FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. "I have a question for Board staff but how do I know who to ask for when I call the Board office?"

2. "I notice the Board's rule permits electronic signing and sealing of plans.  Can I use a CAD generated seal or a rubber stamp?"

3. "When must all the material for my application be in the Board office in order for me to sit for the Fundamentals or Principles and Practice examinations?"

4. "Does Florida require continuing education in order to renew my P.E. license?"

5. "I noticed that the engineering licensure law permits engineers to elect Retired Engineer status. What does this entail?"

6. "How do I file a complaint?" "What about unlicensed activity complaints?"

7. "What are the qualifications to sit for the Fundamentals Examination to attain certification as an Engineer Intern?"

8. "In my practice as a Professional Engineer I have been asked by governmental entities to provide building inspection services. Do I need to be registered as a building official to provide these services?"

9. "When taking over an engineering job from another engineer, do I need to redraw all the plans?"

10. "I am a graduate of an ABET accredited university with a bachelors in civil engineering, took the Principles and Practice exam in civil engineering, and have been practicing as a Professional Engineer for a number of years. Can I sign and seal the electrical and/or mechanical plan sheets on the convenience store we are working on?"

11. "Occasionally I have been asked by a contractor or other professional to sign and seal plans they did. I understand I can only sign and seal plans over which I have had responsible charge but what is meant by "responsible charge?"

12. "My Special Inspector Certification has expired. How do I reinstate?"

13. "When I search for the licensure status of a professional engineer or engineering firm and I don't find any information, does this mean they are not licensed?"

14. "When does the new Florida Building Code take effect?"

15. "Isn't there some training required that involves the new Florida Building Code?"

16. "Can I get continuing education credit with the FBPE when I take the building code course?"

"I have a question for Board staff but how do I know who to ask for when I call the Board office?"

Most of the primary responsibilities are listed under the staff person's name on the FBPE homepage, along with their extension number and e-mail address. If you have a question that is not covered under one of those categories, please relay your question to the receptionist, who will put you through to the appropriate person.

"I notice the Board's rule permits electronic signing and sealing of plans.  Can I use a CAD generated seal or a rubber stamp?"

Effective November 16, 2009 engineers will now have the option of using an embossing seal or rubber stamp.  CAD generated seals are not permitted under the Board's current rules.  The electronic signing and sealing method described in the Board's rules refers to a secure method of submitting plans to agencies equipped to accept them in this format.

"When must all the material for my application be in the Board office in order for me to sit for the Fundamentals or Principles and Practice Examinations?"

Please visit www.fbpe.org.  Chose the tab on the left of the screen called "Application".  Select the type of application for the examination you wish to take.  The instructions contain applicable deadlines for filing and dates by which all paperwork must be submitted to complete the file and appropriate fee..

"Speaking of fees, am I entitled to a refund if my application is denied?"

Application fees are earned fees and are not subject to refund.  The fundamentals application has no portion of fees subject to refund.  If your application is denied for the Principles and Practice examination, you may request a refund of the license fee.

"Does Florida require continuing education in order to renew my P.E. license?"

In order to renew your license you must complete eight hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. Four of those hours must be related to Florida’s engineering laws and rules and four must relate to the licensee’s area of practice.

For the complete text of Rule 61G15-22, F.A.C., click on Laws and Rules right here in the website.

"When do I have to complete these hours?"

Your license expires February 28, 2011. Between March 1, 2009 and February 28, 2011, you will need to complete the required eight hours.

"My firm wants to offer continuing education seminars. How do we get qualified as a continuing education provider?"

The Board’s continuing education rule sets forth the qualifications for continuing education providers. Please contact Ms. Nancy Wilkins by either telephone or e-mail at nwilkins@fbpe.org to obtain an application. Provider applications are available on this website in the section entitled "Continuing Education."

"I noticed that the engineering licensure law permits engineers to elect Retired Engineer status. What does this entail?"

If you would like to convert your license to retired status, you can download an application from this website. Fill it out and return it to the Board office. The Board must review and approve all applications for retired status. Engineers on Retired Status may use the term "Professional Engineer, Retired" or "P.E., Retired;" however, they must refrain from the active practice of engineering and the use of their seal. Should you wish to convert your license back to active status, you will have to make application for licensure and meet the licensure criteria in effect at the time of application.

"How do I file a complaint?"

If you would like to file a complaint involving either licensed OR unlicensed activity, please download a copy of the Uniform Complaint Form which can be found in the Discipline section of this website. If you want to talk to someone about it please call the Board office and ask to speak with one of the Investigators. Once you file a complaint, you will receive acknowledgement that we have the complaint and that it is being analyzed to determine if what you have alleged is against the law. If your complaint is not a violation of law you will receive a letter indicating the file is being closed. If it is determined that the allegation you have made, if true, would constitute a violation of the engineering laws or rules, you will be notified that an investigation will take place. Following the investigation, the case will go to the FBPE Probable Cause Panel, which is similar to a grand jury, and they will determine if the case should be recommended to the full FBPE for discipline. The FBPE then serves as jury in the case and decides guilt or innocence as well as the level of discipline if the accused is found guilty.

