Georgia Licensing

[phamENG]

Good morning, everyone. Got a request from an old colleague to help out with some projects he has lined up in Georgia, so I'm looking into the comity application. So I have a PE - 8-hour civil/structural exam. So I can't get the SE down there, which is fine as I'm not looking at designated structures, but I want to make sure I'm doing this right before I send them any money.

I'm applying for the PE only, but I'm putting on the form that I plan to practice "Structural (non-designated)." The SEAOG website says to put down Civil in my case, but I don't like that. To me Civil is either a catch-all for our various specialties or specifically site planning, grading, storm water, etc.

Anyone from Georgia or with experience going through this so far this year with any insights? No luck yet contacting the board...

 

[dauwerda]

I have seen on other forums (

http://www.engineerboards.com)

that people have tried what you are attempting (stating structural (non-designated)) and it resulted in automatic denial from the board. It is my understanding they will not accept anything less than passing the SE exam to get the structural designation, I do not have any first hand experience however.

 

[phamENG]

Thanks, dauwerda. I guess I'll pass on the Georgia work for now...

 

[ChorasDen]

Don't know how it is where you're located, but on the west coast, structural engineering licensure is protected, and you must have the SE designation, requirements, and test passed to put that on your application and stamp. Civil PE is the most common and accepted stamp for those on the west coast that are performing structural design without an SE license.

 

[phamENG]

ChorasDen - thanks. That seems to be how Georgia is approaching it. Eventually taking the SE is on my to-do list, but for now I don't need it so it's not a very high priority. I may try to reach the board again and get clarification on the rules around stating I'm going to be practicing "civil" engineering even though I'll only be doing structural - just the lower risk, non-designated stuff.

 

[ChorasDen]

If you find a way to do that, please let me know how. I would like to earn an SE licensure, but where I practice (WA, OR, CA), you must be designing complex structures, and working directly underneath a licensed SE, who can validate your development and progress to achieving licensure, much the same as you would for obtaining a PE license.

Currently, the company I work at does not have an SE on staff, so that prevent me from developing hours under a licensed SE to check all the boxes required for application.

 

[GC_Hopi]

Here is the description from their website. I would let the PE vs SE thing put you off.

 

[ChorasDen]

GC_Hopi, that looks pretty close to the requirements out here as well.

 

[phamENG]

Thanks, GC_Hopi. I know I can use a regular PE to perform the non-designated work. It's the bureaucratic hoops I have to jump through to get there that I'm worried about. I have enough work right now that it's a headache I don't really need. I'll pursue it more when (and if) things calm down a bit. Not like I can do any really 'juicy' work anyway. Doesn't take much for the occupancy of a commercial building to push it into RC3.

 

[GC_Hopi]

ChorasDen: I think it a common misconception that CA requires you to work under a SE. The requirements stated that you need to be "responsible in charge" for your experience to count or checking drawing/calc experience needs to be under a SE. You only need to work under a SE if you are trying to count checking drawing/calc experience.

Edit: You still need SE references but they dont have to be from your company. The CA website explains this in more detail.

 

[GC_Hopi]

phamENG: Not sure about your situation but if you are a specialty engineer then you don't need an SE to work on a designated structures as long as you practice in your area of competency. Only the SEOR needs an SE.

 

[dauwerda]

GC_Hopi, CA does require that you have references from three SE's however.

ChorasDen
CA does make an allowance that the references can be someone (with an SE license in CA or another state) that has reviewed your past work and has interviewed you. This information is all included on their website (I think I recall they even had a list of people willing to do this at one point).

Note that you can not use the same work experience used to gain the Civil license that you use to gain the SE license, each require 3 years. Therefore you need to have at a minimum, 6 years of of work experience to get licensed as an SE in CA.

 

[JStephen]

In years past, we found that none of our work in California required an SE per state rules, but most of our customers still expected and required an SE stamp. I haven't dealt enough with Georgia to know if that's an issue there.

 

[phamENG]

JStephen - probably not yet. It's only been in full force since January, so I'm sure several people are still figuring it out.

 

[WARose]

I have seen on other forums (

http://www.engineerboards.com)

that people have tried what you are attempting (stating structural (non-designated)) and it resulted in automatic denial from the board. It is my understanding they will not accept anything less than passing the SE exam to get the structural designation, I do not have any first hand experience however.

They let people get grandfathered in (if they had a Ga PE prior to a certain date). You had to fill out a affidavit that you had done structural work (I forget the actual details).....by a certain deadline (that's come and gone IIRC). Either that or you had to have passed 16 hrs of NCEES Structural exams. (Which could include the old SE I & II.)

 

[Ron]

I suppose I might be grandfathered in Georgia. I've been licensed in Georgia since 1981...no question about doing structural work,.

 

[AUCE98]

Ron, I think the window for sending in an affidavit to the PELS Board of Georgia may have lapsed for being grandfathered in. Just an FYI.

Best regards,

 

[WARose]

Ron, I think the window for sending in an affidavit to the PELS Board of Georgia may have lapsed for being grandfathered in.

Yeah, I think that window has been closed.....but it probably wouldn't hurt to ask. A lot of people missed it. I alerted a few friends [I live in South Carolina] about it and they had no clue it was going on.