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- 83rd Session (2025)
Assembly Bill No. 270–Assemblymembers
Hafen, Backus and Marzola
CHAPTER..........
AN ACT relating to professional regulation; revising provisions
relating to a certificate of registration to practice architecture;
revising provisions relating to certain examinations required
for licensure as a professional engineer or professional land
surveyor; revising the circumstances under which the State
Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors may
waive certain examinations for certain applicants for
licensure; and providing other matters properly relating
thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law prohibits a person from practicing architecture in this State
without a certificate of registration issued by the State Board of Architecture,
Interior Design and Residential Design. (NRS 623.180) Before receiving a
certificate of registration, existing law requires an applicant to pass an examination
adopted by the Board. (NRS 623.200) Section 1 of this bill requires the Board,
through December 31, 2026, to accept evidence that the applicant is a laureate of
the Pritzker Architecture Prize in lieu of an examination.
Existing law requires an applicant for licensure as a professional engineer to
pass: (1) an examination on the fundamentals of engineering or receive a waiver of
that requirement; and (2) an e xamination on the principles and practices of
engineering that must cover the discipline of engineering in which the applicant is
applying for licensure. Existing law prohibits an applicant from taking the
examination on the principles and practices of eng ineering unless the applicant has
passed the examination on the fundamentals of engineering or received a waiver of
that requirement. Existing law authorizes the State Board of Professional Engineers
and Land Surveyors to waive the examination on the funda mentals of engineering
if the applicant: (1) has graduated from an engineering curriculum that is approved
by the Board; and (2) has 15 or more years of experience in engineering. (NRS
625.183, 625.193)
Sections 1.5 and 2 of this bill remove the requirement that an applicant must
pass the examination on the fundamentals of engineering or receive a waiver of that
requirement before taking the examination on the principles and practices of
engineering. Section 2 revises the y ears of experience required to waive the
examination on the fundamentals of engineering from 15 years of experience in
engineering to 10 years of active experience in engineering.
Existing law requires an applicant for licensure as a professional land sur veyor
to pass: (1) an examination on the fundamentals of land surveying or receive a
waiver of that requirement; and (2) an examination on the principles and practices
of land surveying. Existing law prohibits an applicant from taking the examination
on th e principles and practices of land surveying unless the applicant: (1) is a
graduate of a land -surveying curriculum of 4 or more years that is approved by the
Board; and (2) has passed the examination on the fundamentals of land surveying
or received a wai ver of that requirement. Existing law: (1) authorizes the Board to
waive the examination on the fundamentals of land surveying if the applicant has
15 or more years of experience in land surveying; and (2) requires the Board to
consider graduation from a l and-surveying curriculum that is approved by the
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Board to be equivalent to 4 years of experience for purposes of the waiver. (NRS
625.270, 625.280)
Sections 3 and 4 of this bill remove the requirements that an applicant must be
a graduate of a land -surveying curriculum that is approved by the Board and pass
the examination on the fundamentals of land surveying or receive a waiver of that
requirement before taking the examination on the principles and practices of land
surveying. Section 4 revises the requi rements to waive the examination on the
fundamentals of land surveying by: (1) adding a requirement that an applicant be a
graduate of a land-surveying curriculum that is approved by the Board; (2) revising
the years of experience required from 15 years of experience in land surveying to
10 years of active experience in land surveying; and (3) removing the requirement
for the Board to consider graduation from a land -surveying curriculum that is
approved by the Board to be equivalent to 4 years of experience.
Existing law sets forth certain requirements for the content and administration
of examinations on the fundamentals of engineering or land surveying and the
principles and practices of engineering or land surveying. (NRS 625.193, 625.280)
Sections 2 and 4 remove those requirements and instead require applicants for
licensure to pass an applicable examination administered by the National Council
of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying or its successor organization or
another equivalent examination that is approved by the Board.
EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 623 of NRS is hereby amended by adding
thereto a new section to read as follows:
The Board shall, in lieu of all examinations for a certificate of
registration to practice architecture, accept satisfactory evidence
that an applicant is a laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Sec. 1.5. NRS 625.183 is hereby amended to read as follows:
625.183 1. A person who is 21 years of age or older may
apply to the Board, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter
and any regulations adopted by the Board, for licensure as a
professional engineer.
2. An applicant for licensure as a professional engineer must:
(a) Be of good character and reputation; and
(b) Pass the examination on the:
(1) Fundamentals of engineering or receive a waiver of that
requirement; and
(2) Principles and practices of engineering,
pursuant to NRS 625.193.
3. An applicant for licensure as a professional engineer is not
qualified for licensure unless the applicant is a graduate of an
engineering curriculum of 4 years or more that is approved by the
Board and has a record of 4 years or more of active experience i n
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engineering which is satisfactory to the Board and which indicates
that the applicant is competent to be placed in responsible charge of
engineering work. An applicant [who is eligible to ] may take the
examination on the principles and practices of engin eering pursuant
to paragraph (b) of subsection [2] 1 of NRS 625.193 [may take the
examination on the principles and practices of engineering ] before
the applicant meets the active experience requirements for licensure
set forth in this subsection.
4. To determine whether an applicant for licensure as a
professional engineer has an adequate record of active experience
pursuant to subsection 3:
(a) Graduation from a college or university in a discipline of
engineering with a master’s or doctoral degree is equivalent to 2
years of active experience, except that, in the aggregate, not more
than 2 years of active experience may be satisfied by graduation
from a college or university with such degrees, regardless of the
number of degrees earned.
(b) Two of the 4 years of active experience must have been
completed by working under the direct supervision of a professional
engineer who is licensed in the discipline in which the applicant is
applying for licensure, unless that requirement is waived by the
Board.
(c) The execution, as a contractor, of work designed by a
professional engineer, or the supervision of the construction of that
work as a foreman or superintendent, is not equivalent to active
experience in engineering.
5. A person who is not working in t he field of engineering
when applying for licensure is eligible for licensure as a
professional engineer if the person complies with the requirements
for licensure prescribed in this chapter.
Sec. 2. NRS 625.193 is hereby amended to read as follows:
625.193 1. The examination for licensure as a professional
engineer must consist of:
(a) An examination on the fundamentals of engineering [that
must cover the subject matter of a general education or training in
engineering.] administered by the National Council of Examiners
for Engineering and Surveying or its successor organization or
another equivalent examination that is approved by the Board. If
the applicant for licensure as a professional engineer has graduated
from an engineering curriculum that is approved by the Board and
has [15] 10 years or more of active experience in engineering, the
examination on the fundamentals of engineering may be waived by
the Board.
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(b) An examination on the principles and practices of
engineering that must cover the discipline of engineering in which
the applicant is applying for licensure [.] , administered by the
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying or
its successor organization or another equivalent examination that
is approved by the Board.
2. [An applicant for licensure as a professional engineer must
pass the examination on the fundamentals of engineering or receive
a waiver of that requirement before the applicant may take the
examination on the principles and practices of engineering.
3. When determining the content of the examinations on the
fundamentals of engineering and the principles and practices of
engineering, the Board shall consider the recognized disciplines of
engineering and may conform the examination to the particular
qualifications of the applicant.
4.] The Board may require additional examinations for
licensure in specialized areas of practice within one or more
recognized disciplines of engineering.
[5. The Board may administer or authorize an accredited
college or un iversity that offers a program in engineering approved
by the Board to administer the examination on the fundamentals of
engineering to persons who are not applicants for licensure as
professional engineers in this state.
6. The Board may prescribe or li mit the use of notes, texts and
reference materials by applicants who are taking the examinations.
7.] 3. The Board may require the examinations or any portion
of the examinations set forth in this section to be completed:
(a) In writing, with a pen or pencil of a type that has been
approved by the Board;
(b) With a computer that has been provided or approved by the
Board; or
(c) Orally, in the manner prescribed by the Board.
