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When endorsement is required
Registered professional engineers who would like to provide professional engineering services to the building industry must have their registration endorsed.
The registration and endorsement of engineers to work in the building industry under the Professional Engineers Registration Act 2019 (Professional Engineers Registration Act) has replaced the registration of building practitioners in the category of engineer under the Building Act 1993 (Building Act).
Endorsement can be obtained at the time of registration or added after.
What you need to apply for endorsement:
- Assessment Outcome Report from an assessment entity showing a recommendation for endorsement
- Professional Indemnity Insurance certificate of currency
- Document linking you with the insurance policy (if applicable), and
- Payment of applicable fees.
Applying for registration and endorsement
Current registration
If you are already registered as a professional engineer in Victoria, you can apply to have endorsement added through your myCAV account. Find more information about maintaining your registration and endorsement.
Important: Only registered professional engineers with a ‘practising’ status can be endorsed. If you are registered as non-practising, you will need to change your practising status before applying for endorsement.
New registration
For new registrations, you can apply for endorsement as part of the registration process. Find more information about applying for registration and endorsement.
Mutual recognition
If you are a registered professional engineer in another Australian state or territory, or in New Zealand, registration through mutual recognition may be available. Find more information about mutual recognition.
Endorsement requirements
To apply for endorsement to practise as a professional engineer in the building industry, you must also have demonstrated knowledge and practical application of:
- Victorian building laws and standards, and
- the operation and use of the National Construction Code as it applies to the relevant area/s of engineering.
Important: You must provide an Assessment Outcome Report from a BLA approved assessment entity showing a successful endorsement assessment.
If you apply for endorsement of your registration to practise as a registered professional engineer in the building industry, the BLA will refer your application to the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) for a report on whether you are a fit and proper person under the Building Act. Read the 'fit and proper person' requirements.
Maintaining your endorsement
Annual endorsement statement
As an endorsed building engineer, you must submit an annual statement and confirm your professional indemnity insurance details each year. You can manage this through your myCAV account. Find more information about the annual endorsement statement.
Renewing your registration and endorsement
Registration and endorsement of professional engineers is for 3 years., You must apply to the BLA to renew your registration and endorsement every 3 years.
To be eligible to renew your registration and endorsement, you must have completed the applicable continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. For more information regarding CPD, go to Renew your registration and endorsement.
The BLA will send you a notice before your registration and endorsement expire. You will also be given instructions on how to renew your registration and endorsement in myCAV.
Insurance requirements
Endorsed building engineers must at all times be covered by the professional indemnity insurance required by section 135 of the Building Act and the current Ministerial Order.
If your name does not appear on the professional indemnity insurance certificate of currency, you will be required to provide a letter or document establishing a link between the policy holder (business) and yourself.
For example, a signed letter on a company letterhead or an ASIC extract to verify your role as a director of the company named in the policy.
For full details on insurance requirements, visit Insurance - VBA website.
Documents required:
- Professional Indemnity Insurance certificate of currency
- Document linking you with the insurance policy (if applicable)
It is an offence under the Building Act to work as a registered professional engineer engaged in the building industry without the required insurance.
The VBA can provide further information on your professional indemnity insurance obligations as an endorsed professional engineer. Visit the VBA website or call 1300 815 127.
Surrendering or cancelling your endorsement
You may, at any time, surrender your endorsement with the consent of the BLA and VBA.
You can also surrender your endorsement and retain your registration. However, if you surrender your endorsement, you cannot provide professional engineering services in the building industry.
If you surrender your registration or endorsement, you may be entitled to a partial refund of your application or renewal fees (as applicable). To apply for a refund, send a request to the BLA using the BLA enquiry form.
Find more information about the surrender, suspension or cancellation of your registration or endorsement.
Read the 'fit and proper person' requirements below:
Fit and proper persons under the Building Act 1993
To decide whether you are a ‘fit and proper person’, the VBA will consider whether you:
- in the last 10 years (whether you were in Victoria or outside Victoria):
- have been convicted or found guilty of any offence involving fraud, dishonesty, drug trafficking or violence that was punishable by imprisonment for 6 months or more
- have been convicted or found guilty of an offence under any law regulating building work or building practitioners
- have had any registration, licence, approval, certificate or other type of authorisation as a building practitioner suspended or cancelled for any reason other than your failure to renew this authorisation
- have been convicted or found guilty of an offence* involving:
- misleading conduct in relation to goods or services; or
- false or misleading representation in relation to goods or services; or
- bait advertising; or
- accepting payment without intending or being able to provide services or goods; or
- harassment or coercion in connection to goods, services, payment of goods or services or the sale, grant (or possible sale or grant) of interest in land, or payment for interest in land.
* Offences as defined in the following legislation:
Fair Trading Act 1999 – section 10, 11, 12, 17, 19 or 21
Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) – section 53, 55, 55A, 56, 58 or 60
Australian Consumer Law (Victoria) – section 29, 33, 34, 35, 36, 50, 151, 157, 158 or 168
Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) – section 29, 33, 34, 35, 36, 50, 151, 157, 158 or 168
- in the last 10 years a court or the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) subjected you to an order that has not been complied with within the period required by the court or VCAT, where the order was issued under:
- the Building Act 1993 or regulations under that Act; or
- the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 or the regulations under that Act.
- an insolvent under administration
- an externally administered body corporate within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth);
- are or have been disqualified from managing corporations under Part 2D.6 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
- have had an insurer ever decline, cancel, or impose special conditions on any indemnity insurance or public liability insurance related to your work as a building practitioner in Victoria or in an equivalent building occupation in another State or Territory
- personally or as company director, have any outstanding judgment debt:
- for amounts recoverable by an insurer under a policy of insurance for domestic building work (referred to in section 137A or 137B of the Building Act 1993) that has not been satisfied within the period required to do so; or
- owed to the Victorian Building Authority as a debt due under this Act that has not been satisfied within the period required to do so; or
- in relation to a domestic building dispute that has not been satisfied within the period required to do so.
- have performed any of the following roles for a company (or companies) within two years of that company (or companies) going into external administration?
- Director
- Secretary
- Influential person (a person who is in a position to control or substantially influence the company's conduct).