Introduction

To ensure apartments are being built to the required standard and to help in restoring consumer confidence, legislation has been introduced in the construction industry.

Professional engineers who work on class 2 buildings or buildings with a class 2 part, in any of the following areas, now need to be registered.

Professional engineer registration classes include: 

  • civil 
  • electrical 
  • geotechnical 
  • mechanical 
  • structural  
  • fire safety.

Registration is for 1, 3 or 5 years. Fees are applicable.

Note: If eligible, you can also apply for 2 other registration types in the same digital application:

  • design practitioner – if you’ll make design compliance declarations and/or lodge documents on the NSW Planning Portal
  • principal design practitioner – if you’ll coordinate and lodge designs by other design practitioners for the building practitioner.

If you’re already registered in another Australian state/territory or in New Zealand, you can apply to have your registration recognised under mutual recognition provisions

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, you need to:

What you need

  • a MyServiceNSW Account
  • proof of identity such as an Australian driver licence, passport or Medicare card
  • your National Police Check certificate that is valid for 4 months when you submit your application (Name and Date of Birth Check only)
  • copies of your degree, postgraduate degree, diploma or National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (NVR) course certificates and/or transcripts
  • your contact details
  • a current credit card for payment.

How to apply

  1. Check the eligibility criteria for the registration types and classes you want to apply for.
  2. Gather your certificates and other required documents.
  3. Select the ‘Apply online’ button.
    Note: You can save and resume your application, but if you have not submitted it within 60 days, any details you’ve entered will be deleted. 
  4. Log in, or create your MyServiceNSW Account.
  5. Follow the prompts to apply for your professional engineer registration.

More information

When you apply for registration, you'll:

  • need to wait for your application to be assessed and approved by NSW Fair Trading 
  • be contacted by NSW Fair Trading if further information is needed
  • be notified about the result of your application within 28 days of submitting it (unless placed on hold, pending further information)
  • receive your registration ID if approved.
Last updated: 29 September 2023