APEGA Council Approves 2024 Registrant and Permit Holder Dues Increase

The engineering and geoscience landscapes are continually evolving, presenting new challenges and complexities. To maintain our ability to be a strong regulator and in response to the unpredictable economic climate, APEGA Council has made the difficult decision to increase registrant and permit holder dues for a second year.

This increase is necessary to ensure our regulatory oversight remains comprehensive and effective so we can continue protecting Albertans from unethical and unlicensed practice. This did not go to membership for voting because the budget process is an operational matter that is endorsed by the Audit Committee and approved by Council.

Effective July 1, 2024, annual registrant dues will increase by $54 to $500, plus GST. The base rate for permit holders will increase by $50 to $600, plus GST. The flat rate for sole practitioners will not change.

In addition, reinstatement fees will increase:

• from $446 to $500, plus GST, for professional members, licensees, and professional licensees
• from $223 to $250, plus GST, for members-in-training
• from $141.43 to $300, plus GST, for permit holders 

The new amount will be reflected on invoices starting in June 2024. Invoices are available approximately one month before the registrant’s or permit holder’s anniversary date as an APEGA registrant. For more information, see the Member and Permit Holder Dues page.

While your dues remain among the lowest of the major professions, such as teachers, accountants, doctors, and lawyers, we understand this news may be disappointing. We encourage those who are unemployed or on leave to see if they qualify for a dues reduction before paying their dues invoice. We are unable to apply a reduction once the invoice has been paid.

We also recommend exploring the discounts offered through our member benefits program. In 2023, APEGA registrants who took advantage of the program saved an average of $500 a year on travel, gas, cellphone plans, insurance, and more.

What measures has APEGA taken to reduce costs?

Prior to Council making the difficult decision to increase registrant and permit holder dues, APEGA found cost savings and efficiencies, and we obtained more revenue sources.

For example, APEGA:

• conducted most board and committee meetings (investigative, discipline, appeals, enforcement review) and hearings virtually to reduce costs associated with hosting in-person meetings
• optimized the appeal hearing process, which has reduced legal costs
• embraced recruitment tools, which have enhanced the efficiency of our hiring and onboarding processes
• adopted internet-based providers, which has reduced infrastructure costs
• is relocating our Edmonton office to a new location with reduced square footage to lower operational costs
• actively sought and applied for grants and sponsorships to secure funding for events and initiatives

What are dues used for?

More than half of dues go directly towards sustaining self-regulation and supporting critical regulatory work that protects the public. The remainder supports APEGA’s regulatory functions through corporate services, professional sustainability, communications, and more.

Learn how registrant dues are allocated

How do APEGA registrant dues compare to those of other professional regulatory bodies?

APEGA’s registrant dues are among the lowest of the major regulated professions in Alberta, such as teachers, accountants, doctors, and lawyers

Figure 1: Chart showing the comparison of APEGA's member dues to other regulated professions in Alberta. The dues represented for APEGA are in effect July 1, 2024. 

Figure 2: Chart showing the comparison of APEGA's member dues to other engineering and geoscience regulators across Canada. The dues represented for APEGA are in effect July 1, 2024.