PEO is moving ahead with two major reviews that will help shape the future of engineering regulation in Ontario: a comprehensive review of the Professional Engineers Act and a review of the Code of Ethics.
The Act sets the legal foundation for professional engineering, including how engineering is defined, licensed and governed. The Code of Ethics outlines the professional and ethical responsibilities of licence holders. Together, they support public trust in the profession.
Both reviews are important because engineering is changing quickly. New technologies, interdisciplinary work and evolving expectations for regulators are raising new questions about what should be regulated, how decisions should be made and what ethical practice looks like today.
Through consultation, research and analysis, PEO is working toward practical recommendations that keep public protection at the centre of engineering regulation.
Reviewing the Professional Engineers Act
As part of its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, PEO has launched a province-wide consultation on the Professional Engineers Act. The consultation is seeking input from engineers, employers, government, academics and other stakeholders on how engineering should be defined, regulated and governed in the years ahead.
“This is an opportunity to step back and ask foundational questions about how engineering should be regulated today and in the future,” says PEO CEO/Registrar Jennifer Quaglietta, P.Eng., MBA, ICD.D. “Our goal is to ensure the legislative framework continues to protect the public in a rapidly changing environment.”
The Act has not had a full strategic review since the 1980s. While it has been updated over time, engineering practice has changed significantly. The review will help determine whether Ontario’s engineering legislation remains clear, current and effective.
“Engineering today looks very different than it did when the act was last substantively reviewed,” Quaglietta says. “We need a regulatory framework that reflects how the profession is practised now and where it’s heading.”
Clarifying what professional engineering means today
A key question is what counts as the practice of professional engineering today, and which activities should be regulated to protect the public. PEO is seeking input on whether the current definition captures new and emerging fields.
The goal is clarity. A shared understanding of professional engineering helps determine who needs a licence, which activities require oversight and how regulation should apply as practice evolves.
“We are asking stakeholders to help define what engineering means in today’s context,” Quaglietta says. “That clarity is essential to ensuring regulation is focused on areas of real risk.”
Examining licensing, governance and public interest
The review will also examine licensing, governance and the meaning of public interest. This includes looking at whether current licence categories reflect the range of roles in the profession, and whether pathways to licensure are fair and accessible.
PEO will also assess whether its governance structures and decision-making processes support effective regulation in the public interest, including areas such as Council size, composition and election processes.
The review will also consider whether new approaches, such as expanded oversight of engineering firms, could help address risks to public safety.
“At its core, this review is about ensuring we have the right tools to protect the public,” Quaglietta says. “That means being clear about what we regulate, why we regulate it and how we deliver on that responsibility.”
Reviewing the Code of Ethics
PEO is also reviewing the Code of Ethics, which sets out the ethical responsibilities of licence holders. Council directed staff to review the Code in September 2025, with a focus on making it clearer, more practical and easier to apply.
The review is considering how the Code can better reflect modern engineering practice, PEO’s public interest mandate and emerging issues such as human rights, professional responsibility and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.
Proposed guiding principles
- Protect the public by putting safety, health and welfare first.
- Practise competently by maintaining the knowledge and skills needed for professional work.
- Act with integrity by being honest, fair, objective and accountable.
- Uphold the profession by supporting trust, dignity and ethical conduct in engineering.
The principles will help guide the development of an updated Code and supporting guidance for licence holders.
Next steps
Both reviews are moving forward through research, consultation and policy analysis. Feedback on the Professional Engineers Act will help PEO develop a roadmap for legislative modernization over the next four years.
For the Code of Ethics review, PEO has completed additional research and held internal consultation sessions with teams involved in interpreting, applying and enforcing the current Code. Feedback so far supports keeping the Code principles-based while making it clearer, more practical and easier to enforce.
The next stage of Code of Ethics engagement includes opportunities for licence holders, stakeholders and the public to provide feedback. A preliminary proposal is expected in September 2026, with a policy proposal anticipated in November 2026.
Together, the two reviews will help ensure PEO’s legislation and ethical guidance work in alignment: one setting the legal framework for regulation, the other clarifying the professional conduct expected of licence holders.
PEO will continue to share updates as both reviews progress.
Click here to share your input.
Help shape the future of engineering regulation. The deadline to provide input is July 18, 2026.