In 2013, Engineers Nova Scotia Council approved a motion to create a registrant category for limited licensure.

A limited engineering license is a license to practice professional engineering within a well-defined and limited scope of practice. This category of registration is for individuals who have academic qualifications other than a university engineering degree, who have gained several years of in-depth experience in the practice of professional engineering in very specific and narrow field under the supervision of a P.Eng., and who wish to take professional responsibility for engineering activities that fall within the approved scope of their limited license.

The limited license enables the license holder to independently practice engineering within a specific scope of practice and list of activities approved by the Board of Examiners of Engineers Nova Scotia, subject to on-going registration and professional development.

The title will be “Limited Engineering License” and the professional designation will be Eng. L. which represents “Engineering Licensee”. Stamps are issued as “Registered Limited License”.

Applying for an Eng. L. requires the applicant to provide supporting documentation to demonstrate the necessary education and complementary experience acceptable to the Board of Examiners to independently practice specific activities within the requested scope of practice.

Given that each limited license is unique and only applies to well-defined and narrow scope of practice, the approval process will likely take longer than a P.Eng. license application as the Board of Examiners reviews whether the practical experience under the supervision of P.Eng. submitted by the limited license applicant complements the academic qualifications sufficiently to allow the applicant to practice independently.

The Limited Engineering Licence Guide provides detailed information and guidance.

Requirements for a complete Limited Engineering Licence application:

• Completed online application
• Applicable application fee, annual dues, and stamp fee
• Three references
  • References must have known the applicant for a minimum of 12 months
  • Two references must be professional engineers registered in good standing with a Canadian jurisdiction
• One page summary of work experience
  • This summary will be forwarded to your references for confirmation
  • Example one page summaries can be found on the Application Resources Page
• Original transcript of marks sent from the University
  • by email to applications@engineersnovascotia.ca or
  • by mail to Engineers Nova Scotia, 1355 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3J 1Y9
• Course descriptions for any courses completed
  • by email to applications@engineersnovascotia.ca or
  • by mail to Engineers Nova Scotia, 1355 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3J 1Y9
  • Course descriptions should correlate with the courses listed on the transcript(s)
  • If official course descriptions are not able to be received from the University, applicants are advised to write a letter to submit with their application to explain why official course descriptions were not provided. Missing course descriptions may impact the outcome of an assessment.
• Detailed resume
  • Must include start and end dates for all engineering positions to date
• Detailed engineering experience records
  • Experience must be documented on the Engineers Nova Scotia Engineering Experience Record form.
• Current, valid, government issued, photo identification with signature
• Proposed Scope of Practice and Activity List Form and Supervisor Confirmation Form​
• Completed Company Application Form and Fees (if applicable)
  • Any companies that provide engineering services in NS must have a Certificate of Compliance from Engineers Nova Scotia.

Application Processing Time

• An application is considered complete once all application requirements have been submitted. The length of time it takes to get to a completed application will vary by applicant.
• Once an application is submitted, the online application portal and application status can be used to monitor outstanding requirements that must be submitted before an application can be considered complete.
• Once an application is complete, applicants can expect to receive a decision on their application within six months.
• Applicants are encouraged to utilize the online application portal and the application status feature to monitor the status and processing time for their particular application. 
• Note: application processing time may vary based on office closures and staff availability/workload.

Inactive Applications

Applications that have been inactive (no communication or requirements being submitted) for six months or more may require a second application fee for continued processing.