§30-13-16 Certificates and seals. - West Virginia Statutes

§30-13-16. Certificates and seals.

(a) The board shall issue a certificate of registration to any applicant who, in the opinion of the board, has met the requirements of this article. The certificate of registration shall carry the designation "professional engineer". It shall give the full name of the registrant with their registration number and shall be signed by the chairman and the secretary under the seal of the board. The certificate of registration grants the recipient authority to practice in this state.

(b) An unexpired and unrevoked certificate is prima facie evidence that the person named on it is entitled to all rights, privileges and responsibilities of a professional engineer.

(c) Every registrant shall obtain a seal for use in identifying his or her official professional work. The design of the seal shall be determined by the board and shall bear the registrant's name, registrant's registration number, the legend "registered professional engineer, state of West Virginia" and such other words or figures as the board may prescribe. The seal may be a rubber stamp. Whenever the seal is applied, the registrant's written signature shall be adjacent to or across the seal. No further words or wording are required. A facsimile signature is not acceptable. Whenever presented to a client or any public or governmental agency, the seal, signature and date shall be placed on all specifications, reports, drawings, plans, design information and calculations in accordance with rules promulgated by the board. The seal and signature shall be used by registrants only when the work being stamped was under the registrant's complete direction and control.

In the case of a registrant of another state using a temporary permit issued by this state, the registrant shall use the state of permanent registration seal and shall affix his or her signature and temporary permit number to all work. In the case of a registrant checking the work of an out-of-state registrant, the state registrant shall completely check and have complete dominion and control of the design. The complete dominion and control includes possession of the sealed and signed reproducible construction drawings with complete signed and sealed design calculations indicating all changes in design.

(d) The board shall issue to any applicant who, in the opinion of the board, has met the requirements of this article, an enrollment card as engineer intern, which indicates that his or her name has been recorded in the board office. The engineer intern enrollment card does not authorize the holder to practice as a professional engineer. It is unlawful for a registrant to affix or to permit his or her seal and signature to be affixed to any document after the expiration of his or her certificate or for the purpose of aiding or abetting any other person to evade or attempt to evade any provisions of this article.