§ 7209. Special provisions. 1. Every professional engineer, land surveyor and professional geologist shall have a seal, approved by the board, which shall contain the name of the professional engineer and the words "Licensed Professional Engineer", the name of the land surveyor and the words "Licensed Land Surveyor" or the name of the professional geologist and the words "Licensed Professional Geologist", and such other words or figures as the board may deem necessary. All plans, specifications, plats and reports relating to the construction or alteration of buildings or structures, or geologic drawings and reports prepared by such professional engineer, all plans, specifications, plats and reports prepared by such land surveyor and all geologic drawings and reports prepared by such professional geologist or by a full-time or part-time subordinate under his or her supervision, shall be stamped with such seal and shall also be signed, on the original with the personal signature of such professional engineer, land surveyor or professional geologist when filed with public officials. No official of this state, or of any city, county, town or village therein, charged with the enforcement of laws, ordinances or regulations shall accept or approve any plans, specifications, or geologic drawings or reports that are not stamped:

a. With the seal of an architect or professional engineer or land surveyor or professional geologist licensed in this state and bearing the authorized facsimile of the signature of such architect or professional engineer or land surveyor or professional geologist, or

b. With the official seal and authorized facsimile of the signature of a professional engineer or land surveyor or professional geologist not a resident of this state and having no established business in this state, but who is legally qualified to practice as such in his or her own state or country, provided that such person may lawfully practice as such in this state, and provided further that the plans, specifications, or geologic drawings or reports are accompanied by and have attached thereto written authorization issued by the department certifying to such right to practice at such time.

2. a. To all plans, specifications, plats and reports to which the seal of a professional engineer or land surveyor has been applied, there shall also be applied a stamp with appropriate wording warning that it is a violation of this article for any person, unless he or she is acting under the direction of a licensed professional engineer or land surveyor, to alter an item in any way. If an item bearing the seal of an engineer or land surveyor is altered, the altering engineer or land surveyor shall affix to the item his or her seal and the notation "altered by" followed by his or her signature and the date of such alteration, and a specific description of the alteration.

b. To all geologic drawings and reports to which the seal of a professional geologist or professional engineer has been applied, there shall also be applied a stamp with appropriate wording warning that it is a violation of this article for any person, unless he or she is acting under the direction of a professional geologist or professional engineer, to alter a drawing or report in any way. If an item bearing the seal of a licensed professional geologist or professional engineer is altered, the altering party shall affix to the item his or her seal and the notation "altered by" followed by his or her signature and the date of such alteration, and a specific description of the alteration. Nothing contained in this article shall be deemed to authorize a professional geologist to practice professional engineering unless he or she is licensed as a professional engineer pursuant to this article.

3. No county, city, town or village or other political subdivision of this state shall engage in the construction or maintenance of any public work involving engineering or land surveying for which plans, specifications and estimates have not been made by, and the construction and maintenance supervised by, a professional engineer or land surveyor; provided that this section shall not apply to the construction, improvement or maintenance of county roads or town highways, nor to any other public works wherein the contemplated expenditure for the completed project does not exceed five thousand dollars. This section shall not be construed as affecting or preventing any county, city, town or village or other political subdivision of this state from engaging an architect licensed in this state for the preparation of plans, specifications and estimates for and the supervision of construction or maintenance of public works.

4. Engineers, land surveyors, geologists, architects, and landscape architects may join in the formation of a joint enterprise, or a partnership or a professional service corporation or a design professional service corporation or may form any desired combination of such professions and may use in the name of such corporation the title of any of the professions which will be practiced. After the name of each member his or her profession shall be indicated.

5. A firm name may be continued by employees having at least fifteen years of continuous service if the retired members and legal representatives of deceased members consent to such continuance.

6. It shall be lawful for a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the state of New York which on the fifteenth day of April, nineteen hundred thirty-five and continuously thereafter, was lawfully practicing engineering or land surveying in New York state, to continue such practice provided that the chief executive officer shall be a professional engineer licensed under this article, if practicing engineering, or a land surveyor licensed under this article, if practicing land surveying, and provided further that the person or persons carrying on the actual practice of engineering or surveying on behalf of, or designated as "engineer" or "surveyor", with or without qualifying or characterizing word, by such corporation shall be authorized to practice engineering or land surveying as provided in this article. It shall be lawful for a corporation which, on account of or as a result of requirements, restrictions or provisions of federal law, was organized subsequent to April fifteenth, nineteen hundred thirty-five for the purpose of taking over an existing engineering organization established prior to such time and which has taken over such organization and continued its engineering activities, provided that the chief executive officer of such corporation shall be a professional engineer licensed under this article and provided further, that the person or persons carrying on the actual practice of engineering on behalf of, or designated as "engineer", with or without qualifying or characterizing word, by such corporation, shall be authorized to practice engineering as provided in this article. No such corporation shall change its name or sell its franchise or transfer its corporate rights, directly or indirectly to any person, firm or corporation without the consent of the department. Each such corporation shall obtain a triennial registration on payment of a fee of fifty dollars.

7. Nothing in this article shall be construed to apply:

a. To the preparation or execution of designs, drawings, plans or specifications for the construction or installation of machinery, or apparatus constructed or installed by the corporation preparing such designs, drawings, plans or specifications if the supervision of the preparation of any such designs, drawings, plans or specifications, construction or installation is done under the general direction of a professional engineer or land surveyor licensed under this article; or

b. To alterations to any building or structure costing ten thousand dollars or less which do not involve changes affecting the structural safety or public safety thereof nor to farm buildings, including barns, sheds, poultry houses and other buildings used directly and solely for agricultural purposes; nor to residence buildings of gross floor area of fifteen hundred square feet or less, not including garages, carports, porches, cellars, or uninhabitable basements or attics.

8. Nothing in this article shall prohibit a corporation organized and existing prior to the fifteenth day of April, nineteen hundred thirty-five under the laws of any state other than the state of New York, the name of which includes the word "engineers", from obtaining a certificate of authority to do business in the state of New York, provided that the business proposed to be done by such corporation within this state, as set forth in the statement and designation provided for by section thirteen hundred four of the business corporation law, shall not include the practice within this state of engineering or land surveying.

9. a. Any person who knowingly damages, destroys, disturbs, removes, resets, or replaces any boundary marker placed on any tract of land by a licensed land surveyor, or by any person at the direction of a licensed land surveyor, for the purpose of designating any point, course or line in the boundary of such tract of land in which he or she has no legal interest, shall be punished by a civil fine of not more than five hundred dollars and shall be liable for the cost of reestablishment of said boundary marker.

b. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph a of this subdivision, a licensed land surveyor licensed under section seventy-two hundred three of this article or a person acting at the direction of any such licensed land surveyor, may remove an existing marker if substandard in nature in order to place an upgraded marker in the same location and shall note the same on the map of survey.