1. A. Licensure as a professional engineer may be either through examination or through endorsement or comity. In either case, an applicant shall file the appropriate application in which it shall be demonstrated that the applicant:

   1. (1) is of good moral character and reputation as determined by board rules; and
   2. (2) has five references, three of whom shall be licensees practicing in the branch of engineering for which the applicant is applying and who have personal knowledge of the applicant's engineering experience and reputation. The use of non-licensed engineer references having personal knowledge of the applicant's engineering experience and reputation may be accepted by the board if a satisfactory written explanation is given.

2. B. An applicant may be licensed through examination if the applicant can demonstrate the following:

   1. (1) the applicant is certified as an engineer intern and has at least one of the following combinations of education and experience; provided that experience shall only be considered after receiving the first qualifying engineering degree:

      1. (a) received a bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline recognized by the board from a program accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or a program that fulfills the required content of the engineering education standard as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying and has at least four years of engineering experience;
      2. (b) received a bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline recognized by the board from a foreign educational institution where the program that was completed fulfills the required content of the engineering education standard as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying and has at least four years of engineering experience;
      3. (c) received a master's degree in an engineering discipline recognized by the board from a program accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or an institution that offers programs accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or that fulfills the required content of the engineering education standard as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying and has at least three years of engineering experience;
      4. (d) received a master's degree in an engineering discipline recognized by the board from a foreign educational institution where the program that was completed fulfills through evaluation the required curricular content and educational standards as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying and has at least three years of engineering experience;
      5. (e) received a doctorate degree in an engineering discipline recognized by the board from a board-approved engineering curriculum and has at least two years of engineering experience; or
      6. (f) at least six years of board-approved engineering experience after graduation from a school offering a board-approved, four-year engineering technology curriculum accredited by the engineering technology accreditation commission of the accreditation board for engineering and technology, including the two years for engineer intern certification; or

   2. (2) the applicant is not certified as an engineer intern and has at least one of the following:

      1. (a) received a bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline recognized by the board from a program accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or a program that fulfills the required content of the engineering education standard as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying and has twelve years of engineering experience subsequent to receiving the degree;
      2. (b) received a master's degree in an engineering discipline recognized by the board from a program accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or an institution that offers programs accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or that fulfills the required content of the engineering education standard as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying and has at least six years of engineering experience subsequent to receiving the degree; or
      3. (c) received a doctorate degree in an engineering discipline recognized by the board from a board-approved engineering curriculum and has at least four years of engineering experience subsequent to receiving the degree.
3. C. Upon successfully completing the examination, required experience and all the requirements as noted in this section, the applicant shall be eligible to be licensed as a professional engineer upon action of the board.

4. D. An applicant may be licensed by endorsement or comity if the applicant:

   1. (1) is currently licensed as an engineer in another state, the District of Columbia or a territory of the United States; provided that the licensure does not conflict with the provisions of the Engineering and Surveying Practice Act and that the standards required by the licensure or the applicant's qualifications equaled or exceeded the licensure standards in New Mexico at the time the applicant was initially licensed;
   2. (2) is currently licensed as an engineer in a foreign country and can demonstrate, to the board's satisfaction, evidence that the licensure was based on standards that equal or exceed those currently required for licensure by the Engineering and Surveying Practice Act and can satisfactorily demonstrate to the board competence in current engineering standards and procedures; or

   3. (3) is not applying for licensure in the structural discipline but is currently licensed as an engineer in another state, the District of Columbia or a territory of the United States; provided that the applicant:

      1. (a) has been actively licensed for the continuous ten years immediately preceding application to New Mexico;
      2. (b) has not received any form of disciplinary action related to the practice of engineering or professional conduct from any jurisdiction within the five years preceding application to New Mexico;
      3. (c) has not had the applicant's professional license suspended or revoked at any time from any jurisdiction; and
      4. (d) has passed the principles and practice of engineering examination administered by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying relevant to the discipline in which the applicant is seeking licensure.

History: 1978 Comp., § 61-23-14.1, enacted by Laws 1993, ch. 218, § 12; 1999, ch. 259, § 11; 2003, ch. 233, § 3; 2005, ch. 69, § 7; 2012, ch. 46, § 3; 2017, ch. 42, § 6; 2019, ch. 220, § 3; 2023, ch. 79, § 3.

