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How to register as a professional engineer under the Design and Building Practitioners scheme in New South Wales.
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Key information
- Professional engineers who do professional engineering work on class 2, 3 or 9c buildings (or a building with a class 2, 3 or 9c part) need to be registered under the Design and Building Practitioners scheme (‘the scheme’).
- A professional engineer who is not registered under the scheme can work under the direct supervision of a professional engineer who is registered under the scheme.
- A professional engineer cannot prepare regulated designs or make a compliance declaration unless they are also registered under the scheme as a design practitioner in the relevant class.
Who needs to be registered?
You need to be registered if:
- you are doing professional engineering work in one of these areas:
- civil
- electrical
- fire safety
- geotechnical
- mechanical, or
- structural engineering
and
- you are working on:
- a class 2, 3 or 9c building or a building that includes a class 2, 3 or 9c part.
Learn more about building classifications under the National Construction Code.
Eligibility
Who can register
To be eligible to register you need to:
- be aged 18 or over
- have the appropriate qualifications as an engineer
- have at least 5 years recent, relevant practical experience
- have the necessary skills and knowledge
- meet insurance requirements, and
- have a current National Police Certificate that is no older than 4 months from when you submit your application (name and date of birth check only)
Only individuals can apply for professional engineer registration. Companies cannot apply.
Individuals who have declared bankruptcy cannot apply.
Engineers who are not eligible to register may keep working under the direct supervision of an engineer who is registered.
Maintaining your registration
Professional engineers have obligations to maintain their registration, including:
- complying with the code of practice
- undertaking Continuing Professional Development (CPD) each year
- retaining records for 10 years even if you stop working as a professional engineer
- holding the appropriate level of insurance.
Qualification requirements
The minimum qualification, experience, skills and knowledge requirements needed to be registered as a professional engineer are set out below.
Transitional pathways
The transitional pathway that was available for professional engineers (all classes) and design practitioner – building design (low & medium rise) who did not meet the qualification and experience requirements for registration ended on 31 December 2023.
This pathway is no longer available and any applications received under this pathway will not be considered.
Civil engineer
Civil engineering involves the research, design, construction and maintenance of the built environment.
You must hold one of these qualifications in either civil engineering or engineering with a major in civil engineering:
- an accredited 4 year full-time or equivalent part time undergraduate bachelor degree*,
- an accredited postgraduate masters degree*,
- one of the degrees above from an Australian university or tertiary institution assessed as equivalent by an Australian signatory to the Washington Accord, or
- one of the degrees above from a foreign university assessed as equivalent by an assessing authority in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List for the skilled occupation of civil engineer (currently Engineers Australia).
*Accredited by a body that is a signatory to the Washington Accord.
Electrical engineer
Electrical engineering involves equipment, devices, plant and systems that use electricity, electronics and electromagnetism.
You must hold one of these qualifications in either electrical engineering or engineering with a major in electrical engineering:
- an accredited 4 year full-time or equivalent part time undergraduate bachelor degree*
- an accredited postgraduate masters degree*
- one of the degrees above from an Australian university or tertiary institution assessed as equivalent by an Australian signatory to the Washington Accord, or
- one of the degrees above from a foreign university assessed as equivalent by an assessing authority in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills list for the skilled occupation of electrical engineer (currently Engineers Australia).
*Accredited by a body that is a signatory to the Washington Accord.
Fire safety engineer
Fire safety engineering involves work on building materials, structure or building, fire systems, human behaviour and safety, and the prevention, detection and suppression of fire.
There are 3 options to meet qualification requirements.
Option 1
You must hold one of these qualifications in either fire safety engineering or engineering with a major in fire safety engineering:
- an accredited 4 year full-time or equivalent part time undergraduate bachelor degree *,
- an accredited postgraduate masters degree*,
- one of the degrees above from an Australian university or tertiary institution assessed as equivalent by an Australian signatory to the Washington Accord, or
- one of the degrees above from a foreign university assessed as equivalent by an assessing authority in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills list for the skilled occupation of fire safety engineer (not currently available).
Option 2
You must hold both of the following qualifications:
- an accredited 4 year full-time equivalent undergraduate bachelor degree* in:
- civil engineering; or
- mechanical engineering; or
- chemical engineering; or
- electrical engineering; or
- engineering (with a major in civil engineering); or
- engineering (with a major in mechanical engineering); or
- engineering (with a major in chemical engineering); or
- engineering (with a major in electrical engineering).
AND one of the following:
- a postgraduate Diploma in Fire Safety Engineering* or
- Graduate Diploma in Fire Safety Engineering #
*Accredited by a body that is a signatory to the Washington Accord.
#Note: The graduate diploma in fire safety engineering must be from an NVR registered training organisation that has the qualification listed on its scope of registration on the National Register under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011.
Option 3
You must hold both of the following qualifications:
- a qualification from an Australian university or tertiary institution assessed as equivalent to the bachelor degrees below by an Australian signatory to the Washington Accord, or a qualification from a foreign university assessed as equivalent by an assessing authority in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills list for the skilled occupation of fire safety engineer (not currently available):
- Civil engineering; or
- Mechanical engineering; or
- Chemical engineering; or
- Electrical engineering;
- Engineering (with a major in civil engineering); or
- Engineering (with a major in mechanical engineering); or
- Engineering (with a major in chemical engineering); or
- Engineering (with a major in electrical engineering); or
AND:
- A qualification from an Australian university or tertiary institution assessed as equivalent to the below qualifications by an Australian signatory to the Washington Accord or a qualification from a foreign university assessed as equivalent by an assessing authority in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills list for the skilled occupation of fire safety engineer (not currently available):
- A postgraduate Diploma or NVR approved graduate diploma in Fire Safety Engineering.
Note: The qualification must be from an NVR registered training organisation that has the qualification listed on its scope of registration on the National Register under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011.
*Accredited by a body that is a signatory to the Washington Accord.
Geotechnical engineer
Geotechnical engineering involves the mechanics of soil and rock as applied to the design and construction of foundations, retaining structures, shoring excavations and ground bearing structures for buildings.
You must hold a qualification in either:
- Engineering (with a major in geotechnical engineering)
- Engineering (with a major in civil engineering); or
- Civil engineering; or
- Geotechnical engineering
which is either:
- An accredited 4 year full-time or equivalent part time undergraduate bachelor degree*or
- a postgraduate masters degree*or
- one of the degrees above from an Australian university or tertiary institution assessed as equivalent by an Australian signatory to the Washington Accord, or
- one of the degrees above from a foreign university assessed as equivalent by an assessing authority in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills list for the skilled occupation of geotechnical engineer (currently Engineers Australia).
*Accredited by a body that is a signatory to the Washington Accord.
Mechanical engineer
Mechanical engineering involves work related to devices, machines, structures, processes and systems involving mechanical elements.
You must hold one of these qualifications in either mechanical engineering; or, Engineering (with a major in mechanical engineering):
- An accredited 4 year full-time or equivalent part time undergraduate bachelor degree *,
- a postgraduate masters degree*,
- one of the degrees above from an Australian university or tertiary institution assessed as equivalent by an Australian signatory to the Washington Accord, or
- one of the degrees above from a foreign university assessed as equivalent by an assessing authority in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills list for the skilled occupation of mechanical engineer (currently Engineers Australia).
*Accredited by a body that is a signatory to the Washington Accord.
Structural engineer
Structural engineering involves being able to predict and calculate the stability, strength and rigidity of built structures, and how structures resist and transfer natural and other forces.
You must hold a qualification in either:
- civil engineering or engineering with a major in civil engineering, or
- Engineering (with a major in civil engineering); or
- Engineering (with a major in structural engineering); or
- Civil engineering; or
- Structural engineering;
which is either:
- An accredited 4 year full-time or equivalent part time undergraduate bachelor degree *,
- a postgraduate masters degree*,
- one of the degrees above from an Australian university or tertiary institution assessed as equivalent by an Australian signatory to the Washington Accord,
- one of the degrees above from a foreign university assessed as equivalent by an assessing authority in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills list for the skilled occupation of structural engineer (currently Engineers Australia).
*Accredited by a body that is a signatory to the Washington Accord.
Washington Accord for Engineers
The Washington Accord is an international agreement between engineering bodies responsible for the recognition of engineering qualifications. For Australia, these qualifications are listed in the Accredited Engineering Program Directory.
Overseas qualifications accredited under the Washington Accord are listed on the Washington Accord signatory websites.
For more information about accredited qualifications and the Washington accord visit Engineers Australia.
Insurance requirements
As of July 2022, professional engineers must have professional indemnity insurance. This can be either an individual policy, a partnership policy or a corporate policy.
The insurance policy must provide an adequate level of indemnity. You have an ongoing obligation to assess your insurance cover to ensure it is adequate.
When selecting an insurance policy, you must consider factors including:
- your financial resources
- any risks associated with your work
- any limits of the policy and other factors outlined in the Regulation.
