Licensure & the Seal

• Licensure is granted by each state or jurisdiction to protect the public, not the profession. A licence in one state does not authorise practice in another; comity is a separate application.
• The usual path: pass the FE, become an engineer intern, gain qualifying experience, pass the PE.
• Offering engineering services to the public in a state generally requires a licence there, and many states also require the firm to hold a certificate of authorization.
• A seal certifies work prepared by the licensee or under their responsible charge — direct control and personal supervision.

Worked: a request to seal

A developer asks a licensed engineer to seal a set of drainage drawings prepared by an unlicensed designer the engineer has never supervised, for a fee, because the permit is due Friday. Sealing would certify work the engineer did not control. The right answer is to decline — or to take responsible charge by reviewing and redoing the design to the point it is the engineer’s own work, which takes as long as it takes.