"Will the accused know who filed the complaint?"

Yes. The subject of the complaint has the right to have a copy of the initial complaint documents.

"What are the qualifications to sit for the Fundamentals Examination to attain certification as an Engineer Intern?"

You must be a graduate of an approved engineering curriculum in a school, college or university approved by the Board. Programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the American Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) meet the requirements of Rule 61G15-20.007, F.A.C.

"What if my degree is from a foreign university and/or is not accredited by EAC/ABET?"

If the above statement applies to your education, you will be required to submit, as part of your application, an evaluation by one of the Board approved educational evaluators.  Josef Silny and Associates or NCEES Credentials Evaluation Services.  The evaluation and any other advanced degrees will be reviewed to determine if you satisfy the criteria of Rule 61G15-20.007, F.A.C.

"I passed the examination several years ago and never received my wall certificate."

You should contact our office to request review of your records.  You will be advised of the need to submit a final transcript or if your address of record is incorrect, we will update the record and mail the certificate.

"In my practice as a Professional Engineer I have been asked by governmental entities to provide building inspection services. Do I need to be registered as a building official to provide these services?"

No. In 1998 the legislature adopted H4439 which contained a provision making it clear that P.E.’s can provide building inspection services without being licensed by the Board of Building Code Administrators; however, when providing those services the engineer is subject to the disciplinary guidelines under the Building Code Administrators Act. Complaints, inspections, and discipline that arise out of a P.E.'s performance of building inspections shall be conducted by the FBPE.

"When taking over an engineering job from another engineer, do I need to redraw all the plans?"

No, not necessarily. Rule 61G15-27.001, F.A.C. however, makes it clear that a successor engineer seeking to reuse already sealed documents must be able to document that he has, in fact, recreated all the work done by the original engineer. In other words, all site visits, research, and the like must be documented and producible upon demand. In addition, he or she must remove the old title block and use his own and, of course, accept all professional and legal responsibility for the documents.

"I am a graduate of an ABET accredited university with a bachelors in civil engineering, took the Principles and Practice exam in civil engineering, and have been practicing as a Professional Engineer for a number of years. Can I sign and seal the electrical and/or mechanical plan sheets on the convenience store we are working on?"

Maybe…Maybe not. Rule 61G15-19.001, F.A.C., sets forth the grounds for discipline and states plainly that performing an engineering assignment when not qualified by training or experience in the practice area involved is misconduct in the practice of engineering. That determination as to being "qualified" is made by the Professional Engineer but you should be aware that negligence is defined as failure to have due regard for acceptable engineering principles and that you can only sign and seal documents that conform to acceptable engineering safeguards for life, property, and welfare of the public. In addition, incompetence is defined as the inability of the Professional Engineer to perform duties normally expected of a Professional Engineer.

"Occasionally I have been asked by a contractor or other professional to sign and seal plans they did. I understand I can only sign and seal plans over which I have had responsible charge but what is meant by "responsible charge?"

Consider the following test found in Rule 61G15-18.011, F.A.C.: An engineer who signs and seals engineering documents in responsible charge must be capable of answering questions relevant to the engineering decisions made during the engineer’s work on the project, in sufficient detail as to leave little doubt as to the engineer’s proficiency for the work performed. It is not necessary to defend decisions as in an adversarial situation, but only to demonstrate that the engineer in responsible charge made them and possessed sufficient knowledge of the project to make them. Examples of questions the engineer must be able to answer include the criteria for design, methods of analysis, selection of materials and systems, economics of alternate solutions, and environmental considerations.

"My Special Inspector Certification has expired. How do I reinstate?"

When the Special Inspector Program transferred to the Board of Professional Engineers, a list of active Special Inspectors was entered into our data bank. Engineers whose Certification was due to expire in 2000 were granted an extension from the Board so that renewals could be coordinated with the renewal of your professional engineers license. If your certification expired prior to 2000, there is no means of simply reinstating your certification. The Board requires that you reapply. When reapplying you must complete the entire application. Once an application is deemed complete it will be presented to our Application Committee for review. If your application is approved, your certification will be issued with the previous number. If your application is denied, you will be advised of your right to appeal under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

"When I search for the licensure status of a professional engineer or engineering firm and I don't find any information, does this mean they are not licensed?"

If you perform a search on www.myfloridalicense.com and are unable to find licensure information on a professional engineer who you think is licensed, call the Board office. We can check the computer database for alternative spellings of the name and confirm licensure for you. Most of the Board office staff can help you with this.

If you are trying to confirm that an engineering firm has a Certificate of Authorization, call the Board office and ask for Ms. Frances Ingram. She will verify the firm's licensure status.

"When does the new Florida Building Code take effect?"

The effective date of the new Florida Building Code is March 1, 2009.

"Isn't there some training required that involves the new Florida Building Code?"

Yes. However, the training is only for engineers who actively participate in designing buildings, structures, or facilities covered by the Florida Building Code. See Rule 9B-70.001, F.A.C.