Sec. 3. NRS 625.270 is hereby amended to read as follows:
625.270 1. A person who is 21 years of age or older may
apply to the Board, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter
and any regulations adopted by the Board, for licensure as a
professional land surveyor.
2. An applicant for licensure as a professional land surveyor
must:
(a) Be of good character and reputation;
(b) Pass the examination on the fundamentals of land surveying
required by paragraph (a) of subsection 1 of NRS 625.280 or receive
a waiver of that requirement; and
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(c) Pass the examination on the principles and practices of land
surveying required by paragraph (b) of subsection 1 of NRS 625.280
. [; and
(d) Have a record of 4 or more years of active experience in land
surveying that is satisfactory to the Board an d indicates that the
applicant is competent to be placed in responsible charge of land -
surveying work.]
3. An applicant for licensure as a professional land surveyor
[may] is not [take the examination on the principles and practices of
land surveying req uired by paragraph (b) of subsection 1 of NRS
625.280] qualified for licensure unless the applicant is a graduate of
a land-surveying curriculum of 4 years or more that is approved by
the Board [.] and has a record of 4 years or more of active
experience i n land surveying which is satisfactory to the Board
and indicates that the applicant is competent to be placed in
responsible charge of land surveying work. An applicant may take
the examination on the principles and practices of land surveying
required by paragraph (b) of subsection 1 of NRS 625.280 before
the applicant meets the active experience requirements for
licensure set forth in this subsection.
4. To determine whether an applicant for licensure as a
professional land surveyor has an adequate rec ord of active
experience pursuant to subsection [2:] 3:
(a) Two of the 4 years of active experience must have been
completed by working under the direct supervision of a professional
land surveyor, unless that requirement is waived by the Board.
(b) The execution, as a contractor, of work designed by a
professional land surveyor, or the supervision of the construction of
that work as a foreman or superintendent, is not equivalent to active
experience in land surveying.
5. A person who is not working in the field of land surveying
when applying for licensure is eligible for licensure as a
professional land surveyor if the person complies with the
requirements for licensure prescribed in this chapter.
Sec. 4. NRS 625.280 is hereby amended to read as follows:
625.280 1. The examination for licensure as a professional
land surveyor must consist of:
(a) An examination on the fundamentals of land surveying [that
must cover the subject matter of a general land -surveying education
or training. ] administered by the National Council of Examiners
for Engineering and Surveying or its successor organization or
another equivalent examination that is approved by the Board. If
the applicant for licensure as a professional land surveyor has [15]
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graduated from a land -surveying curriculum that is approved by
the Board and has 10 years or more of active experience in land
surveying, the examination on the fundamentals of land surveying
may be waived [. For the purposes of determining the y ears of
experience of an applicant for licensure as a professional land
surveyor pursuant to this paragraph, the Board shall consider
graduation from a land -surveying curriculum that is approved ] by
the Board . [to be equivalent to 4 years of experience.]
(b) An examination on the principles and practices of land
surveying [.] administered by the National Council of Examiners
for Engineering and Surveying or its successor organization or
another equivalent examination that is approved by the Board.
2. [An applicant for licensure as a professional land surveyor
must pass the examination on the fundamentals of land surveying or
receive a waiver of that requirement before the applicant may take
the examination on the principles and practices of land surveying.
3. The Board may administer or authorize an accredited college
or university that offers a program in land surveying approved by
the Board to administer the examination on the fundamentals of land
surveying to persons who are not applicants for licens ure as
professional land surveyors in this state.
4. The Board may prescribe or limit the use of notes, texts and
reference materials by applicants who are taking the examinations.
5.] The Board may require the examinations or any portion of
the examinations set forth in this section to be completed:
(a) In writing, with a pen or pencil of a type that has been
approved by the Board;
(b) With a computer that has been provided or approved by the
Board; or
(c) Orally, in the manner prescribed by the Board.
Sec. 5. 1. This section and section 1 of this act become
effective upon passage and approval.
2. Sections 1.5 to 4, inclusive, of this act become effective on
October 1, 2025.
3. Section 1 of this act expires by limitation on December 31,
2026.
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