You were activated: no colegiación dues and no penalty

It is the law that keeps serving from costing you your licence. If your profession requires compulsory colegiación and you are mobilized, the law takes you out of the dues, shields you from penalties for late reports, stops the continuing-education clock and discounts one third of the dues on your return.

All personnel who are members of the Uniformed Services, as well as civilian employees of the Corps of Engineers, of the National Disaster Medical System, or members of the State Guard, who practise in Puerto Rico a profession or trade requiring a licence issued by the competent authority whose colegiación is compulsory, or requiring periodic forms or reports, and who are mobilized in or outside Puerto Rico and activated to attend extraordinary contingencies.

• Practising in Puerto Rico a profession or trade requiring a licence from the competent authority and whose colegiación is compulsory, or requiring periodic forms or reports.Verified against the official source
• Having been mobilized, in or outside Puerto Rico, and activated to attend extraordinary contingencies: disaster management emergency; state security, domestic or international national security; peacekeeping and stabilization missions; humanitarian missions; or as part of a sustained war effort in one or more theatres of operations.Verified against the official source
• So you are not penalized for late reports or documentation: presenting the excusing reason to the corresponding Examining Board or Colegio no later than sixty (60) days after your military order expires.Verified against the official source

• Article 7 says evidence of service consists of the joint presentation, in original, of: (1) the military identification; (2) the document granting any decoration or citation awarded, if any applies, for having performed the service or which in itself entails having been on active duty during the relevant dates; (3) the DD-214 or NG22 service form; (4) the Commander’s Verification of Deployment; (5) a copy of the Official Personnel Orders; and (6) Permanent Change of Station Orders.
• An alternative the law itself accepts: a recommendation letter certified by the components and corps listed in Article 2(a), (f), (g) and (l), stating that the service member does meet the requirements to claim the provisions of any of this Act’s articles.

1. 1

   Step 1: While active: you do not pay and you are not penalized

   Article 3 is the heart of the Act. Every qualifying professional “shall be exempt from paying the colegiación dues for the period during which they are active, nor shall any penalty apply for not paying those dues”. It is not a payment plan or a deferral: it is an exemption for that period.

2. 2

   Step 2: The deadline that runs against you: sixty days

   It is the only thing in this Act that can lapse on you, so it goes separately. That same Article 3 says no penalty may be imposed for filing reports or the documentation needed to renew your licences late before the Examining Board or Colegio, “provided the excusing reason is presented to the corresponding Examining Board or Colegio no later than sixty (60) days after the military order expires”. It counts from when the military order expires, not from when you get back or when you remember.

3. 3

   Step 3: On returning: one third less in the next annuity

   Article 4 says that every professional listed in Article 3, “on their return to Puerto Rico or when the state activation period ends, shall have an exemption of one third (1/3) of the total colegiación dues applied in their next annuity”. It is not the colegio’s discretion: it is what the law provides.

4. 4

   Step 4: If you serve regularly outside Puerto Rico, there is a discount too

   Article 5 covers the case many believe falls outside: the colegiado professional who is outside Puerto Rico serving regularly in the Active Forces, and who is not in the Article 3 scenarios, “shall be exempted from paying one third (1/3) of the colegiación dues to keep current the certification to practise the profession in Puerto Rico”.

5. 5

   Step 5: Continuing education stops, and credits are reprogrammed

   Article 6 exempts from continuing-education requirements every colegiado professional who is a member of the Reserve Components of the Armed Forces and of the Active Forces on regular active duty who is outside Puerto Rico for a period longer than a year, and every colegiado member of the State Guard on state active duty during that period. And it adds the practical part: where a given number of credits must be met within an interval of time, the credits shall be programmed per year so that the time you were active is not counted.

6. 6

   Step 6: If they say no: the law carries a fine and up to triple damages

   Article 10 is the part worth having at hand at the counter. Any natural or juridical person who intentionally violates or in any way denies or hinders the enjoyment of any of the benefits granted by this Act commits a crime and, upon conviction, shall be punished with a fine of no less than one thousand ($1,000) and no more than five thousand ($5,000) dollars. The Court’s sentence must also order that the colegiado be granted, without delay, the benefits granted by this Act. And natural or juridical persons, public or private, who obstruct or act so as to affect beneficiaries’ rights shall be liable for the damages they cause, including attorney’s fees, and at the Court’s discretion an award of up to triple the damages may be imposed.

7. 7

   Step 7: The rule of construction, in case the colegio reads it narrowly

   Article 8 says three things that change an argument: this Act shall be construed in the broadest and most beneficial way for the colegiado; every right it recognizes is granted in addition to any other provided by law; and in case of conflict between its provisions and any other statute in force, whichever proves more favourable to the colegiado professional shall prevail.

8. 8

   Step 8: What Act 7-2026 added: Space Force and domestic missions

   Two things. First, the Space Force was added to the definitions of Reserve Components, Armed Forces and Uniformed Services, so its members enjoy these benefits like those of the other branches. Second, and more important in practice: “humanitarian missions” now expressly include those occurring inside the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico, authorized in response to a major disaster or public health emergency declaration by the President, the Governor or another competent authority; and “peacekeeping and stabilization missions” now include domestic missions to maintain or restore public order and civil stability in support of local authorities, in cases of large-scale civil disturbance, insurrection or a martial law declaration.

Before your Examining Board or your Colegio, whichever governs your profession. Article 9 authorizes every colegio with mandatory membership to adopt the regulation needed to grant these benefits and to publicize their availability, and requires every Examining Board or Colegio to adopt the regulation needed for these exemptions to be taken into account during licence renewal. The law publishes no address, phone or portal for any particular board or colegio.

• Paying the dues while activated believing they will refund it later: the law exempts you from payment for that period.
• Letting the sixty (60) days from the military order’s expiry pass: that is the deadline to present the excusing reason and avoid penalties for late reports.
• Believing the exemption on return covers the whole dues: Article 4 exempts one third (1/3) of the total in the next annuity.
• Thinking it only covers overseas deployments: since Act 7-2026, humanitarian and stabilization missions include domestic activations, Puerto Rico’s included.
• Assuming the Space Force is left out: Act 7-2026 added it to the three definitions governing who qualifies.
• Accepting a “no” from the colegio without more: Article 10 makes denying or hindering these benefits a crime, with a $1,000 to $5,000 fine and liability for damages.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Oficina del Procurador del Veterano Puertorriqueño

  Procurador del Veterano

  bvirtualogp.pr.gov

• Act 7-2026 (adds the Space Force and domestic missions)

  oslpr

  bvirtualogp.pr.gov