Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

What Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors does

The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) is the Texas state regulatory agency authorized to license professional engineers, registered professional land surveyors, engineer-in-training and surveyor-in-training certificate holders, licensed state land surveyors, and engineering and surveying firms operating in Texas. Established by emergency legislation on May 28, 1937, in the aftermath of the New London school explosion, and subsequently reorganized under the Texas Engineering Practice Act in 1965, the Board operates from Austin, Texas with 45 staff and a volunteer Surveying Advisory Committee of nine members. TBPELS enforces the Texas Engineering and Surveying Practice Acts, processes over 600 enforcement cases per year, and oversees a credentialed population of more than 69,000 Professional Engineers and 2,800 Registered Professional Land Surveyors.

TBPELS delivers its services through a stack of digital products built around the ECHO (Engineer's Cash Handling Online) portal for license management and renewals, the engineers.texas.gov online PE application system, public searchable rosters for licensees and firms, a Continuing Education Program (CEP) oversight system, and a complaint and enforcement case-tracking system. Examination services are administered through NCEES testing partnerships, while criminal history record checks are routed via IdentoGO under contract with the Texas Department of Public Safety. The agency also publishes technical advisories, monthly newsletters, and outreach webinars, and maintains a designated page addressing software engineering practice guidance and licensure in emerging sub-disciplines.

The Board's revenue model is statutorily defined fee-for-service: a $75 PE and RPLS application fee, recurring annual renewal fees for individual and firm licenses, late renewal penalties (up to 2x the standard fee), and continuing education oversight. Distribution is direct-to-licensee through self-serve online portals, paper mail, telephone and email support. TBPELS extends temporary international licensure to engineers from Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom under bilateral mutual recognition agreements. The agency is funded through Texas state government and operates under the Texas Occupations Code as a non-investor-backed state entity.

Name

Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Legal name

Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Website

https://pels.texas.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) is the Texas state regulatory agency that licenses professional engineers, land surveyors, engineers-in-training, surveyors-in-training, and engineering/surveying firms, enforcing the Texas Engineering and Surveying Practice Acts through digital portals (ECHO, engineers.texas.gov) from Austin, Texas with 45 staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Licensing and Regulation

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General) (BPAIAOAB)

Keywords

• Professional engineering licensing
• Land surveyor registration
• License renewal services
• Engineering firm registration
• Professional regulatory board

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. License and Registration Fees: TBPELS generates revenue through fees charged for professional engineer licenses, registered professional land surveyor registrations, engineer-in-training certifications, surveying firm registrations, and engineering firm registrations. Fees include application fees ($75 for PE and RPLS applications), renewal fees, and late renewal penalties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TBPELS is the Texas state regulatory agency authorized to license professional engineers, registered professional land surveyors, engineer-in-training candidates, surveyor-in-training candidates, licensed state land surveyors, and engineering and surveying firms. Core services include license application processing, examination coordination, online license renewal via the ECHO portal, continuing education program oversight, public roster maintenance, and enforcement/disciplinary actions.

Product overview

The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) operates as a regulatory licensing board rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings consist of professional licensing and certification services including: Professional Engineer (PE) licensing, Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS) licensing, Licensed State Land Surveyor (LSLS) licensing, Engineer-in-Training (EIT) and Surveyor-in-Training (SIT) certifications, and firm registrations. Supporting infrastructure includes the ECHO online portal for license management and renewals, an online PE application system, searchable public rosters, a continuing education program (CEP), complaint filing and enforcement services, Texas ethics examinations, criminal history record checks via IdentoGO, and temporary international licensure for engineers from treaty countries. These services are delivered through the pels.texas.gov and engineers.texas.gov web platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Engineer (PE) Licensing Licensure program for professional engineers including application processing, experience evaluation, examination administration (FE and PE exams), and license issuance for qualified engineers practicing in Texas.
• Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS) Registration Registration program for land surveyors including application review, PS and TSSE examinations, and annual registration renewals for surveyors performing boundary, topographic, and other surveying work in Texas.
• Licensed State Land Surveyor (LSLS) Licensing Specialized licensing for surveyors authorized to survey land in which the state or permanent school fund has an interest, including original surveys for General Land Office filing.
• Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Certification

