§ 89C-13. General requirements for licensure. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 89C‑13.  Generalrequirements for licensure.

(a)        Engineer Applicant.– To be eligible for licensure as a professional engineer, an applicant must beof good character and reputation. An applicant desiring to take the examinationin the fundamentals of engineering must submit three character references, oneof whom shall be a professional engineer. An applicant desiring to take theexamination in the principles and practice of engineering must submit fivereferences, two of whom shall be professional engineers having personalknowledge of the applicant's engineering experiences.

The following shall beconsidered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant isqualified for licensure:

(1)        As a professionalengineer (shall meet one):

a.         Licensure by Comityor Endorsement. – A person holding a certificate of licensure to engage in thepractice of engineering, on the basis of comparable qualifications, issued tothe person by a proper authority of a state, territory, or possession of the UnitedStates, the District of Columbia, or of Canada, who completes an applicationfor licensure and submits five references, two of which shall be fromprofessional engineers having personal knowledge of the applicant's engineeringexperience, and who, in the opinion of the Board, meets the requirements ofthis Chapter, based on verified evidence may, upon application, be licensedwithout further examination.

Aperson holding a certificate of qualification issued by the Committee onNational Engineering Certification of the National Council of Examiners forEngineering and Surveying whose qualifications meet the requirements of thisChapter, may upon application, be licensed without further examination.

b.         E.I. Certificate,Experience, and Examination. – A holder of a certificate of engineering internissued by the Board, and with a specific record of an additional four years ormore of progressive experience on engineering projects of a grade and characterwhich indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent to practiceengineering, shall be admitted to the principles and practice of engineeringexamination. Upon passing the examination, the applicant shall be granted acertificate of licensure to practice professional engineering in this State, providedthe applicant is otherwise qualified.

c.         Graduation,Experience, and Examination. – A graduate of an engineering curriculum of fouryears or more approved by the Board as being of satisfactory standing, and witha specific record of an additional four years or more of progressive experienceon engineering projects of a grade and character which indicates to the Boardthat the applicant may be competent to practice engineering, shall be admittedto the fundamentals of engineering examination, and the principles and practiceof engineering examination. Upon passing the examinations, the applicant shallbe granted a certificate of licensure to practice professional engineering inthis State, provided the applicant is otherwise qualified.

d.         Graduation, Experience,and Examination. – A graduate of an engineering or related science curriculumof four years or more, other than the ones approved by the Board as being ofsatisfactory standing or with an equivalent education and engineeringexperience satisfactory to the Board and with a specific record of eight yearsor more of progressive experience on engineering projects of a grade andcharacter which indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent inthe fundamentals of engineering, shall be admitted to the fundamentals ofengineering examination and the principles and practice of engineeringexamination. Upon passing the examinations, the applicant shall be granted acertificate of licensure to practice professional engineering in this State, providedthe applicant is otherwise qualified.

e.         Long‑EstablishedPractice. – A person with a specific record of 20 years or more of progressiveexperience on engineering projects of a grade and character which indicates tothe Board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering shall beadmitted to the principles and practice of engineering examination. Uponpassing the examination, the applicant shall be granted a certificate oflicensure to practice professional engineering in this State, provided theapplicant is otherwise qualified.

At its discretion the Boardmay require an applicant to submit exhibits, drawings, designs, or othertangible evidence of engineering work which the applicant personallyaccomplished or supervised.

The following shall beconsidered as minimum evidence that the applicant is qualified forcertification:

(2)        As an engineeringintern (shall meet one):

a.         Graduation andExamination. – A graduate of an engineering curriculum or related sciencecurriculum of four years or more, approved by the Board as being ofsatisfactory standing, or a student who has attained senior status in anaccredited engineering program, shall be admitted to the fundamentals ofengineering examination. The applicant shall be notified if the examination waspassed or not passed and if passed he shall be certified as an engineeringintern if the applicant is otherwise qualified.

b.         Graduation,Experience, and Examination. – A graduate of an engineering or related sciencecurriculum of four years or more, other than the ones approved by the Board asbeing of satisfactory standing, or with equivalent education and engineeringexperience satisfactory to the Board and with a specific record of four or moreyears of progressive experience on engineering projects of a grade andcharacter satisfactory to the Board, shall be admitted to the fundamentals ofengineering examination. The applicant shall be notified if the examination waspassed or not passed and if passed, the applicant shall be certified as an engineeringintern if the applicant is otherwise qualified.

