California PE License Lookup: How to Verify a Structural Engineer's License (2026 Guide)

**Quick Answer:** Verify a California PE license at bpelsg.ca.gov in under two minutes. Enter the engineer's name or license number to confirm active status, discipline, and expiration date.

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# California PE License Lookup: How to Verify a Structural Engineer's License (2026 Guide)

Before you hire any engineer for a structural project in California — whether it is a foundation repair in Anaheim, a seismic retrofit in Santa Monica, or a home addition in Los Angeles — you must verify that the engineer holds a current, active California Professional Engineer (PE) license. This guide walks you through every step of the California PE license lookup process, explains what credentials matter for structural work, and identifies the red flags that signal an unlicensed or unqualified engineer.

California law requires a licensed PE to prepare, sign, and stamp structural engineering documents submitted for building permits. Hiring an unlicensed provider is not just risky — it is illegal, and it exposes you to permit rejection, construction delays, liability for structural failures, and the cost of re-engineering work from scratch. AAA Engineering Design employs California-licensed Professional Engineers on every project. Call **(949) 981-4448** to verify our credentials or schedule a free consultation.

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The **Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG)** is the California state agency that licenses, regulates, and disciplines Professional Engineers in California. Established under the California Business and Professions Code (Division 3, Chapter 7), BPELSG:

California has approximately **100,000 active PE licensees** across all disciplines. For structural engineering projects on buildings, the relevant disciplines are Civil Engineering (with structural emphasis) and Structural Engineering (SE license), which is a separate, higher-level license for complex structures.

For standard residential and commercial structural engineering — foundation repair, seismic retrofitting, home additions, load-bearing wall removal — a California PE (Civil) license is sufficient. For hospitals, schools, and large public buildings, a Structural Engineer (SE) license is required.

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Navigate to **bpelsg.ca.gov**. The license lookup tool is publicly accessible with no login required. It is available 24 hours a day.

On the lookup page, select **"Professional Engineer"** from the license type dropdown. This filters the database to show only PE licenses.

You can search by:

The results page displays:

| Field | What to Look For | |-------|-----------------| | **License Number** | Matches what the engineer provided | | **License Type** | PE (Civil) or PE (Structural) | | **Status** | Must say "Active" — not "Expired," "Suspended," or "Revoked" | | **Expiration Date** | Must be a future date | | **Discipline** | Civil or Structural Engineering | | **Name** | Matches the engineer's legal name |

Click on the license number to view the full detail record. This page shows:

A clean record shows no disciplinary history and an active status with a future expiration date.

After verifying the license online, ask the engineer to provide a copy of their PE stamp. Every California PE has a physical rubber or digital stamp showing their name, license number, and discipline. This stamp appears on all engineering documents submitted for permits. The stamp on the documents must match the verified license number in the BPELSG database.

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When you complete a California PE license lookup and confirm an active license, you are verifying that the engineer has:

The FE exam is an 8-hour, 110-question computerized exam covering all engineering fundamentals. Passing the FE is the first step to PE licensure in California.

California requires a minimum of four years of progressive engineering experience under the supervision of a licensed PE before the PE exam is taken. This experience is documented and verified by BPELSG.

The PE exam is a discipline-specific, 8-hour exam. For Civil Engineering, it covers structural analysis, geotechnical engineering, transportation, water resources, and construction. The structural depth module tests structural steel, reinforced concrete, timber, masonry, and foundation design to current code standards.

California requires additional state-specific examination components covering California law, seismic principles, and surveying. The California Seismic Principles exam is specific to California's high-seismic environment and covers earthquake engineering, seismic design categories, and California Building Code seismic provisions.

California PEs renew their licenses every two years and must complete continuing education to maintain currency in code updates, new structural materials, and evolving engineering standards.

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California has two distinct licenses relevant to structural engineering work on buildings:

The PE Civil license is the standard license for structural engineering practice in California for:

The PE Civil license is sufficient for the vast majority of building structural engineering projects in Southern California.

California's SE license is a separate, more advanced license requiring:

The SE license is **required by California law** for:

For most residential and commercial structural engineering projects, a PE Civil is the correct and legally sufficient license. Requiring an SE for a foundation repair or home addition is unnecessary and adds cost without additional safety benefit.

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The BPELSG license lookup confirms licensure status, but a thorough verification of a structural engineer goes further:

An uninsured engineer shifts all liability for design errors directly to you as the property owner.

Ask for a portfolio or project list specific to your project type:

General PE licensure does not guarantee specific expertise. The BPELSG license confirms minimum competency across the engineering discipline — experience and specialization are verified through references and project history.

The BPELSG detail record shows any formal disciplinary actions. Run a secondary check through the **California BreEZe license database** for any additional enforcement actions across California licensing boards. A disciplinary history is not automatically disqualifying, but it warrants direct inquiry about the circumstances.

All structural engineering documents — calculations, drawings, specifications, letters — must bear the PE's wet stamp or digital stamp with their license number. If you receive documents without a stamp, or with a stamp that does not match your verified license number, the documents are not legitimate PE-stamped engineering and will be rejected by building departments.

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California building departments reject engineering documents from unlicensed providers, but property owners sometimes engage unlicensed individuals before ever reaching the permit stage. These red flags identify unlicensed or unqualified engineering providers:

A licensed California PE knows their license number and provides it immediately upon request. Hesitation, deflection ("I'll send it later"), or inability to provide a license number indicates the provider is not licensed.

