Overview – CPEng register

Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) is the most important quality mark attesting to the current competence of a professional engineer in New Zealand. It is a statutory title under the Chartered Professional Engineers Act of New Zealand 2002, (CPEng Act) which established a register of professional engineers whose competence is up-to-date.

In New Zealand the title CPEng can be used only by engineers on the CPEng register administered by IPENZ as the Registration Authority under the Act. The CPEng Rules (and amendments of 2004 and 2005) govern the way the Registration Authority carries out these functions. 

Registration is gained by demonstrating competence, which is re-assessed for currency at intervals not exceeding five years. The CPEng register includes the date at which each registrant’s next competence assessment is due, and is available at all times to the public. Click here to search the CPEng register.

Chartered Professional Engineers are assessed for competence in the practice area they have chosen; practice areas are particular to each CPEng, and may include unique mixes of competencies. The Chartered Professional Engineers’ code of ethical conduct requires that CPEngs work only within their competence – they must refuse to undertake any proposed work that lies outside their area of expertise.

Some regulatory authorities specify that certain kinds of work must be carried out or supervised by Chartered Professional Engineers – for example, inspections of moving machinery through the Occupational Safety and Health Service, and certification of the integrity of structures under the Building Act.

The CPEng register lists individuals, not engineering firms. People seeking to hire an engineer usually approach a company; once the company assigns an engineer to the work, the register can be checked to ensure that the engineer is a Chartered Professional Engineer.