Who needs to be registered

Individuals providing professional engineering services (developing or overseeing the development of engineering designs) in the prescribed areas of engineering must be registered where those services are:

  • provided in the ACT, or from a location outside the ACT where the services are provided for projects in the ACT (for example, provided for a project or purpose in the ACT)
  • not being carried out under the direction and oversight of a professional engineer who is responsible for the service
  • not being provided in accordance with a prescriptive standard

What is a prescribed area of engineering?

The current prescribed areas of engineering are:

  • Civil
  • Structural
  • Electrical
  • Mechanical
  • Fire Safety

A Ministerial guideline has been issued to provide assistance on the scope of engineering services within each of the above areas of engineering.

Eligibility

To be eligible for registration an individual must:

  • Meet the required qualifications, experience and competencies
  • Be suitable to be registered as a professional engineer
  • Not be disqualified from applying for registration*
  • Not have had their registration* cancelled in the previous 5 years

*registration includes registration under the ACT scheme or a scheme in another jurisdiction.

An application for registration must:

  • be in writing (through the link provided under 'Applying for registration' below)
  • state your name and contact details
  • state the area or areas of engineering for which registration is sought
  • include a report from an approved assessment entity
  • include the results of a criminal history check and
  • include suitability information.

Qualifications, experience and competencies

All applications for registration require a report from an approved assessment entity about an applicant’s qualifications, experience and competencies as determined by the Minister in the Professional Engineers (Qualifications, Experience and Competencies) Determination 2024 (the determination) as amended from time to time.

The determination contains:

  1. what constitutes an assessment report which contains the assessment of an individual’s qualifications, experience and competencies undertaken by an approved assessment entity
  2. qualifications, experience and competencies an individual must have to be eligible to be registered as a professional engineer in the area(s) of engineering of which registration is being sought;
  3. additional qualifications and experience an applicant must have to be eligible to be a professional engineer who provides professional engineering services in the building and construction industry; and
  4. alternative pathways for meeting the determined qualifications and experience for eligibility to be a professional engineer.

Providing services to or for the Building and Construction Industry

Providing professional engineering services to or for the building and construction industry encompasses work for or in connection to the construction, alteration or demolition of a building (excluding disposal of waste materials generated by this activity) and work in relation to repairs of a structural nature to a building (section 7, Building Act 2004). Buildings include all classes of buildings under the National Construction Code (NCC), structures, temporary buildings, temporary structures and any part of a building or structure.

Additional requirements are contained in the Professional Engineers (Qualifications, Experience and Competencies) Determination 2024 and these must be assessed by an approved assessment entity (see 'Assessment entities' below) for a person to be able to provide professional engineering services to or for the building and construction industry.

Registration term

Registration will be issued for a maximum period of 3 years and will be granted to an individual and remain with them for the duration of the registration period, irrelevant of what job they are in.

More information

For more information about the registration requirements email CEDBuildingPolicyReform@act.gov.au.

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If your question relates to whether you meet the eligibility requirements contact the Construction and Work Place Licensing Team by email to cwpl@act.gov.au or phone 02 6207 8096.

If you have questions about whether your qualifications and experience meet the requirements, we recommend you first contact an approved assessment entity.