(b)        Land SurveyorApplicant. – To be eligible for admission to examination for land surveyorintern or professional land surveyor, an applicant must be of good characterand reputation and shall submit five references with the application forlicensure as a land surveyor, two of which references shall be professionalland surveyors having personal knowledge of the applicant's land surveyingexperience, or in the case of an application for certification as a landsurveyor intern by three references, one of which shall be a licensed landsurveyor having personal knowledge of the applicant's land surveyingexperience.

The evaluation of a landsurveyor applicant's qualifications shall involve a consideration of theapplicant's education, technical and land surveying experience, exhibits ofland surveying projects with which the applicant has been associated, andrecommendations by references. The land surveyor applicant's qualifications maybe reviewed at an interview if the Board determines it necessary. Educationalcredit for institute courses, correspondence courses, or other courses shall bedetermined by the Board.

The following shall beconsidered a minimum evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant isqualified for licensure as a professional land surveyor or for certification asa land surveyor intern respectively:

(1)        As a professionalland surveyor (shall meet one):

a.         Rightful possessionof a bachelor of science degree in surveying or other equivalent curricula, allapproved by the Board and a record satisfactory to the Board of two years ormore of progressive practical experience, one year of which shall have beenunder a practicing professional land surveyor if the applicant has successfullypassed the first examination (Fundamentals of Surveying) on or before January1, 2013, or if the applicant has not successfully passed the first examinationon or before January 1, 2013, two years of which shall have been under apracticing professional land surveyor, and satisfactorily passing any oral andwritten examination required by the Board, all of which shall determine andindicate that the applicant is competent to practice land surveying. Uponpassing the first examination and successful completion of the experiencerequired by this subdivision, the applicant may apply to take the secondexamination (Principles and Practice of Land Surveying). An applicant whopasses both examinations and completes the educational and experience requirementsof this subdivision shall be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor.

b.         Rightful possessionof an associate degree in surveying technology approved by the Board and arecord satisfactory to the Board of four years of progressive practical experience,three years of which shall have been under a practicing licensed land surveyorif the applicant has successfully passed the first examination (Fundamentals ofSurveying) on or before January 1, 2013, or if the applicant has notsuccessfully passed the first examination on or before January 1, 2013, eightyears of progressive practical experience, four years of which shall have beenunder a practicing professional land surveyor, and satisfactorily passing anywritten and oral examination required by the Board, all of which shalldetermine and indicate that the applicant is competent to practice landsurveying. If the applicant has not successfully completed the firstexamination on or before January 1, 2013, the applicant may apply to the Boardto take the first examination after obtaining the associate degree andcompleting four years of practical experience, two years of which shall havebeen under a practicing professional land surveyor at the first regularlyscheduled examination thereafter. Upon passing the first examination andsuccessfully completing the practical experience required under thissubdivision, the applicant may apply to the Board to take the secondexamination (Principles and Practice of Land Surveying). An applicant whopasses both examinations and successfully completes the educational andexperience requirements of this subdivision shall be granted licensure as aprofessional land surveyor.

c.         Repealed by SessionLaws 1998‑118, s. 11.

d.         Graduation from ahigh school or the completion of a high school equivalency certificate and arecord satisfactory to the Board of seven years of progressive practicalexperience, six years of which shall have been under a practicing licensed landsurveyor if the applicant has successfully passed the first examination(Fundamentals of Surveying) on or before January 1, 2013, or if the applicanthas not successfully passed the first examination on or before January 1, 2013,16 years of progressive practical experience, nine years of which shall havebeen under a practicing professional land surveyor, and satisfactorily passingany oral and written examinations required by the Board, all of which shalldetermine and indicate that the candidate is competent to practice landsurveying. If the applicant has not successfully passed the first examinationon or before January 1, 2013, the applicant may be qualified by the Board totake the first examination upon graduation from high school or the completionof a high school equivalency certificate and successfully completing 10 yearsof progressive practice experience, six of which shall have been under apracticing licensed land surveyor.

e.         Repealed by SessionLaws 1985 (Regular Session, 1986), c. 977, s. 7.

