PML/SEL Structural Engineer Licensing
PML/SEL Structural Engineer Licensing: Freddie Mac Chapter 64 says Scenario Expected Loss-475 (SEL-475) used instead of the older term Probable Maximum Loss (PML), requiring consultants licensed to practice civil or structural engineering with a valid PE from Alaska, California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, or Tennessee. Ordinance 183893 §91.9305.1 separately requires a California-licensed civil or structural engineer or architect.
Last updated: September 8, 2026
What license does Freddie Mac Chapter 64 list?
Freddie Mac Multifamily Seller/Servicer Guide Chapter 64 lists Seismic Risk Assessment Requirements. Scenario Expected Loss-475 (SEL-475) is used instead of the older term Probable Maximum Loss (PML). Senior and Field Assessors must be licensed to practice civil or structural engineering. All consultants with a professional engineering designation must have a valid and current license issued by Alaska, California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, or Tennessee. A Level 1 SRA must be reviewed and signed by a Consultant meeting Senior Assessor qualifications; qualifications of all professionals must be attached to the report. ASTM Standard Guide E2026-16a and ASTM Standard Practice E2557-16a are named in Chapter 64.
| Path | Published license rule | |
|---|---|---|
| Freddie Mac SRA / SEL-475 (lender underwriting package) | Licensed to practice civil or structural engineering; PE designation from AK, CA, WA, OR, NV, UT, HI, or TN; Level 1 SRA reviewed and signed by Senior Assessor; quals attached | Chapter 64 PDF |
| Ordinance 183893 city structural analysis | civil or structural engineer or architect licensed by the state of California (§91.9305.1) | Ordinance 183893 PDF |
| California Structural Engineer title | Title authority granted to licensed Civil Engineers; hold unexpired valid CA Civil; pass NCEES PE Structural Exam; PE Act §6736 | BPELSG SE · PE Act |
Does the LADBS ordinance path use the same license rule?
No. Keep city and lender paths separate. Per Ordinance 183893 §91.9305.1, the owner shall cause a structural analysis to be made of the building by a civil or structural engineer or architect licensed by the state of California. §91.9306.6 lists County Recorder recordation at order service and a later certificate terminating the recorded status after demolition, not-in-scope finding, or structural alterations or analysis. §91.9310.2 states that the responsible engineer or architect shall provide statements on the approved plans. Those city acts are not the Freddie Mac Seismic Risk Assessment / SEL-475 path under Chapter 64.
| Document / act | License / actor listed | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Seismic Risk Assessment (SEL-475; older term PML) | Civil or structural engineering license; PE from Ch64 listed states | Freddie Mac Seller/Servicer underwriting package (Chapter 64) |
| City structural analysis (§91.9305.1) | Civil or structural engineer or architect licensed by the state of California | Ordinance compliance analysis (Ord 183893) |
| County Recorder recordation / terminating certificate (§91.9306.6) | Department files certificate | Recorded status / terminating certificate (Ord 183893) |
| Engineer/architect statements on approved plans (§91.9310.2) | Responsible engineer or architect | Design-time plan text (Ord 183893) |
California Structural Engineer title (BPELSG / PE Act)
BPELSG Structural Engineer Application states that California grants the authority to use the title Structural Engineer to licensed Civil Engineers. Applicants must hold an unexpired, valid California license as a Civil Engineer and have passed the NCEES PE Structural Exam before application. Professional Engineers Act §6736 says: no person shall use the title structural engineer unless licensed as a civil engineer in this state and found qualified as a structural engineer by the board.