Some unlicensed drafting services or contractors claim they will have a PE "stamp" the documents. This describes an illegal practice called **"plan stamping"** or **"signature lending"** — where a PE stamps documents they did not prepare or supervise. California Business and Professions Code Section 6735 requires PEs to only stamp documents they have prepared or directly supervised. Plan stamping is grounds for license revocation.

Legitimate PE structural engineering for a foundation repair in Southern California costs $2,500-$8,000 depending on complexity. If a provider offers "structural letters" or "engineer reports" for $300-$500, they are either unlicensed, issuing documents without proper investigation, or providing documents of insufficient technical depth to pass plan check.

A structural engineer cannot responsibly evaluate a foundation, existing structure, or construction site without visiting it. Engineers who offer to prepare reports based on photographs only, or who do not require a site visit, are not providing engineering — they are providing paper documents that will fail plan check or, worse, pass plan check while missing real structural problems.

Any structural engineering document submitted for a California building permit must bear the PE's stamp (with license number) and signature. Documents missing these elements are not legally valid engineering submittals. A legitimate PE provides stamped, signed documents as standard practice.

The BPELSG lookup may show a matching name with a non-active status. Expired, inactive, or suspended licenses do not authorize engineering practice. A PE practicing with a lapsed license is subject to criminal prosecution under California law.

A PE licensed in Mechanical Engineering does not have the authority to stamp structural engineering documents for buildings. The BPELSG record must show Civil or Structural Engineering as the license discipline.

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California Health and Safety Code Section 19825 requires PE-stamped structural drawings for permit issuance on projects meeting specific thresholds. Most structural modifications to residential and commercial buildings require stamped engineering. Submitting unstamped drawings results in permit rejection, delaying your project.

When a licensed PE stamps your project documents, they accept professional liability for the structural adequacy of those documents. Their insurance covers design errors. Their license is at risk if the engineering is deficient. This accountability mechanism protects you as the property owner.

California's 58 counties and 482 cities each have building departments that enforce the California Building Code. Every building department requires PE-stamped structural documents for applicable projects. Documents from unlicensed providers are rejected at the counter — creating delays, re-engineering costs, and potential project cancellation.

Lenders and insurers increasingly require PE-certified structural assessments and design documents for properties with structural modifications. A foundation repair documented by an unlicensed provider may not satisfy a lender's due diligence requirements, blocking refinancing or sale.

California PE licensure sets a minimum competency standard backed by examination, experience requirements, and continuing education. A licensed PE's structural designs meet the California Building Code's safety standards. Unlicensed "engineers" may produce documents that look professional but contain fundamental errors that endanger structural safety.

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AAA Engineering Design employs California-licensed Professional Engineers who stamp every structural engineering document we produce. To verify our credentials:

Our PE-stamped structural engineering documents are accepted by building departments throughout Southern California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.

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When verifying an engineer's credentials for specific structural services, ensure the license is active and the discipline is Civil or Structural Engineering for any of the following:

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Go to **bpelsg.ca.gov**, select "Professional Engineer," enter the engineer's name or license number, and confirm the license shows Active status with a future expiration date in the Civil or Structural Engineering discipline. The entire process takes under two minutes.

A PE (Professional Engineer - Civil) is licensed for most residential and commercial structural engineering work. An SE (Structural Engineer) holds a separate, more advanced license required for hospitals, schools, and tall buildings in high-seismic zones. For most residential and small commercial projects, a PE Civil is the correct and legally sufficient license.

No. Only a California-licensed PE or SE can stamp structural engineering drawings. Contractors, architects (for structural work beyond their scope), and drafting services cannot legally provide PE-stamped structural engineering. Stamped documents must be prepared by or under the direct supervision of the PE whose stamp appears on them.

Building permit applications with unstamped or fraudulently stamped documents are rejected. If unpermitted work is discovered, the city can require demolition and reconstruction. You have no professional liability recourse against an unlicensed provider if the design fails. The cost of re-engineering failed work falls entirely on you.

California PE licenses renew every two years. The renewal period runs on a cycle tied to the engineer's initial license date. Current CE compliance and license status are visible in the BPELSG lookup.

No. Engineers licensed in other states must obtain a California PE license through reciprocity or examination before stamping documents for California projects. An engineer licensed only in Nevada, Arizona, or any other state cannot legally practice structural engineering in California.

An "inactive" California PE license means the engineer has placed their license in inactive status — typically to avoid continuing education requirements or renewal fees. Inactive PEs cannot practice engineering in California. The license must be reactivated (with CE compliance and renewal fees paid) before the engineer can legally provide PE-stamped documents.

Report unlicensed engineering practice to BPELSG at **(916) 263-2222** or online at **bpelsg.ca.gov**. Reports are investigated and can result in criminal prosecution under Business and Professions Code Section 6787.

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AAA Engineering Design provides PE-licensed structural engineering for residential and commercial projects throughout Southern California. Every document we deliver bears the stamp of a California-licensed Professional Engineer — verifiable in the BPELSG database in under two minutes.

With 500+ completed projects and 20+ years of practice across Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, our engineering team brings verified credentials and deep regional expertise to every engagement.

**Call (949) 981-4448** for a free consultation. We provide our license numbers upfront, answer your verification questions, and deliver PE-stamped engineering documents that pass plan check at California building departments.

Contact AAA Engineering Design | Structural Engineering Services | Foundation Engineering | Seismic Retrofitting

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