PE/SE Licensing in IL

Looks like I posted in the wrong forum earlier and have no idea how to delete them...

I'm in IL, recently graduated (May 2011) with my MSCE with an emphasis in Structures. I was reading up online and discussing with a couple of coworkers and have a few questions:

1. My coworker was saying that we can take the test before we have 4 years of the required experience. The license just wouldn't be valid until I have obtained the required experience. Is this right?
   
2. From my understanding, as a structural guy, I'm supposed to take the SE exam, but I was wondering if I can take the PE exam as well? Would this be useful at all if I'm doing strictly structural work?
   
3. If I only have an SE and I'm transferring to a state in which SE doesn't exist so a PE is required instead (like Indiana), how would that work? Would the SE license be acknowledged as a PE license instead?
   

1. This varies based on state. OR/WA/CA, whom I am most familiar with, require full experience prior to exam - though you can register for the exam before meeting the requirements (I did, to meet the deadline for my exam) as long as you meet them the day of the exam. Not all states do that, either.

2. Most states require that you take the PE first, work for a few years, then take the SE. I'm also doing structural work, and I'm in that post-Civil licensing working phase.

3. I would assume they wouldn't recognize it at all, though they might give you some sort of provisional Civil license to stamp structures. Still, this is again something to check with the relevant authority. On the other hand, I'm not sure how many states don't have Structural licensing these days.

kidroach said:

Looks like I posted in the wrong forum earlier and have no idea how to delete them...

I'm in IL, recently graduated (May 2011) with my MSCE with an emphasis in Structures. I was reading up online and discussing with a couple of coworkers and have a few questions:

1. My coworker was saying that we can take the test before we have 4 years of the required experience. The license just wouldn't be valid until I have obtained the required experience. Is this right?
   
2. From my understanding, as a structural guy, I'm supposed to take the SE exam, but I was wondering if I can take the PE exam as well? Would this be useful at all if I'm doing strictly structural work?
   
3. If I only have an SE and I'm transferring to a state in which SE doesn't exist so a PE is required instead (like Indiana), how would that work? Would the SE license be acknowledged as a PE license instead?
   

Click to expand...

1. I think this is correct but you should call the board on this. Also, if you ever want to be licensed somewhere else you might have an issue. Each state has different laws.

2. You can if you want but IL is a structural act state. If you have a PE in IL you can't sign anything determined as a structure, an SE can but can't anything except structural. The way I see it, you might as well take the exam. The civil exam is cake compared to the structural.

3. Yes, it will simply be a PE. Not all states have SE laws (yet).

1. You can take the PE before you have 4 years of experience, you cannot take the SE before you have 4 years of experience.

2. The PE is only useful for getting licensed in other states.

3. I am not sure if most states will accept the SE instead of the PE. I started with the PE before my 4 years. Some states (such as Mass.) require that in order to get a PE with a Structural Discipline listed, you must have passed an 8 hour structural exam. The PE does not count for this since only 4 hours of it is structural.

Intern in correct. You cannot take the SE test in IL until you have the required years of experience. It may be beneficial as well to sit for the PE. Some states do not recognize the SE test.

Call the IDFPR if you have any questions. They have been very helpful to me in the past.