Staff at BRPELS and the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying (OSBEELS) had an idea to help improve both agencies. How about a mid-day workshop to compare business best practices, for licensing, compliance and regulation? Subjects discussed included licensing trends, interstate license mobility, electronic records, exams, and outreach and communication.

“This was a fantastic opportunity to compare notes and examine ways both agencies could learn from each other,” said Kris Horton, PLS, BRPELS Deputy Director.… Read more

National PE Day was launched by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in 2016 to celebrate and raise public awareness of the contributions of licensed professional engineers in the United States.

The idea for Professional Engineers Day started with Tim Austin, PE, a professional engineer from Kansas who served as president of NSPE in 2015–16. Austin believed attention should be paid to NSPE's core principle which says "Being a licensed professional engineer means more than just holding a certificate and possessing technical competence. It is a commitment to hold the… Read more

Here are the latest exam and licensing maps from NCEES’s Member Board Administrator (MBA) Committee. They show how each state handles renewal cycles, options for meeting the NCEES Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) standard, the home state rule for CPCs, methods of approving FE/PE and FS/PS exams and whether they’ve decoupled the PE and PS exams. The maps reflect data from 2023.

… Read more

The Board is looking for your input on proposed amendments to Chapter 18.43 RCW – Engineers and Land Surveyors. These amendments include previously proposed amendments and recently approved proposed amendments. The recent proposed amendments were approved by the Board at the June 17, 2025, Annual Board Meeting. 

We're holding 3 virtual workshops to gather comments about the amendments. 

Date:  July 23, 2025

Time:  12:00 p.m.

Date:   July 24, 2025  

Time:  4:… Read more

BRPELS has launched a new Customer Service Portal aimed at improving the efficiency, clarity and accessibility of its licensing support services. The portal replaces the legacy (engineers@brpels.wa.gov) email address and centralizes all customer interactions into a single streamlined platform. 

All customer inquiries and feedback are now submitted through the BRPELS Customer Service Portal, available at … Read more

BRPELS is standardizing the PE and PLS decorative wall certificates. Starting Tuesday, July 1^st 2025, we’ll make both certificates 8.5 x 11". The updated size will make it easier to find the right size frame, as the 10.5 x 13” was often a challenge. All other certificates will remain in the 8.5 x 11” format. The change also streamlines BRPELS processes and improves efficiency.

That's great advice from Kris Horton, our Deputy Director, on this "International Women in Engineering Day." Kris spoke with our partners at Open Gate Consulting, about her journey to her current position and shares those wonderful words of encouragement and determination to anyone entering the field. Kris says the tests can be daunting and may take a couple of tries to pass. Keep at it and you'll get there. Here's the interview.

Celebrate International Women in Engineering Day, Monday, June 23^rd. It recognizes women’s engineering achievements and to encourage more women to enter the field. Many engineering fields require specialties, like civil, environmental, mechanical, chemical, aerospace, electrical and computer engineering. While the demand keeps growing every year for engineering expertise, women only fill a fraction of these positions. Please thank a woman engineer for their work on this day and encourage a girl to pursue a career in engineering.

Communication Manager Greg Schieferstein presented Wednesday to the Washington State Association of County Engineers (WSACE) annual conference, this year in Everett. Professional Engineers, public officials and others, listened closely and had great questions regarding the latest with our agency, which protects the public through professional licensing. The group spent much of the week studying and discussing transportation policies, processes and budgeting, for the 39 counties that make up Washington State. Thank you again for the invitation to speak!

BRPELS Administrative Assistant Bryce Dickison, has been honored with an award by the State of Washington Secretary of State’s Productivity Board. Through the Employee Suggestion Program, he submitted an idea to reduce cost or generate revenue for the state.

“These ideas from our state employees will improve how agencies provide services to the public,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “In these uncertain financial times for the state government, it is important to listen to those who having unique insight into their agency’s work.”