Registration and regulation

Each country or state/province has specific procedures and requirements for the license or registration.


United States

In the United States, registration or licensure of Professional Engineers is performed by the individual states. Each registration or license is valid only in the state in which it is granted. Many Professional Engineers maintain licenses in several states for this reason, and comity between states can make it easy to obtain a license in one state based on licensure in another state without going through the full application process. [1] The licensing procedure varies but the general process is:
Graduate with a degree from an accredited four-year university program in engineering.
Complete a standard Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) written examination, which tests applicants on breadth of understanding of basic engineering principles, and optionally some elements of an engineering specialty. Completion of the first two steps typically qualifies for certification in the U.S. as an Engineer-In-Training (EIT), sometimes also called an Engineer Intern (EI).[2]
Accumulate a certain amount of engineering experience under the supervision of a P.E. In most states the requirement is four years, but in others the requirement is lower.
Complete a written Professional Engineering examination, testing the applicant's knowledge and skills in a chosen engineering discipline (mechanical, electrical, civil, for example), as well as engineering ethics.

In a few states, it is still possible for an individual to bypass steps 1 and 2, and apply to take the Professional Engineering examination, as long as a P.E. will sponsor the applicant and work experience can be substituted for academic experience. The years of experience may also vary; for instance, in California it is possible to take the Professional Engineering examination with only two years of experience after a bachelor's degree, or one year of experience after graduate school.

Some states issue generic Professional Engineering licenses. Others, known as "discipline states", issue licenses for specific disciplines of engineering, such as Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. In all cases, however, engineers are limited to practicing in their area of competency, which is usually a small portion of a discipline. While licensing boards do not often enforce this limitation, it can be a factor in negligence lawsuits.

Since regulation of the practice of engineering is performed by the individual states in the U.S., areas of engineering involved in interstate commerce are essentially unregulated. These areas include much of Mechanical Engineering, such as Automotive Engineering and Aerospace Engineering, and Chemical Engineering, and may be specificly exempted from regulation under an "Industrial Exemption". An industrial exemption covers engineers who design products such as automobiles that are sold (or have the potential to be sold) outside the state in which they are produced, as well as the equipment used to produce the product. Structures subject to building codes are not covered by an industrial exemption.

Civil Engineers account for a large majority of licensed Professional Engineers, and many of the remainder are Mechanical and Electrical Engineers whose practice involves areas that states regulate, such as HVAC systems and power engineering. However, some engineers in other fields obtain licenses for prestige even though they are never required to sign and seal design documents.

The title "Engineer" is legally protected in many states, meaning that it is unlawful to use it unless permission is specifically granted by a state, through a Professional Engineering license, an industrial exemption, or certain other non-Professional Engineering licenses such as Operating Engineer. Employees of state or federal agencies may also call themselves engineers if that term appears in their official job title. These laws are not frequently enforced unless the individual is explicitly offering engineering services to the public. Likewise, a business cannot offer engineering services to the public or have a name that implies that it does so unless it employs at least one Professional Engineer.

Most states limit the practice of Civil Engineering and other branches of engineering not exempt from regulation to holders of the appropriate license, or to people working under the supervision of a licensed engineer.

In many states, Professional Land Surveyors are regulated in a similar manner, often by the same state board as engineers or architects: Land Surveyors are required to pass a Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, perform a period of internship and then pass a Practices of Surveying (PS) Exam. A four-year degree in engineering or land surveying may also be required. In a few states, licensed Civil Engineers may also perform land surveys.


Canada

In Canada, regulation and registration are accomplished through a self governing body, called the Association of Professional Engineers, that is given the power to register and discipline engineers as well as regulate the field of engineering in their province. Many of these associations are also responsible for regulating other related professions. The process for registration is generally as follows:
Graduate with a degree from an accredited program in engineering or applied science,
Complete an Engineer in Training program under the direction of a P.Eng. (This is normally a four-year program)
Review of work experience by the Association,
Pass a professional practice exam (essentially an engineering ethics and law exam).

Engineers are not registered in a specific discipline but are prohibited by the Code of Ethics from practicing beyond their training and experience. Breaches of the code are often sufficient grounds for enforcement, which may include the suspension or loss of license, as well as financial penalties and now, through recent changes to Canadian law, could also result in jail time should negligence be shown to have played a part in any incident in which there is loss of human life.

Engineers are not tested on technical knowledge during the licensing process; however, the accreditation of schools and their accredited degree granting status are tightly monitored and controlled. The Canadian system thus ensures that a specific and regimented curriculum is offered and tested with strict accordance to set national standards. This streamlines the overall licensing process and ensures a firm national standard on the quality of engineering in Canada. This accreditation process is governed by the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers through their active group the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. The accreditation process is continuous and enforced through regular accreditation reviews of each school. These reviews typically include the review of the school's curriculum (including marked final exams and assignments), interviews of current students, extra curricular activities and teaching staff as well additional areas the visiting board may feel need addressing. The specific areas considered are Curriculum Content, Program Environment, and General Criteria. The associations are granted both an exclusive right to title and an exclusive right to practice.

There are only a few exceptions specifically noted in the acts and it does not include any "industrial exemptions". Therefore, a practicing engineer is legally required to be registered. The level of enforcement varies depending on the specific industry. The federal government is exempt from provincial laws, but in general the federal government will only give the title "engineer" to their employees who as part of their job requirements are able to be registered as a licensed Professional Engineer.


United Kingdom

In general, there is no restriction on the right to practice as an engineer in the UK. There are a few fields of practice, generally safety related, which are reserved by statute to licensed persons.[3]

The UK has Professional Engineering titles registered via the Engineering Council (UK) (ECUK): Incorporated Engineer (IEeng) and Chartered Engineer (CEng).[4] Incorporated Engineer is a first-cycle qualification for Bachelor of Engineering or Bachelor of Science degree holders. Chartered Engineer is a second-cycle qualification usually reserved for holders of integrated Master of Engineering degrees or Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Science plus Master of Science degrees. Both IEng and CEng require substantial professional experience, a professional review and interview.

It is illegal in the UK to hold that one is a Chartered or Incorporated Engineer unless so registered with the ECUK. The title of "engineer" by itself is not regulated in the UK.

While ECUK is the primary body registering Engineers in UK, there are other professional societies that register engineers as well. Under its Royal Charter, the Engineering Council UK grants licences to engineering institutions allowing them to assess candidates for inclusion on its Register of Professional Engineers and Technicians, and to accredit academic programmes and professional development schemes. There are over 30 institutions licensed to register professional engineers with EC UK.

Other not EC UK licensed societies that register Professional Engineers in UK are Society of Professional Engineers UK (SPE) and the Institute of British Engineers UK (IBE).