Louisiana Ethics, Rules, and Laws for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Please choose if respond to the following questions are true of false.

An engineer that has passed the Structural I exam is listed as a Civil Engineer. An engineer that has passed both the Structural I and II exams by October 2011 is listed as Structural (SE) and a Civil (CE) Engineer. Beginning with the April 2011 exams, passing the 16 hours of Lateral and Vertical Forces an engineer is listed as Structural (SE) Engineer.

You must pass both components the 16 hours of lateral and vertical forces, within a five year window. You can take both components in one exam administration. However, you cannot be listed as a Structural Engineer until both components are passed.

If the firm only wishes to change the name it uses to offer professional services in Louisiana, it must complete an Application to Change Firm Name and submit to the Board. However, if the firm has changed its organizational status, it must apply to register a new (different) firm.

Section 3105(E) of the Board’s Rules requires that, with each biennial license renewal, you must verify your compliance with the Board’s requirements for CPD.

If you choose to renew online, you must verify CPD compliance and enter the number of Professional Development Hours (“PDHs”) earned since your previous renewal. Failure to complete either of those steps will prohibit you from completing the online renewal process and may result in late fees being assessed.

If you choose to renew by mail via renewal invoice, you must verify CPD compliance on the invoice. Failure to verify CPD compliance on the invoice will result in the invoice being returned to you for completion and may result in late fees being assessed.

You must submit the completed CPD Activity Log and all supporting documentation at the time you apply for reinstatement of your expired license.

a. If you live in Louisiana, you must show proof that you have earned at least 30 PDHs within the past two years.

b. If you are not a resident of Louisiana and are licensed in your state of residence, you must show proof that you have satisfied the CPD requirements of your resident state.

c. If you are not a resident of Louisiana and are not licensed in your state of residence, you must show proof that you have met the requirements listed in (a), above.

Correspondence, distance learning, or video courses are allowed if the fact that you completed the course can be independently verified. Proof that you purchased the course is not adequate.

The Board considers “independent verification” to include taking and passing an examination at the conclusion of the course. The graded examination should be maintained on file by the course-provider.

Yes…and No. Though you are allowed to carry over up to of 15 PDHs from a previous biennial renewal period, you may not carry over more PDHs in ethics than the minimum PDHs required by Section 3105(A) of the Board’s Rules. This Rule applies to code-related activities and Minimum Standards for Property Boundary Surveys in Louisiana, as well.

Section 3113 of the Board’s Rules states that "One college or unit semester hour = 45 PDH"; therefore, if a college credits you with three (3) semester hours for a particular course those three semester hours provide you with 135 PDH (3 x 45 = 135).

Section 3109(A)(4) exempts you from the Board’s requirements for CPD if you request such an exemption in writing. Your request must include supporting documentation, on your employer’s letterhead, which sets forth the location and duration of time you worked in the foreign location.

If you serve as the "professional of record" for a given project, or if you are responsible for any part of a set of plans which are to be submitted for approval to any agency, such as the Office of the Fire Marshall, then you must earn at least 8 PDHs in Life Safety Code, or building codes, or ADA Accessibility Guidelines, or a combination thereof.

NOTE: Key terms are "professional of record" and "signing and sealing plans".

Louisiana follows a biennial renewal cycle. At the first of February or August according to your assigned renewal cycle, a renewal notification letter will be mailed to your last known address, and an e-mail will be sent to your e-mail on file. The notification letter and e-mail will instruct you on how to go about renewing your registration. Remember, if you are the owner or Supervising Professional of a firm, your individual registration may have a different expiration date from the "firm" registration.

Dual licensees (individuals and firms) will receive notification for each license – PE, PLS, EF, VF, EI, LSI.

If your license has been expired for less than 120 days, you must complete your renewal invoice, pay the registration renewal fee and a late fee. You must also submit a Professional Development Hour (PDH) activity log showing that you have completed your Continuing Professional Development requirement.

If your license has been expired for more than 120 days, you must submit an Application to Reinstate Expired Professional License, the application fee, and a Professional Development Hour (PDH) activity log along with supporting documentation showing that you have completed your Continuing Professional Development requirement.

If your license has been expired for more than 5 years, you must submit an Application to Reinstate Expired Professional License (5 years or more), the application fee, and a Professional Development Hour (PDH) activity log along with supporting documentation showing that you have completed your Continuing Professional Development requirement and all other required documents.

If your certification (EI/LSI) has been expired for more than 120 days, you must submit an Application to Renew Intern Certification and application fee.

Most dealers described under "Rubber Stamps" in the Yellow Pages can make a "pocket seal" or "desk seal", the sizes acceptable by the Board.

Acceptable sizes of seals: Seals of two sizes are acceptable:

1. 1-5/8 inch seal commonly used in pocket seals;
2. 2-inch seal commonly used in desk seals.