ANNOTATIONS

Delayed repeals. — For delayed repeal of this section, see 61-23-32 NMSA 1978.

The 2023 amendment, effective June 16, 2023, revised the qualifications for licensure as a professional engineer; in Subsection A, Paragraph A(1), after "reputation", added "as determined by board rules"; in Subsection B, Paragraph B(1), after "following", added "combinations of education and experience; provided that experience shall only be considered after receiving the first qualifying engineering degree", in Subparagraph B(1)(a), after "engineering experience", deleted "subsequent to receiving the degree", in Subparagraph B(1)(b), after "engineering experience", deleted "in the United States subsequent to receiving the degree", in Subparagraph B(1)(c), after "engineering experience", deleted "subsequent to receiving the degree", in Subparagraph B(1)(d), after "engineering experience", deleted "in the United States subsequent to receiving the degree", in Subparagraph B(1)(e), after "engineering experience", deleted "subsequent to receiving the degree", and in Subparagraph B(1)(f), after "accredited by the", added "engineering"; and in Subsection D, Paragraph D(3), after "is", added "not applying for licensure in the structural discipline but is", and added Subparagraph D(3)(d).

The 2019 amendment, effective June 14, 2019, provided additional grounds for reciprocity for engineers licensed in other jurisdictions; and in Subsection D, added Paragraph D(3).

The 2017 amendment, effective July 1, 2017, revised the requirements for licensure as a professional engineer; in Subsection A, in Paragraph A(2), after "experience and reputation", deleted "other than professional engineers"; and in Subsection B, in Subparagraph B(1)(a), after "recognized by the board from a", deleted "board-approved engineering curriculum" and added "program accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or a program that fulfills the required content of the engineering education standard as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying", after "and has", added "at least", added new Subparagraph B(1)(b) and redesignated former Subparagraph B(1)(b) as Subparagraph B(1)(c), in Subparagraph B(1)(c), after "recognized by the board from a", deleted "board-approved engineering curriculum" and added "program accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or an institution that offers programs accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or that fulfills the required content of the engineering education standard as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying", added new Subparagraph B(1)(d) and redesignated former Subparagraphs B(1)(c) and B(1)(d) as Subparagraphs B(1)(e) and B(1)(f), in Subparagraph B(2)(a), after "recognized by the board from a", deleted "board-approved engineering curriculum" and added "program accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or a program that fulfills the required content of the engineering education standard as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying", and in Subparagraph B(2)(b), after "recognized by the board from a", deleted "board-approved engineering curriculum" and added "program accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or an institution that offers programs accredited by the engineering accreditation commission or that fulfills the required content of the engineering education standard as defined by the national council of examiners for engineering and surveying".

Applicability. — Laws 2017, ch. 42, § 20 provided that the provisions of Section 61-23-14.1 NMSA 1978 apply to persons initially applying for licensure as a professional engineer on or after July 1, 2017.

The 2012 amendment, effective July 1, 2012, changed the experience requirements for licensure; in Subsection B, deleted former language which provided internship, educational, and experience requirements for licensure; deleted former Subsection B which permitted applicants to take examinations approved by the board; and added Subsection B.

The 2005 amendment, effective June 17, 2005, changed the qualification in Subsection A.(e) to require a minimum of twelve years of engineering experience subsequent to the awarding or an engineering degree; provided in Subsection B that the board approves the appropriate examination and provided in Subsection C that the applicant must successfully complete the exam, the required experience and other requirements of this section to be eligible for a license.

The 2003 amendment, effective June 20, 2003, deleted Paragraph A(2) and redesignated former Paragraph A(2) as Paragraph A(3); substituted "meets one of the following requirements:" for "either" in present Paragraph (2); redesignated former Paragraphs A(3) and A(4) as Subparagraphs A(2)(a) and A(2)(b); and inserted Paragraphs A(c) through A(e).

The 1999 amendment, effective June 18, 1999, substituted "licensure" for "registration" and made similar changes throughout the section; deleted "related science or" preceding "engineering technology curriculum" in Subsection A(5).