| Claim | URL | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| SEL-475 instead of older PML | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | Scenario Expected Loss-475 (SEL-475) is used instead of the older term Probable Maximum Loss (PML) |
| Seismic Risk Assessment Requirements | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | Seismic Risk Assessment Requirements |
| Licensed civil or structural engineering | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | Licensed to practice civil or structural engineering |
| Senior Assessor 10 years general | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | 10 years of experience of general structural engineering of buildings |
| Senior Assessor five years seismic design | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | Five years of experience of seismic design and analysis experience of buildings |
| Senior Assessor three years SRA | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | Three years of experience of seismic risk assessment of buildings |
| Field Assessor five years general | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | Five years of experience of general structural engineering of buildings |
| Multi-state PE list AK/CA/WA/OR/NV/UT/HI/TN | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | Alaska, California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, and Tennessee |
| ASTM E2026-16a title via Ch64 | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | ASTM Standard Guide E2026-16a |
| ASTM E2557-16a title via Ch64 | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | ASTM Standard Practice E2557-16a |
| Form 1102 SRA Summary | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | Form 1102, Seismic Risk Assessment Summary |
| Level 1 SRA reviewed and signed by Senior Assessor | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | must be reviewed and signed by a Consultant meeting the qualifications of a Senior Assessor |
| SEL-475 and SUL-475 | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | SEL-475 and SUL-475 |
| ASCE 41-13 Table 4-6 Benchmark | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | ASCE 41-13, Chapter 4, Table 4-6 |
| Qualifications attached to report | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | The qualifications of all professionals must be attached to the report |
| Field/Senior Assessor ASTM E2026-16a §6.2.3 | mf.freddiemac.com/docs/chapters/mf_guide_ch_64.pdf | Field Assessor or Senior Assessor, as defined in the ASTM Standard Guide E2026-16a Section 6.2.3 |
| §91.9305.1 General | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | 91.9305.1. General. |
| CA civil/structural/architect for analysis | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | civil or structural engineer or architect licensed by the state of California |
| cause structural analysis by CA licensee | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | cause a structural analysis to be made of the building by a civil or structural engineer or |
| §91.9306.6 Recordation | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | 91.9306.6. Recordation. |
| file with County Recorder | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | file with the Office of the County Recorder |
| certificate terminating recorded status | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | certificate terminating the above recorded status |
| found not within scope | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | found not to be within the scope of this division |
| structurally capable after alterations/analysis | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | structurally capable of resisting minimum seismic forces as a result of structural alterations or analysis |
| §91.9310.2 Engineer/Architect Statement | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | 91.9310.2. Engineer’s or Architect’s Statement. |
| statements on the approved plans | cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2014/14-1697-S1_ord_183893_11-22-15.pdf | shall provide the following statements on the approved plans |
| PE Act §6736 title Structural Engineer | www.bpelsg.ca.gov/laws/pe_act.pdf | 6736. Use of title “Structural Engineer” |
| §6736 licensed civil engineer in this state | www.bpelsg.ca.gov/laws/pe_act.pdf | unless he or she is a licensed civil engineer in this state |
| BPELSG SE title authority on Civil | www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/seappintro.shtml | California grants the authority to use the title "Structural Engineer" to licensed Civil Engineers |
| Hold unexpired valid CA Civil | www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/seappintro.shtml | Hold an unexpired, valid California license as a Civil Engineer |
| Passed NCEES PE Structural Exam | www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/seappintro.shtml | Passed the NCEES PE Structural Exam |
| SE experience counted from Civil licensure | www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/seappintro.shtml | Structural engineering qualifying experience is counted three (3) years from the date of licensure as a Civil Engineer |
| BPELSG board name | www.bpelsg.ca.gov/ | Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists |
| SELC advocacy coalition | selicensure.org/ | Structural Engineering Licensure Coalition |
| SELC united voice advocating | selicensure.org/ | united voice advocating for structural engineering licensure |
| Nevada BPELS board | nvbpels.org/ | Nevada Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors |
| ASCE society | www.asce.org/ | American Society of Civil Engineers |
Frequently asked questions
What is PML/SEL Structural Engineer Licensing?
PML/SEL Structural Engineer Licensing covers two published paths. Freddie Mac Multifamily Seller/Servicer Guide Chapter 64 says Scenario Expected Loss-475 (SEL-475) used instead of the older term Probable Maximum Loss (PML) for Seismic Risk Assessment, and requires consultants licensed to practice civil or structural engineering with a valid and current PE license from Alaska, California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, or Tennessee. Separately, Ordinance 183893 §91.9305.1 states that a civil or structural engineer or architect licensed by the state of California prepares the city structural analysis.
What license does Freddie Mac Chapter 64 list for an SRA consultant?
Chapter 64 states that Senior and Field Assessors must be licensed to practice civil or structural engineering. All consultants with a professional engineering designation must have a valid and current license issued by one of: Alaska, California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, and Tennessee. A Level 1 SRA must be reviewed and signed by a Consultant meeting Senior Assessor qualifications, with qualifications attached to the report.
Can a civil engineer prepare a lender SRA / SEL-475?
Yes for the Freddie path when the consultant is licensed to practice civil or structural engineering and holds a valid PE from a Chapter 64 listed state (Chapter 64). California Structural Engineer title authority is separate: BPELSG states that California grants the authority to use the title Structural Engineer to licensed Civil Engineers who hold an unexpired valid California Civil license and pass the NCEES PE Structural Exam; PE Act §6736 restricts use of the title structural engineer to a licensed civil engineer in this state who is board-qualified.
Does Ordinance 183893 require the same license as Freddie Chapter 64?
No — keep the paths separate. Ordinance 183893 §91.9305.1 lists civil or structural engineer or architect licensed by the state of California for the city structural analysis. Chapter 64 lists multi-state PE designation states for Seismic Risk Assessment consultants.
What does California BPELSG say about the Structural Engineer title?
BPELSG Structural Engineer Application states that California grants the authority to use the title Structural Engineer to licensed Civil Engineers; applicants must hold an unexpired, valid California Civil Engineer license and have passed the NCEES PE Structural Exam before application. Professional Engineers Act §6736 states that no person shall use the title structural engineer unless licensed as a civil engineer in this state and board-qualified as a structural engineer.
Related
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