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Electronic stamping/power of attourney

Electronic stamping/power of attourney

Electronic stamping/power of attourney

(OP)
Hi All,

I will be leaving the country for an extended period of time and I was wondering if there was any way to avoid having to fed-ex documents from abroad.

Could I authorize someone to sign for me similar to a power of attorney? How about electronic stamps?

I have heard that electronic stamps are commonly accepted in the truss industry, how is this?  

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!  You cannot give authority to anyone else to sign and seal an engineering document in any US state.

Next question is why the hell would you consider doing so?

Yes you can use electronic signature/seal in some states.  Check with your state board.

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

Do your employers and clients accept Faxed documents?

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.
WWW.amlinereast.com

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

(OP)
I think the biggest stumbling block is the building departments.  I think I will just have to make some phone calls and ask them if they are willing to accept electronically stamped documents.

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

In general, the building departments require original signatures.

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

Have the drawings e-mailed to you.  Review and revise as necessary.  Seal electronically from your computer in a PDF format.  Transmit back.

Follow up with "wet" seal when/where necessary.

Done all the time.

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

Mike the Engineer is right.  Do it that way and you're OK.  You just can't absolve your responsibility as a licensed engineer and let someone else sign for you.

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

Woah woah woah woah.

Every state is different, and this is an issue that your State Board will know about and have made a ruling on.  

Georgia, for instance, not only prohibits the electron transmittal of official documents, but also prohibits anyone from even sending a plan via email that's got a stamp on it.  Seriously.  Lots of folks break that rule, but the rule is there nonetheless.

Call your state board, don't trust anything you read here.

Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East - http://www.campbellcivil.com

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

"When technical submissions are prepared utilizing a computer or other electronic means, the seal may be generated by the computer. Signatures generated by computer shall not be permitted."

PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
(225 ILCS 325/) Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989.

Most States have this phrase or something similar in the Professional Engineering Act.
 

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

I agree - check with each state - I should have mentioned that.

BUT - when pushed by a time crunch I have found that ALL/MOST jurisdictions will allow an electronic transmittal if immediately followed by an original.  But snail mail takes a week and Fedex costs about $15.00!!  When you have 100 guys standing around with their fingers in their ears --- try it....

Just my experience.  They know we all work on tight time lines, also.

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

SFWMD has a neat little system set up currently, where all your submittals come through a web interface in PDF format, and when you submit there's a button that prints out a one page form listing everything you submitted electronically.  Seal the form, mail it snail mail, they stick the seal in the file, and everyone's happy.  It's a great system.  I hope more agencies adopt it.

 

Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East - http://www.campbellcivil.com

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

What is SFWMD from a dumb mid-west engineer??

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

South Florida Water Management District.

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

Really!!  Any "sealing" problems I have ever had have been in FL.

Back when they required an embossed seal - my embosser broke - so I used a simple wet seal.  Guess what?/ The guy reviewing my work was on the board an promptly called me up and explained ALL the FL rules.  I said I understood and explained my problem and resubmitted when repaired.

They seem to be very picky - glad they have lightened up a bit.

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

Mike...the Florida board can never decide what's important.  Back when they changed the size of the embossed seal, they were citing engineers for using the old size, but they would let AC companies use the term "Engineers" in their name without so much as a comment.  They routinely flog engineers, but let "non-engineers" usurp the credibility of engineers without impunity or punishment.  Go figure!

RE: Electronic stamping/power of attourney

I got to admit - FL is about as weird/picky as they get except for maybe WV and IL.  Other stories for another day.

My own state of MO wins no honors either.  Ask a very simple question - they say call your lawyer.  Called my lawyer - he says - Ask the State - they wrote the law/statue.

And around and around we go....  I just stick to the "Boy Scout" Rule" - if you are honest and it makes sense - then it is probably OK.

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