Alabama § 34-11-8 - Renewal of Certificates; Expired Licenses; Inactive Status; Retirement.

§ 34-11-8. Renewal of Certificates; Expired Licenses; Inactive Status; Retirement.

(a) The board, by rule, shall establish a procedure for renewing certificates of licensure on an annual or a biennial basis. It shall be the duty of the board to notify every licensee under this chapter of the expiration of the license and the fee required for the renewal. The board shall establish the renewal fee for each certificate of licensure which shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200) for annual renewal or four hundred dollars ($400) for biennial renewal.

(b) No licensee shall have his or her license renewed unless, in addition to any other requirements of this chapter, the minimum annual or biennial continuing professional education requirement is met. It is further provided that the continuing professional education program herein required shall not include testing or examination of the licensee in any manner. The board may, by rules, establish exemptions from the continuing professional education requirement for inactive licensees and others in extenuating circumstances as identified by rule of the board.

(c) Enrollment as engineer interns and land surveyor interns shall not expire.

(d) An individual who allows a license to expire due to non-renewal, fails to submit the required continuing education hours, or fails to pay the applicable renewal fees shall be treated as having an expired license and shall be ineligible to practice. An expired license may be reinstated at the discretion of the board, as follows:

(1) The license of a licensee who submits a reinstatement petition within two years of the expiration date may be reinstated upon substantiation by the applicant of all renewal requirements set forth in this chapter and rules of the board, including completion of all continuing education credits required to have been completed during the expired status period, along with a reinstatement fee determined by the board which shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500).

(2) Licensees whose licenses have been in expired status longer than two years are not eligible for reinstatement and must file an application for licensure following the application procedures as set forth in this chapter.

(3) The board may impose additional reasonable requirements for reinstatement deemed necessary to protect health, life, safety, welfare, and property.

(4) The board may consider extenuating circumstances of petitioners who can demonstrate hardship. The board may waive fees and other renewal or reinstatement requirements, provided the board does so in a manner that protects health, life, safety, welfare, and property.

(e) A licensee in inactive status may return to active status by notifying the board in advance of this intention and by meeting all requirements of the board, including demonstration of continuing professional education as a condition of reinstatement.

(f) An individual who has been issued a certificate of licensure as a professional engineer or as a professional land surveyor and who chooses to relinquish or not to renew a license may be granted use of the title “Professional Engineer, Retired” or “Professional Land Surveyor, Retired,” as applicable, if the individual applies to and is granted approval by the board.