We provide resources to assist our stakeholders in understanding our regulatory role and how we protect the public interest.
As part of its regulatory mandate, PEO establishes, maintains and develops: standards of knowledge and skill; standards of practice for the profession; standards of professional ethics; and promotes public awareness of its role. The following are resources to assist PEO stakeholders--licence holders, applicants, and the public--in understanding their roles and responsibilities and the regulator’s work protecting the public interest.
Resources
Ontario professional engineers are part of a community of more than 87,500 PEO licence and certificate holders committed to enhancing the quality of life, safety and well-being in the province.
As Ontario’s engineering regulator, PEO relies heavily on its volunteers. More than 1,000 professional engineers, engineering interns and non-engineers volunteer their time each year on behalf of the association through their participation.
PEO's mandate, as described in the Professional Engineers Act, is to ensure that the public is protected and that individuals and companies providing engineering services uphold a strict code of professional ethics and conduct.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee to belong to a local chapter?
Membership is free! There are 36 chapters, organized into 5 regions, across the province. Once you have registered as a member of PEO you will be automatically assigned to a chapter based on your postal code.
What does Council do?
· Functions as the governing body and board of directors of PEO
· Provides overall direction for the association and the profession
· Upholds PEO's duty to protect the public interest
· Sets and maintains high standards for professional engineering practice
· Collaborates with government to respond to critical policy issues
· Recognizes emerging engineering disciplines
What is the purpose of Council?
· PEO Council works to ensure that the Professional Engineers Act is updated to reflect changes in the practice of engineering and responds to the evolving needs and expectations of the public. In 2010, the last time the Act was opened, 66 amendments were made with input from Council.
Why does my vote matter?
· Self-regulation of engineering in Ontario is a privilege - not a right.
· By voting in the Council elections, you’re doing your part to ensure that we, as professional engineers, are in a strong position to continue regulating our own profession to protect the public interest and promote the integrity of engineering in Ontario.
· In the 2017 Council elections, 16.38 per cent of eligible voters participated.
Why should I run for Council?
· Engineering Dimensions article: Animating members to a greater governance role
Testimonial from Past President Annette Bergeron, P.Eng., MBA, FEC:
"Serving as President of Council was a tremendous leadership opportunity. Our Council now needs diversity and I encourage all P.Engs to consider ‘real change’.”
Can I use PEO number or email to log in?
Previously, you were able to log in using either your PEO number or email as your username. However, with MFA enabled, the username must match your registered username. That is, if your web user account is created with email as your username, you must log in with your email; if your web user account is created with your PEO number, you must log in with your PEO number.
Who can practice professional engineering?
In most situations only a professional engineer can practice professional engineering in Ontario. According to the Act "professional engineer" means a person who is granted a licence or a temporary licence by Professional Engineers Ontario. PEO can also issue a limited licence to an individual who, as a result of 10 or more years of specialized experience, has developed competence in a clearly defined area of professional engineering. Holders of limited licences are able to practice only within a narrowly defined area of professional engineering. Unlicenced individuals, such as technologists and technicians, are able to do any of the tasks normally reserved for professional engineers only if they are working under the supervision of a P.Eng.
Does the PEAK program apply to engineers who work in a practice area where the “industrial exception” may apply?
Yes. The PEAK program applies to all licence holders regardless of their practice status. However, licence holders who work in a practice area where the “industrial exception” may apply should be careful about selecting a “not practising” status for several reasons: the industrial exception is narrow in its application; the industrial exception only relates to the need for a PEO licence, not to the determination of practice status; and they would still be practising even if they are “not stamping” or “not providing engineering services to the public.”
Does PEO offer any guidance on the Practice Review?
Yes, PEO provides guidance for how these reviews can be carried out fairly, consistently, thoroughly and in a manner that complies with the purpose of the review. The primary purpose of the Conducting a Practice Review guideline is to define the content of practice reviews so reviews can be conducted consistently. Here is the link to the "Conducting a Practice Review" guideline: https://www.peo.on.ca/sites/default/files/2019-10/Conducting-a-Practice-Review_1.pdf
How should licence holders answer the Practice Evaluation questionnaire?
The Practice Evaluation questionnaire is presented to licence holders who are currently practising or intend to practise later in the year. The questionnaire was created by PEO alongside Council’s CPD task forces. The task forces comprised engineers representing a range of demographics(a council member, academic engineer, in-house engineer, non-practising engineer, government engineer, manufacturing engineer, sole practitioner, retired engineer, and engineer at a consulting practice.) The wording of the questionnaire was refined in 2022 and PEO will continue to review and revise it, as required.
Note: It is possible that some individuals could find the questions irrelevant to them, indicating that perhaps they should select the non-practising status.