471.003
Qualifications for practice; exemptions.
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471.003 Qualifications for practice; exemptions.—
(1) No person other than a duly licensed engineer shall practice engineering or use the name or title of “licensed engineer,” “professional engineer,” or any other title, designation, words, letters, abbreviations, or device tending to indicate that such person holds an active license as an engineer in this state.
(2) The following persons are not required to be licensed under the provisions of this chapter as a licensed engineer:
(a) Any person practicing engineering for the improvement of, or otherwise affecting, property legally owned by her or him, unless such practice involves a public utility or the public health, safety, or welfare or the safety or health of employees. This paragraph shall not be construed as authorizing the practice of engineering through an agent or employee who is not duly licensed under the provisions of this chapter.
(b)1. A person acting as a public officer employed by any state, county, municipal, or other governmental unit of this state when working on any project the total estimated cost of which is $10,000 or less.
2. Persons who are employees of any state, county, municipal, or other governmental unit of this state and who are the subordinates of a person in responsible charge licensed under this chapter, to the extent that the supervision meets standards adopted by rule of the board.
(c) Regular full-time employees of a business organization not engaged in the practice of engineering as such, whose practice of engineering for such business organization is limited to the design or fabrication of manufactured products and servicing of such products.
(d) Regular full-time employees of a public utility or other entity subject to regulation by the Florida Public Service Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or Federal Communications Commission.
(e) Employees of a firm, corporation, or partnership who are the subordinates of a person in responsible charge, licensed under this chapter.
(f) Any person as contractor in the execution of work designed by a professional engineer or in the supervision of the construction of work as a foreman or superintendent.
(g) A licensed surveyor and mapper who takes, or contracts for, professional engineering services incidental to her or his practice of surveying and mapping and who delegates such engineering services to a licensed professional engineer qualified within her or his firm or contracts for such professional engineering services to be performed by others who are licensed professional engineers under the provisions of this chapter.
(h) Any electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning, or mechanical contractor whose practice includes the design and fabrication of electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning, or mechanical systems, respectively, which she or he installs by virtue of a license issued under chapter 489, under former part I of chapter 553, Florida Statutes 2001, or under any special act or ordinance when working on any construction project which:
1. Requires an electrical or plumbing or air-conditioning and refrigeration system with a value of $125,000 or less; and
2.a. Requires an aggregate service capacity of 600 amperes (240 volts) or less on a residential electrical system or 800 amperes (240 volts) or less on a commercial or industrial electrical system;
b. Requires a plumbing system with fewer than 250 fixture units; or
c. Requires a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system not to exceed a 15-ton-per-system capacity, or if the project is designed to accommodate 100 or fewer persons.
(i) Any general contractor, certified or registered pursuant to the provisions of chapter 489, when negotiating or performing services under a design-build contract as long as the engineering services offered or rendered in connection with the contract are offered and rendered by an engineer licensed in accordance with this chapter.
(j) Any defense, space, or aerospace company, whether a sole proprietorship, firm, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, joint stock association, corporation, or other business entity, subsidiary, or affiliate, or any employee, contract worker, subcontractor, or independent contractor of the defense, space, or aerospace company who provides engineering for aircraft, space launch vehicles, launch services, satellites, satellite services, or other defense, space, or aerospace-related product or services, or components thereof.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter or of any other law, no licensed engineer whose principal practice is civil or structural engineering, or employee or subordinate under the responsible supervision or control of the engineer, is precluded from performing architectural services which are purely incidental to her or his engineering practice, nor is any licensed architect, or employee or subordinate under the responsible supervision or control of the architect, precluded from performing engineering services which are purely incidental to her or his architectural practice. However, no engineer shall practice architecture or use the designation “architect” or any term derived therefrom, and no architect shall practice engineering or use the designation “engineer” or any term derived therefrom.
History.—ss. 10, 42, ch. 79-243; ss. 3, 10, ch. 81-302; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 5, ch. 82-179; s. 3, ch. 83-160; ss. 46, 119, ch. 83-329; s. 1, ch. 85-134; s. 57, ch. 87-225; s. 2, ch. 87-341; s. 2, ch. 87-349; ss. 1, 14, 15, ch. 89-30; s. 1, ch. 89-115; s. 67, ch. 89-162; s. 4, ch. 91-429; ss. 80, 118, ch. 94-119; s. 330, ch. 97-103; s. 65, ch. 98-287; s. 31, ch. 2000-356; s. 16, ch. 2002-299; s. 1, ch. 2003-425; s. 4, ch. 2004-332; s. 64, ch. 2009-195; s. 64, ch. 2018-110; s. 9, ch. 2024-178.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5
cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1984–2026 · leading case: Trikon Sunrise Associates, LLC v. Brice Building Co.
Trikon Sunrise Associates, LLC v. Brice Building Co. (2010)
“See § 471.003(3), Fla. Stat. (2005) (“[N]o licensed engineer whose principal practice is civil or structural engineering .”
Christopher Zacarias v. Alaym Aguilar (2024)
“See § 471.003(2)(e), Fla. Stat. (2023) (“Employees of a firm, corporation, or partnership who are the subordinates of a person in responsible charge, licensed under this chapter [are not required to be licensed as a licensed engineer].”
Comtec Sys. v. Commissioner (1995)
“Ann. sec. 471.003(2)(c) (West 1991). Thus, not being a registered professional engineer does not detract from Vernon Beard's qualifications.”
Orlando Health, Inc. v. HKS Architects, Inc.; HKS Architects, Inc. v. BBM Structural Engineers, Inc. (2026)
“See § 471.003(8), Fla. Stat. Herbert’s opinion discusses the Engineer’s and the Architect’s coordination on construction documents and the lack of clarity in the Engineer’s construction documents.”
Florida Society of Professional Land Surveyors v. Department of Professional Regulation (1984)
“Whatever authority exists under Section 471.003, Fla. Stat., to proscribe what acts constitute grounds for disciplinary action against engineers, certainly does not include the authority to define “engineering surveying” so as to include that which is expressly prohibited by…”
— 471.003(2)(e) — 1 case
Christopher Zacarias v. Alaym Aguilar (2024)
“See § 471.003(2)(e), Fla. Stat. (2023) (“Employees of a firm, corporation, or partnership who are the subordinates of a person in responsible charge, licensed under this chapter [are not required to be licensed as a licensed engineer].”
— 471.003(3) — 1 case
Trikon Sunrise Associates, LLC v. Brice Building Co. (2010)
“See § 471.003(3), Fla. Stat. (2005) (“[N]o licensed engineer whose principal practice is civil or structural engineering .”
— 471.003(8) — 1 case
Orlando Health, Inc. v. HKS Architects, Inc.; HKS Architects, Inc. v. BBM Structural Engineers, Inc. (2026)
“See § 471.003(8), Fla. Stat. Herbert’s opinion discusses the Engineer’s and the Architect’s coordination on construction documents and the lack of clarity in the Engineer’s construction documents.”
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