About Us

The North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors was created on March 9, 1943 by the North Dakota Legislative Session. The purpose of the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers, as it was known then, was to safeguard life, health and property and to regulate the practice of professional engineering in North Dakota. When it was established, the Board was governed by three professional engineers, all of whom were appointed by the Governor to staggered two, four and six year terms, with subsequent appointments made for six year terms. Incidental to regulation of the practice, the Board was granted the power to examine, register and discipline registrants.

An act was passed on March 13, 1957 to regulate the practice of Land Surveying and register land surveyors in North Dakota. The act was to be administered and carried out by the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers. Following adoption of the act, nearly 150 land surveyors were grandfathered into the practice including many engineers who began dual registrants.

Effective July 1, 1967, the state board got a new name; the North Dakota State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. In addition, the number of Board members was increased from three to five and the terms were reduced from six years to five years. The act also provided for a Code of Ethics to be developed for engineers and surveyors and registration requirements for partnership and corporation professional practice were established.

The 1983 Legislative Session provided for a change in Board member composition which remains unchanged to the present time. The Board composition was changed to four engineers and one land surveyor all appointed by the Governor for five year terms. Engineer appointments continued to be made from a list of nominees supplied by the ND Society of Professional Engineers and for land surveyor appointments, from a list of nominees supplied by the ND Society of Professional Land Surveyors.

The State Board became a member of the National Council of Engineering & Surveying Examiners (NCEES) in 1943 and has continued its membership since then. As part of its examination responsibility, the State Board developed and administered its own engineering and surveying examinations until the mid – 1960’s when the Board began to use the NCEES engineering and surveying examinations for registration purposes. Board staff administered the NCEES examinations until 2003 when the State Board contracted with Engineering & Land Surveying Examination Services (ELSES) to administer all national examinations for North Dakota. Being a member of NCEES has allowed the State Board to remain in contact with other boards across the nation on important issues as mobility and trends in engineering and surveying education.
Today, the State Board continues to be governed by a five member board appointed by the Governor. The members elect a chairman, vice chairman and secretary on an annual basis. Meetings of the State Board are open meetings and the public is invited to attend. While the State Board meets on a frequent basis, it is required to hold at least two meetings annually; one in January and another in July. The State Board office has three full time employees; an executive secretary, a legal investigator and a secretary-receptionist

At the present time, there are nearly three thousand engineers and 200 land surveyors registered with the State Board. In addition, there are over four hundred partnerships and corporations that are registered with the State Board with a Certificate of Authorization.