Interstate registration bodies

The ACT is now accepting applications for registration under the Professional Engineers Registration Scheme for all prescribed areas of engineering.

The current prescribed areas of engineering are:

• civil

• structural

• electrical

• mechanical

• fire safety

It is mandatory to be registered in these areas from 6 March 2025 to continue to provide professional engineering services in or for a project or purpose in the ACT.

Please visit the ACT professional engineering registration scheme for additional information. 

In New South Wales, you must register as a professional engineering if you are providing professional engineering work in one of these areas:

• civil

• electrical

• fire safety

• geotechnical

• mechanical, or

• structural engineering

and

• you are working on a regulated building. This means a class 2, 3 or 9c building or a building that includes a class 2, 3 or 9c part.

For additional information, visit New South Wales Design and Building Practitioners websites. 

In the Northern Territory the Building Practitioners Board registers engineers. Registration is only required for the building industry and certain areas of engineering. Visit the NT Building Practitioners Board for more information.

At this time South Australia doesn’t require engineers to be registered to practise.

In Tasmania Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) registers engineers.

Registration is only required for the building industry and certain areas of engineering.

There are three sub-classes of licensed engineers are: 

• fire safety

• building services 

• civil 

Visit the CBOS website for more information.

Under Victorian laws, a professional engineering service is an engineering service that requires, or is based on, the application of engineering principles and data to:

• a design relating to engineering, or

• a construction, production, operation or maintenance activity relating to engineering.

Professional engineering services are a specialist subset of engineering services. They are distinguished from other engineering services by a high degree of engineering judgement, knowledge and skill. Many, but not all, engineering services are professional engineering services.

The five prescribed areas of engineering under the Act are:

• fire safety engineering

• civil engineering

• structural engineering

• electrical engineering

• mechanical engineering

For additional information, visit the Consumers Victoria engineering registration page. 

From 1 July 2024, new laws require building engineers to be registered by the Building Services Board to carry out, or contract with consumers to carry out, building engineering work in Western Australia.

Registration will be implemented across three years:

• From 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2027 – structural, fire safety and fire systems engineers

• From 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2027 – civil and mechanical building engineers

If you plan to register in structural and civil, consider applying during the crossover period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2027 to minimise your application fees with the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS).

Registration will become mandatory for building engineers working in the prescribed areas of engineering on 1 July 2027. 

Visit DEMIRS for more information.