Section 1380.280  Endorsement

a)         Any person who holds an unexpired certificate of registration or license to practice professional engineering, issued under the laws of another state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia and who desires to become licensed by endorsement shall file an application, on forms provided by the Division, together with:

1)         The required fee specified in Section 1380.275.

2)         Proof of meeting requirements substantially equivalent to those in force in this State at the time of original or subsequent licensure by examination in the other jurisdiction, including official conferred college transcripts, and verification of experience.

3)         A certification by the jurisdiction of original licensure and certification of current licensure from the jurisdiction of predominant active practice including the following:

A)        The time during which the applicant was licensed in that jurisdiction, including the date of the original issuance of the license;

B)        The basis of licensure and a description of all licensure examinations by which the applicant was licensed in that jurisdiction and the date of successful passage of the examinations; and

C)        Whether the records of the licensing authority contain any record of disciplinary action taken or pending against the applicant.

4)         If the qualifications of the applicant at the time of original licensure did not meet the requirements in effect at that time for licensure in this State, the applicant may submit additional certifications from other jurisdictions to indicate meeting the qualifications in effect in this State at the time of any later licensure.

5)         In lieu of the documentation specified in subsections (a)(2), (3) and (9), an applicant may submit a current NCEES Record.

6)         Non-approved program applicants shall, at their expense, submit an NCEES Credential Evaluation that verifies their degree meets the requirements specified in Section 1380.220(a).  Applicants shall obtain the forms from NCEES Engineering and Surveying Credentials Evaluations, 200 Verdae Boulevard, Greenville, SC 29607.

7)         Applicants who graduated from a program outside the United States or its territories and whose first language is not English must provide the Division proof of passage of the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL-iBT) with a minimum score of 26 on the speaking module and a total minimum integrated score of 88.  In order to determine applicants whose first language is English; the applicant shall submit verification from the school that the program from which the applicant graduated was taught in English.  However, any applicant who subsequently earned a post-graduate degree in engineering from an accredited educational institution in the United States or its territories shall not be subject to this requirement.

8)         The Division may, in individual cases, upon the recommendation of the Board, waive a portion of the examination requirements after consideration of the quality of an applicant's engineering education and experience, including whether he or she has graduated from an approved engineering program, has achieved special honors or awards, has had articles published in professional journals, has participated in the writing of textbooks relating to professional engineering, and any other attribute which the Board accepts as evidence that such applicant has outstanding and proven ability in the practice of professional engineering.

9)           Acceptable Experience: Applicants for endorsement having obtained the following acceptable experience, in accordance with Section 1380.230, shall be considered in compliance with the experience requirements of Section 10 of the Act:

A)        Under Section 10(a) of the Act, at least 4 years of acceptable experience after receipt of the baccalaureate degree, or

B)        Under Section 10(b) of the Act, at least 8 years of acceptable experience after receipt of the baccalaureate degree.

10)         Appendix A of this Part outlines the licensure requirements in force during various periods and should be consulted by the applicant to aid in the evaluation of his/her qualifications.

b)         The Division shall examine each endorsement application to determine whether the qualifications of the applicant at the time of original or subsequent licensure were substantially equivalent to the requirements then in force in this State. 

c)         When the accuracy of any submitted documentation listed in subsection (a), or the relevance or sufficiency of the course work or experience is questioned by the Division or the Board, because of lack of information, discrepancies or conflicts in information given or a need for clarification, the applicant seeking a license will be requested to provide such information as may be necessary and appear for an oral interview before the Board.

d)         The Division shall either issue a license by endorsement to the applicant or notify such applicant of the reasons for the denial of the application.  An applicant not qualified for licensure by endorsement will automatically be reviewed under the provisions of Section 1380.250.

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 876, effective January 5, 2023)