Iowa State Requirements

Iowa

Professional Development Hours (PDH) Requirements

Iowa professional engineers are required to earn 30 PDH biennially. Only 10 of the required hours can be earned through self-study online continuing education courses. EZpdh.com courses are accepted by the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board. The following table shows a quick rundown of license renewal requirements.

SubjectRequirement
Hours Required30 hours biennially
Renewal DatesDecember 31 even-numbered years or odd-numbered years depending on the date of initial licensure. Certificates of licensure that were initially issued in even–numbered years expire in odd–numbered years and certificates that were initially issued in odd–numbered years
Course ApprovalThe Board does not require pre-approval for providers or specific courses. Each engineer must determine whether an activity meets the Board’s requirements
Course Content The Board defines accepted continuing education activities as “education which is obtained by a professional or occupational licensee in order to maintain, improve, or expand skills and knowledge obtained prior to initial licensure or to develop new and relevant skills and knowledge.” The board segregates PDH credits into Group 1 and Group 2 activities

Group 1 Activities
There are limitations on the number of hours allowed in each type of course area for Group 1 activities, which are intended to maintain, improve, or expand skills and knowledge obtained prior to initial licensure. Here is a list of Group 1 activities along with the corresponding maximum number of PDHs allowed in each renewal period:

•Mathematics and Basic Science (10 PDH)
•Engineering Sciences (10 PDH)
•Humanities and Social Sciences (5 PDH)
•Engineering curriculum courses (10 PDH)

Group 2 Activities
There are no limitations on the number of hours allowed for group 2 activities, which include postgraduate level engineering science or design, new technology, environmental regulation, and courses in management of engineering

Online Self-Study CoursesAccepted. Online courses are considered “independent study” by the Board. A maximum of 10 PDH of self-study may be earned each renewal period through online continuing education courses. There is no limit for online live webinar courses.
PDH CarryoverA maximum of 15 PDH may be carried forward into the next renewal period
Additional
  1. Dual licensees are required to report a minimum of forty (40) PDH units for each renewal period, with at least twenty (20) PDH units earned in each profession
  2. Courses in CAD and fundamental computer applications will generally not be acceptable as either Group 1 or Group 2 activities. Only computer courses that have the solution of engineering or land surveying problems as a purpose will be considered acceptable
  3. PDH completion records must be maintained for a minimum of 4 years. EZpdh helps you meet this requirement by providing you with the ability to instantly access and print a certificate upon successful completion of a course. Additionally, your certificates of completion are securely maintained by EZpdh for a minimum of seven years and can be accessed online at any time through your login account
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