraudster steals a WA state professional engineer’s license number, stamp and even signature. Next, the fraudster uses these credentials to create a fake profile on a website hosting freelance services. They promise professional, licensed engineering plans. The public gets fooled by the offer of…

Over 50 Scouts spent a full day recently, learning about land surveying at Clark College in Vancouver, WA. Troop leaders and parents helped the Scouts learn about the survey profession as a career and earn their Scout Merit Badge in Surveying. About six Professional Land Surveyors (PLS’s) from Oregon and Washington, along with Clark College faculty and students helped in the instruction and field exercises.

The all-day event included was aimed at encouraging future careers in surveying. Scouts got hands on experience in total stations, commercial GPS units and automatic levels.…

BRPELS Board member, Mike Harney, PE, P.Eng., ENV SP, spoke with engineering students at the University of Washington, Seattle, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

Mike spoke with the group, who were mostly master’s level chemical engineering students. He explained the importance of getting licensed, the requirements and process. Attendees say they appreciated hearing about engineering ethics, and a real-world example, not often found in an academic environment. 

If you would like BRPELS to present at one of your upcoming engineering, survey or on-site wastewater meetings,…