f.          Licensure by Comityor Endorsement. – A person holding a certificate of licensure to engage in thepractice of land surveying issued on comparable qualifications from a state,territory, or possession of the United States will be given comityconsiderations. However, the applicant may be asked to take any examinations asthe Board requires to determine the applicant's qualifications, but in anyevent, the applicant shall be required to pass an examination which shallinclude questions on laws, procedures, and practices pertaining to the practiceof land surveying in North Carolina.

g.         A licensedprofessional engineer who can satisfactorily demonstrate to the Board that theprofessional engineer's formal academic training in acquiring a degree andfield experience in engineering includes land surveying, to the extentnecessary to reasonably qualify the applicant in the practice of landsurveying, may apply for and may be granted permission to take the principlesand practice of land surveying examination and the fundamentals of landsurveying examination. Upon satisfactorily passing the examinations, theapplicant shall be granted a license to practice land surveying in the State ofNorth Carolina.

h.         ProfessionalEngineers in Land Surveying. – Any person presently licensed to practiceprofessional engineering under this Chapter shall upon application be licensedto practice land surveying, providing a written application is filed with theBoard within one year next after June 19, 1975.

i.          Photogrammetrists.– Any person presently practicing photogrammetry with at least seven years ofexperience in the profession, two or more of which shall have been inresponsible charge of photogrammetric mapping projects meeting National MapAccuracy Standards shall, upon application, be licensed to practice land surveying,provided:

1.         The applicant submitcertified proof of graduation from high school, high school equivalency, orhigher degree;

2.         The applicant submitproof of employment in responsible charge as a photogrammetrist practicingwithin the State of North Carolina to include itemized reports detailingmethods, procedures, amount of applicant's personal involvement and the name,address, and telephone numbers of the client for five projects completed by theapplicant with the State. A final map for one of the five projects shall alsobe submitted;

3.         Five references tothe applicant's character and quality of work, three of which shall be fromprofessional land surveyors, are submitted to the Board; and

4.         The application issubmitted to the Board by July 1, 1999. After July 1, 1999, no photogrammetristshall be licensed without meeting the same requirements as to education, lengthof experience, and testing required of all land surveying applicants.

TheBoard shall require an applicant to submit exhibits, drawings, plats or othertangible evidence of land surveying work executed by the applicant under propersupervision and which the applicant has personally accomplished or supervised.

Landsurveying encompasses a number of disciplines including geodetic surveying,hydrographic surveying, cadastral surveying, engineering surveying, routesurveying, photogrammetric (aerial) surveying, and topographic surveying. Aprofessional land surveyor shall practice only within the surveyor's area ofexpertise.

(2)        As a land surveyorintern (shall meet one):

a.         Rightful possessionof an associate degree in surveying technology approved by the Board, a recordsatisfactory to the Board of four years of progressive practical experience,two years of which shall have been under a practicing professional landsurveyor, and satisfactorily passing a written and oral examination as requiredby the Board.

b.         Repealed by SessionLaws 2005‑296, s. 1.

c.         Graduation from highschool or the completion of a high school equivalency certificate and a recordsatisfactory to the Board of 10 years of progressive, practical experience, sixyears of which shall have been under a practicing licensed land surveyor andsatisfactorily passing any oral and written examinations required by the Board.

d.         Graduation andexamination. – A graduate of a surveying curriculum or other equivalentcurriculum in surveying approved by the Board or a student who has attainedsenior status in an accredited surveying program of four years or more shall beadmitted to the fundamentals of surveying examination. The applicant shall benotified if the examination was passed or not passed, and if passed theapplicant shall be certified as a surveying intern if the applicant isotherwise qualified.

The Board shall require an applicantto submit exhibits, drawings, plats, or other tangible evidence of landsurveying work executed by the applicant under proper supervision and which theapplicant has personally accomplished or supervised. (1921, c. 1, s. 9; C.S., s.6055(j); 1951, c. 1084, s. 1; 1953, c. 999, s. 2; 1957, c. 1060, ss. 2, 3;1975, c. 681, s. 1; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 977, ss. 1‑15; 1993 (Reg.Sess., 1994), c. 671, s. 2; 1995, c. 509, s. 36.1; 1998‑118, s. 11; 1998‑217,s. 41; 2005‑296, s. 1.)