Concern with COA requirements...
Concern with COA requirements...
(OP)
Is anyone bothered by the certificate of authorization requirements that states impose on professional licensed engineers?
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Concern with COA requirements...
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RE: Concern with COA requirements...
If they get a complaint - the fine is usually $500 to $5000 - from what I have seen
BTW - IMHO - it is not a COA - JUST a simple TAX. Even Tennessee calls it a Professional Tax!!
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
When you work in a few dozens of states - you get the idea??
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
In the case of a small engineering firm, the additional costs/requirements are enough to deter the engineer from wanting to practice in that state, and oftentimes, the chances of doing projects in certain states are very slim, so it is hard to justify the costs and additional requirements when it may be years before a project comes along in that particular state.
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
The primary reason for having a COA is to bring corporations under the same umbrella of the law that the individual engineers must comply with. It treats the corporation or business entity in much the same manner as an individual and holds the entity to the same requirements as an individual...with one exception in our state....
When practicing as an individual, only those projects submitted for record must be signed and sealed. When representing a business entity, ALL reports and documents must be signed and sealed by an engineer authorized by the entity.
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
Also, intestingly, my insurance agent pointed out that "companies should always be mindful of the employees who are signing and sealing the work they are doing for their employer, as the company is ultimately liable for the work their employees are doing for them. This is also why companies should make sure that anyone they hire as a freelance architect or engineer or any independent subcontractors or subconsultants have their own Professional Liability in place, otherwise, the company who hired them is liable for the work that was done for them in that case as well."
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
One or two points I have seen tho in favor of the COA...my experience is with the FL rules.
First, it forces corporations to secure a more long-term relationship with an engineer. Believe it or not there are many engineering companies out there that are not owned/operated by engineers or who regularly hire/fire lowly project engineer's or who hire one or two engineers and have no continuity of policy or understanding of engineering concerns. The COA rules put an engineer into upper management since the actual named position of the engineer qualifying the company must be named in the bylaws of the company.
Second, there will be a permanent engineering position over the professional engineering policies/standards/procedures of the company. Again try to imagine a large company with nothing but project engineer's or a large manufacturing or steel fabricating company who hires only ONE engineer...these engineer's have no or little say over company marketing, client selection, client commitments, contract development, PLI selection, engineering standards, etc. They have no peer group or mentors in the company and the good intentions of a green engineer in such a company can be easily swept aside.
If a company wants a new lowly project engineer to qualify their entire company then there should be resources, a title, a pay raise, and authority, to say nothing of an understanding of professional concerns, that goes with the burden of responsibility and accountability.
RE: Concern with COA requirements...
Junior engineers cannot be used to qualify a company for a CA.