NCBELS

What NCBELS does

The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS) is a state regulatory authority headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, responsible for licensing, regulating, and disciplining engineering and surveying professionals operating in the state. The Board administers applications, examinations, and renewals for Professional Engineers (PE), Professional Land Surveyors (PLS), Engineer Interns, Surveyor Interns, and engineering/surveying firms, and as of 2026 regulates more than 36,000 individual licensees and approximately 5,000 licensed firms. Core functions include enforcing statutory standards of competence, ethics, and continuing professional competency (CPC), investigating complaints, publishing disciplinary records, and adopting administrative rules under North Carolina General Statute 150B-21.3A.

NCBELS delivers its services through the MemberBase online portal, which functions as the system of record for license lookups, individual renewals, firm renewals, applications, and continuing education tracking. The Board partners with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) for national examinations, comity licensure pathways, and records transmission, including for military families. In 2025 the Board also approved Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Engineering and Surveying Services, extending its regulatory perimeter to cover AI-assisted professional practice.

As a North Carolina state government entity, NCBELS is funded by licensing and renewal fees rather than equity investment and is not an investable commercial enterprise. The Board is led by appointed members, currently chaired by Dr. Vinnie (Vinod) K. Goel, PhD, PE (appointed February 2026), with Andrew Ritter serving as Executive Director and a staff of 11–50. Recent operational priorities have focused on rule modernization, AI governance for licensees, and partnerships with North Carolina engineering programs.

Name

NCBELS

Legal name

The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors

Website

https://ncbels.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NCBELS is the North Carolina state regulatory board that licenses and disciplines more than 36,000 professional engineers and land surveyors and approximately 5,000 firms through examinations, biennial renewals, continuing education, and enforcement of professional and ethical standards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Engineering and Surveying Licensing

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Occupational Licensing Examination Authorities (EDADAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Labor, Employment Standards & Occupational Licensing Boards (BPAIAOAF)

Keywords

• Professional engineering licensing
• Land surveyor licensure
• License verification portal
• Continuing professional competency
• Regulatory board enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NCBELS licenses and regulates professional engineers (PE), professional land surveyors (PLS), engineer/surveyor interns, and engineering/surveying firms operating in North Carolina. The Board reviews applications, administers national examinations, processes comity and renewals, enforces continuing professional competency requirements, investigates complaints, publishes disciplinary actions, and maintains public license verification through an integrated MemberBase portal.

Product overview

NCBELS (North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors) is a state regulatory board that administers a portfolio of licensing, compliance, and enforcement services for the engineering and surveying professions. The core offerings include Professional Engineer (PE) and Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) licensure through examination and comity, along with Engineer Intern and Surveyor Intern certifications. The board also licenses approximately 5,000 engineering and surveying firms, manages continuing professional competency (CPC) requirements for over 36,000 licensees, operates license lookup and verification portals, and investigates violations of licensure law. All services are accessible through the MemberBase online portal system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Engineer (PE) Licensing Application, examination, and comity processing for Professional Engineer licensure in North Carolina, for engineers seeking statutory authority to practice.
• Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) Licensing Application and state-specific examination processing for Professional Land Surveyor licensure in North Carolina, including experience and comity pathways.
• Engineer Intern (EI) Certification Pre-professional certification for engineering graduates to become Engineer Interns as a step toward full Professional Engineer licensure in North Carolina.
• Surveyor Intern (SI) Certification Pre-professional certification program for surveying graduates to become Surveyor Interns, updated to include an apprenticeship pathway as of July 1, 2022.
• Business Firm Licensing Statutory licensing services for engineering and surveying firms operating in North Carolina, regulating approximately 5,000 licensed firms.
• Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) Continuing education tracking and credit-hour compliance program for individual licensees, including required ethics/professional conduct PDH.
• Enforcement and Complaints Investigation and enforcement of alleged violations of NC engineering and surveying licensure law, including disciplinary processes for licensees.
• License Verification Public-facing license verification system confirming valid licenses of engineers, surveyors, and firms licensed in North Carolina.
• License Lookup MemberBase online portal for verifying the license status of professional engineers, land surveyors, and firms licensed in North Carolina.
• Licensee Portal Online portal for licensees to manage license information, view renewal status, and access Board communications.
• Violations Lookup Public database allowing searches of disciplinary actions and violations taken against NCBELS licensees.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NCBELS participates in NCEES zone meetings and annual meetings. NCEES develops and administers national examinations for professional engineers and surveyors that NCBELS uses for licensure. The board also transmits NCEES records for military families seeking licensure by comity.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors: Georgia's state licensing board for professional engineers and land surveyors. Directly comparable to NCBELS in scope, service offerings, and Southeast US positioning, allowing for natural peer benchmarking.
• Florida Board of Professional Engineers: Florida's state board responsible for licensing, regulating, and disciplining professional engineers. Mirrors NCBELS' regulatory model, with comparable examination administration via NCEES and a similar licensee/firm oversight structure.
• Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors: Texas state regulatory board that licenses professional engineers and land surveyors, administers examinations, and enforces professional standards. Directly comparable to NCBELS in mandate, structure, and services, and one of the largest state boards by licensee count.
• Pennsylvania State Registration Board for Professional Engineers: Pennsylvania's state regulatory board for professional engineers. Performs equivalent functions to NCBELS including examination administration, license renewal, and enforcement, providing a comparable structural reference.
• California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists: California's state licensing board for engineers, land surveyors, and geologists. Closely comparable to NCBELS in exam administration, comity policies, and enforcement functions, with broader professional scope.
• Illinois State Board of Professional Engineers: Illinois' state licensing board for professional engineers. Operates the same regulatory mission as NCBELS, providing a peer reference for board structure, fee schedules, and continuing education enforcement.
• Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors: Ohio's state regulatory board for professional engineers and surveyors. Delivers the same licensing, examination, and discipline services as NCBELS and is a recognized peer among state engineering boards.
• Virginia Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects: Virginia's multi-disciplinary state licensing board covering engineers and land surveyors among other professions. Operates the same regulatory functions as NCBELS, with a regional Southeast adjacency relevant to NCBELS' market.
• New York State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying: New York's state regulatory body that licenses professional engineers and land surveyors. Comparable function and structure to NCBELS, though administered under the State Education Department rather than a standalone board.

Others

• National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES): National organization that develops and administers the engineering and surveying examinations used by NCBELS and all US state boards. A core strategic partner for NCBELS and the upstream provider of the exams that drive the entire licensure pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncbels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NCBELS