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• South Korea (Mutual Recognition Agreement)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2016MRA signed March 10, 2016 streamlines mutual recognition of engineering qualifications between Texas and South Korea, enabling suitably qualified engineers to be licensed through KPEA for work in both jurisdictions.
• NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveying)coreTechnology or IntegrationNCEES is the national testing organization that administers the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam, and the Principles of Surveying (PS) exam. TBPELS coordinates with NCEES for examination administration and accepts NCEES exam scores and records for licensure verification.
• Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS)coreTechnology or IntegrationTXDPS administers the criminal history record check (CHRC) program for TBPELS through its vendor IdentoGO. Fingerprints are submitted electronically to TXDPS which provides criminal history information from Texas and FBI databases.
• IdentoGOcoreTechnology or IntegrationIdentoGO is the contracted vendor providing electronic fingerprinting services at enrollment centers across Texas and processing FD-258 ink card submissions for out-of-state applicants requiring criminal history record checks.
• Canada (NAFTA Agreement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement under NAFTA allowing licensed engineers from Canada to obtain temporary licensure in Texas and Texas PEs to apply for licensure in Canada. Requires minimum 7 years experience with 3 years as registered engineer.
• Mexico (NAFTA Agreement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAFTA-based agreement for temporary licensure of Mexican engineers in Texas. Currently under review for revised licensure provisions. Mexico licensees must have 12-16 years of experience depending on qualifications.
• Australia (AUSFTA Agreement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUSFTA-based Mutual Recognition Agreement allowing licensed engineers from Australia (through Engineers Australia) to obtain temporary licensure in Texas. Requires minimum 7 years experience with 3 years as registered engineer.
• Engineering Council UK (via NCEES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational mobility agreement allowing Chartered Engineers through Engineering Council UK who have an International NCEES Record to apply for Texas PE licensure through a streamlined process.
• Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative process between TBPELS and TDI for windstorm inspector appointments. Following HB 2439, TDI became exclusively responsible for establishing the list of Appointed Qualified Inspectors. TBPELS no longer maintains a windstorm roster.
• Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTWIA establishes certification processes for completed improvements (WPI-8-C certificates) and handles ongoing improvements (WPI-8s) in windstorm-inspected areas. Texas-licensed engineers may certify completed improvements comply with windstorm building codes.
• Texas America 250 CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState commission established to celebrate the semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) of the United States. TBPELS participates in promoting Texas history, including surveying history commemorations.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)minorOthersVA approved TBPELS under the GI Bill for reimbursement of FE and PE examination fees for veterans and eligible persons. Reimbursement is administered directly by VA, not TBPELS.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Engineers Australia: Australia's national professional body for engineers and counterpart under the AUSFTA mutual recognition agreement with TBPELS, performing professional credentialing, registration, and standards-setting in a different geography.

Others

• National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveying (NCEES): National organization that develops and administers the FE, PE, PS, and FS exams used by TBPELS and all U.S. state licensing boards; a core operating partner rather than a direct competitor, but functionally comparable as a standards-setting body for engineering and surveying licensure.

Broad incumbents

• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): Broader Texas state agency that licenses dozens of occupations and professions beyond engineering and surveying; represents the alternative umbrella regulatory model that could absorb TBPELS functions in a legislative consolidation scenario.

Direct peers

• California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists: The largest U.S. state licensing board for engineers and land surveyors, operating the same core licensing/enforcement model as TBPELS for the California PE, PLS, and geologist populations.
• Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists: Texas state licensing board for Professional Geoscientists with the same state-level structure as TBPELS, licensing a related technical profession through application, examination, renewal, and enforcement workflows.
• Florida Board of Professional Engineers: Florida state board licensing Professional Engineers through application, examination, and enforcement workflows analogous to TBPELS, serving another large and growing state licensee base.
• Texas Board of Architectural Examiners: Texas state licensing board for architects operating under an analogous statutory model, performing individual licensure, firm registration, enforcement, and continuing education oversight for a Texas professional occupation.
• Illinois Professional Engineering Board: Illinois state licensing body for Professional Engineers under the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, executing the same professional licensing and enforcement functions as TBPELS.
• New York State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying: New York state licensing authority for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, performing the same licensure, examination coordination, and disciplinary functions as TBPELS within a different state jurisdiction.
• North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors: North Carolina state board licensing both Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors under the same dual-discipline regulatory model as TBPELS, with parallel application, renewal, and enforcement workflows.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TBPELS_Exec
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCm0YTnjR3StveBxWhCT4MiA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TexasPELS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-board-of-professional-engineers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors