More than 10,500 Professional Engineers — over a quarter of licensees — delayed renewing their Florida licenses until the final eight days of the 2022-23 renewal period.
That last-minute rush caused holdups as the licensing system slowed down, delaying payment processing and preventing some PEs from logging in.
Charting 2022-23 Renewals
Just over 200 PEs renewed their Florida licenses on Nov. 1, 2022, the first day of renewal. And over 39 percent of licensees took advantage of the $10 discount offered for those who renewed by Jan. 15, 2023.
Since the 2018-19 renewal period, FBPE has offered licensees a $10 discount as an incentive to renew early. PEs can renew their licenses, which must include answering the required attestation questions and paying their fees, as soon as renewal opens. While continuing education does not need to be completed at that time, PEs must have earned all 18 hours of CE by the end of the renewal period on Feb. 28.
Renewal rates slowed somewhat at the discount’s Jan. 15 deadline, then surged during the final month. Almost 52 percent of Florida’s PEs delayed renewing their licenses until February 2023.
At the same time, FBPE’s staff fielded 410 calls during the last two days. That was a leap from the average 55 calls they answered daily during the other weeks of February.
Renewal opens in early November every even year and closes the following Feb. 28, giving Florida PEs almost 17 full weeks to renew their licenses. FBPE strongly encourages Florida PEs to take advantage of the $10 discount by renewing early to help prevent a last-minute rush to renew during the 2024-25 period.