You may need to show us that you have assessed the adequacy of your cover. You should seek independent advice on the amount and type of cover you need.
How to register
What you need
To register, you will need:
- a MyService NSW account
- proof of identity , such as an Australian driver licence, passport or Medicare card
- a National Police Certificate that is no older than 4 months from when you submit your application (name and date of birth check only)
- a copy of your qualifications and any transcripts
- evidence of existing licences in your field of work (make sure those licence details are up to date and match your proof of identity documents)
- details about your experience
- payment for the fee.
Apply online
You can apply online for a 1, 3 or 5 year registration.
Your application will take about 15 minutes to complete.
What happens next?
We'll review your application
You need to wait for us to assess and to approve your application. This can take up to 28 days.
A NSW Fair Trading officer will contact you if more information is required to make a decision.
You cannot do professional engineering work for a regulated building under the Design and building Practitioners scheme while your application is being reviewed unless you are under direct supervision by a person who is registered for the work.
We'll notify you of the outcome
We will notify you about the outcome of your application within 28 days (unless we need more information from you).
If your application is successful, you will:
- receive your certificate of registration and registration ID
- have your details listed on the public register for design practitioners, building practitioners and professional engineers.
If your application is unsuccessful, you will receive a notice outlining why your application was refused and what options are available to you.
Renew your registration
You need to renew your professional engineer registration before it expires.
When your registration is nearing its expiry date, you will receive a renewal notice. You can then renew your registration online.
Make sure your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is up to date. Professional engineers must complete 50 hours of relevant education and training each CPD year, and written records of completion should be kept as evidence. Download the CPD Guidelines for Professional Engineers for more information to help you meet your requirements.
What you need
To renew your registration you will need:
- your registration number and contact details
- your renewal number (as shown on your renewal notice)
- evidence of your CPD
- payment for the fee.
Note: Any change of details must be completed before your renewal application is lodged.
To restore your registration, you need to apply within three months of the expiry date of your current registration.
You can use the details on your renewal form to restore your licence online for a fee.
If your registration is cancelled due to disciplinary action, we will not refund any of the fees paid.
Your application will take about 15 minutes to complete.
If your registration has been expired for more than three months, you’ll need to make a new application. You cannot work on regulated buildings under the Design and Building Practitioners scheme until your new registration is issued.
If approved, you will retain your original registration number.
To check the status of your registration, you can search the public register .
Change the details on your registration
If you need to update the details on your existing registration, such as your name, address, phone number, company or director name, you must complete a change of details notification. This form authorises Fair Trading to amend your record, which will also be updated on the public register.
Once you have completed and signed the form, it can be lodged with supporting documents by email to [email protected].
You will be notified once your record has been updated.
Surrender your registration
You can surrender your registration at any time by using the request for surrender application form.
Once you have completed and signed the form, it can be lodged with supporting documents by email to [email protected].
You may be entitled to a partial refund of the fees paid if you hold a 3 or 5 year registration that has at least 1 year left (from the date of surrender to the date of expiry).
Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR)
The AMR scheme makes it easier for occupational licence holders to work across state borders without having to apply for a second licence or pay fees. All states and territories are participating in AMR except Queensland.
Professional engineers are included in the AMR scheme. However, to lodge designs and make compliance declarations in the NSW Planning Portal for class 2, 3 or 9c buildings (or buildings with class 2, 3 or 9c parts), you must be registered under the Design and Building Practitioners (DBP) scheme in NSW.
Professional engineers who have a current interstate registration and have notified for AMR can apply for registration under the DBP scheme.
For more information, email [email protected] or call 13 32 20.
Mutual recognition
You can apply under mutual recognition to have your professional engineer registration recognised in NSW without needing to demonstrate qualifications and experience again. This allows you to register as a professional engineer under the Design and Building Practitioners scheme provided you notify us. This will allow you to work as a professional engineer.
Mutual recognition is applicable to all states and territories, however only Queensland and Victoria have registration systems for professional engineers.
To register, you will need:
- proof of identity
- a copy of your current registration
- a notice of registration under mutual recognition.
You can continue working as a professional engineer in NSW while your application is being assessed. If your application is successful, you will be provided with a professional engineer registration ID.
Mutual recognition does not mean that you can prepare regulated designs or make design compliance declarations. You will need to register as a design practitioner in the relevant class to be able to prepare regulated designs or make design compliance declarations.
Contact us
If you need help with your application or have a question, please call 13 32 20.
You can also contact Service NSW to ask a question, report an issue or give feedback about the application process.