54-1215. LICENSE — SEALS — INTERN CERTIFICATES. (1) The board shall issue a license upon payment of the fee as provided for in this chapter to any applicant who, in the opinion of the board, has satisfactorily met all of the requirements of this chapter for licensure as a professional engineer or professional land surveyor, and a certificate shall be issued to those who qualify as an engineer intern or a land surveyor intern. In the case of a professional engineer, the license shall authorize the practice of "professional engineering," and in the case of a professional land surveyor the license shall authorize the practice of "professional land surveying." Licenses shall show the full name of the licensee, shall give a license number, and shall be signed by the chairman and the secretary of the board under seal of the board.

(2) The issuance of a license by the board shall be prima facie evidence that the person named therein is entitled to all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of a licensed professional engineer or of a licensed professional land surveyor, provided that said license has not expired or has not been suspended or revoked.

(3) Each licensee hereunder shall, upon licensure, obtain a seal, the use and design of which are described below. It shall be unlawful for any person to affix or to permit his seal and signature to be affixed to any documents after the license of the licensee named thereon has expired or has been suspended or revoked, unless said license shall have been renewed, reinstated, or reissued, or for the purpose of aiding or abetting any other person to evade or attempt to evade any portion of this chapter.

(a) The seal may be a rubber stamp, crimp or electronically generated image. Whenever the seal is applied, the licensee’s signature and date shall also be included. If the signature is handwritten, it shall be adjacent to or across the seal. No further words or wording is required. A facsimile signature generated by any method will not be acceptable unless accompanied by a digital signature.

(b) The seal, signature and date shall be placed on all final specifications, land surveys, reports, plats, drawings, plans, design information and calculations, whenever presented to a client or any public or governmental agency. Any such document presented to a client or public or governmental agency that is not final and does not contain a seal, signature and date shall be clearly marked as "draft," "not for construction" or with similar words to distinguish the document from a final document. In the event the final work product is preliminary in nature or contains the word "preliminary," such as a "preliminary engineering report," the final work product shall be sealed, signed and dated as a final document if the document is intended to be relied upon to make policy decisions important to the life, health, property, or fiscal interest of the public.

(c) The seal and signature of the licensee and date shall be placed on all original documents in such a manner that such seal, signature and date are reproduced when the original document is copied. The application of the licensee’s seal and signature and the date shall constitute certification that the work thereon was done by him or under his responsible charge. Each plan or drawing sheet shall be sealed and signed and dated by the licensee or licensees responsible for each sheet. In the case of a business entity, each plan or drawing sheet shall be sealed and signed and dated by the licensee or licensees involved. Copies of electronically produced documents, listed in paragraph (b) of this subsection, distributed for informational uses such as for bidding purposes or working copies, may be issued with the licensee’s seal and a notice that the original document is on file with the licensee’s signature and the date. The words "Original Signed By:" and "Date Original Signed:" shall be placed adjacent to or across the seal on the electronic original. The storage location of the original document shall also be provided. Only the title page of reports, specifications and like documents need bear the seal and signature of the licensee and the date.

(d) The seal and signature shall be used by licensees only when the work being stamped was under the licensee’s responsible charge.

(e) The design of the seal shall be as determined by the board.

(4) The board shall issue to any applicant who, in the opinion of the board, has met the requirements of this chapter, a certificate as an engineer intern or land surveyor intern. The engineer intern or land surveyor intern certificate does not authorize the certificate holder to practice as a professional engineer or a professional land surveyor.

History:

[54-1215, added 1939, ch. 231, sec. 15, p. 516; am. 1957, ch. 234, sec. 10, p. 547; am. 1961, ch. 258, sec. 6, p. 422; am. 1978, ch. 170, sec. 11, p. 371; am. 1986, ch. 140, sec. 14, p. 375; am. 1996, ch. 357, sec. 12, p. 1185; am. 1997, ch. 49, sec. 1, p. 83; am. 2000, ch. 289, sec. 10, p. 991; am. 2001, ch. 247, sec. 5, p. 889; am. 2002, ch. 6, sec. 2, p. 6; am. 2007, ch. 219, sec. 3, p. 657; am. 2008, ch. 378, sec. 13, p. 1037.]