Unlicensed Practice Complaints

Unlicensed)Practice)Complaints)

by#

Knud#E.#Hermansen#

P.L.S.,#P.E.,#Ph.D.,#Esq.#

The#Maine#Board#of#Professional#Engineers#(Board)#receives#numerous#complaints#alleging#

engineering#practice#or#solicitation#of#engineering#work#by#an#unlicensed#person.##

This#article#will#describe#why#the#Board#or#Attorney#General’s#office#will#often#dismiss#

complaints#the#Board#has#received#alleging#unlicensed#practice.#

Maine#law#gives#the#Board#jurisdiction#over#“Professional#Engineers”#and#the#“Practice#of#

Professional#Engineering.”#Maine#law#does#not#give#the#Board#jurisdiction#over#“Engineer”#

or#“Engineering.”#Any#unlicensed#person#that#appears#to#call#or#suggest#they#are#a#

professional#engineer#or#appears#to#engage#in#or#solicit#engineering#services#within#the#

state#of#Maine#may#be#in#violation#of#the#law.#

Maine#statutes#define#a#professional#engineer:#

"Professional#engineer"#means#a#person#who,#by#reason#of#a#knowledge#of#

mathematics,#the#physical#sciences#and#the#principles#of#engineering,#acquired#

by#professional#education#and#practical#experience,#is#qualified#to#engage#in#

engineering#practice#as#defined.#32#M.R.S.#§#1251(4)#

Accordingly,#someone#that#states#they#are#a#“civil#engineer#graduate,”#“railroad#engineer,”#

“staff#engineer,”#“associate#engineer,”#“class#II#engineer,”#or#a#host#of#other#titles,#degree#

names,#or#qualification#names#that#contain#the#word#‘engineer’#or#‘engineering’#without#

also#attempting#to#engage#in#engineering#practice#or#solicit#engineering#services#within#the#

state#of#Maine#are#not#in#violation#of#the#statute.##The#term#‘engineer’#and#‘engineering’#are#

not#protected#terms#under#Maine#law.#

The#graduate#that#sends#out#resumes#to#prospective#engineer#employers#and#calls#

themselves#an#electrical#engineer#in#their#resume#is#not#in#violation#of#the#law#since#they#

are#soliciting#employment#rather#than#soliciting#engineering#services.##

The#“Plumbing#Engineer”#that#donates#money#for#the#National#Plumber’s#conference#and#

has#her#business#card#published#in#the#annual#meeting#brochure#of#the#National#

organization##will#not#be#presumed#to#be#soliciting#business#in#Maine#if#they#have#an#

Oklahoma#address#and#telephone#number#listed#on#their#business#card#that#was#published#

in#the#brochure.#

The#Board#will#not#pursue#discipline#against#a#person#that#has#a#business#card#that #gives#

the#employer’s#name#(who#is#a#licensed#engineer),#along#with#the#person’s#name#and#states#

they#have#a#B.S.#in#civil#engineering#when#it#is#apparent#that#any#solicitation#of#engineering#

services#accomplished#using#the#card#is#for#the#employer#or#company#that#is#properly#

licensed#to#practice#engineering#services.#

Many#complaints#allege#an#unlicensed#person#is#practicing#engineering#without#necessarily#

calling#themselves#an#engineer.#A#person#that#designs#an#HVAC#system#for#a#hospital#and#

calls#themselves#an#“HVAC#Designer”#may#fall#within#the#definition#of#the#practice#of#

professional#engineering.#This#person#would#likely#be#deemed#to#be#practicing#the#

profession#of#engineering#without#a#proper#license.##

Maine#law#has#defined#the#practice#of#professional#engineering.#

"Practice#of#professional#engineering"#means#any#professional#service,#such#as#

consultation,#investigation,#evaluation,#planning,#design#or#responsible#supervision#

of#construction#in#connection#with#any#public#or#private#utilities,#structures,#

buildings,#machines,#equipment,#processes,#works#or#projects,#wherein#the#public#

welfare#or#the#safeguarding#of#life,#health#or#property#is#concerned#or#involved,#

when#such#professional#service#requires#the#application#of#engineering#principles#

and#data.#32#M.R.S.#§#1251(3)#

An#individual#that#designs#and#builds#their#own#home#and#applies#engineering#principles#is#

not#engaged#in#the#practice#of#professional#engineering#because#“the%public%welfare%or%the%

safeguarding%of%life,%health%or%property%is”%not%“concerned%or%involved.”#Had#that#same#person#

offered#to#design#and#build#their#neighbor’s#residence,#they#would#likely#be#in#violation#of#

the#practice#of#professional#engineering#since#the#“public%welfare%or%the%safeguarding%of%life,%

health%or%property%is%concerned%or%involved.”#

The#law#contains#numerous#exceptions#to#the#practice#of#professional#engineering#that#

allows#an#unlicensed#person#to#practice#professional#engineering#without#being#in#violation#

of#the#engineer#licensing#law.#For#example,#the#engagement#of#an#unlicensed#individual#

working#for#a#municipal#public#works#department#that#constructs#an#$80,000#bridge#would#

fall#under#an#exception#to#professional#engineering#pra ct ice.##

There#is#often#an#overlap#between#licensed#professions.#A#licensed#architect#that#designs#a#

50.5#million#dollar#high#school#would#be#practicing#professional#engineering#but#such#

practice#in#this#situation#is#permitted#for#licensed#architects#since#the#engineering#law#can#

not#prevent#the#practice#of#other#legally#recognized#professions.#

There#are#many#gray#areas#of#practice#that#are#the#basis#for#complaints#alleging#unlicensed#

practice#that#are#received#by#the#Board.#For#example,#persons#offering#home#inspection#

services#have#often#been#brought#to#the#attention#of# t he#Board.#In#such#cases,#the#Board#

must#determine#if#the#services#involve:#“professional%services%…%requir[ing]#the%application%of%

engineering%principles%and%data.”#If#the#home#inspection#is#confined#to#reporting#broken#

windows,#cracked#concrete,#mold,#water#leakage,#etc.#engineering#principles#and#data#were#

not#applied#and#the#home#inspector#would#not#be#practicing#professional#engineering.#

However,#if#the#home#inspector#reported#the#outside#bearing#wall#of#the#residence#would#

not#support#a#typical#Maine#snow#load,#engineering#principles#and#data#were#applied#and#

the#home#inspector#would#be#deemed#to#be#practicing#professional#engineering.#

Perhaps#surprisingly,#many#complaints#involving#unlicensed#practice#that#do#result#in#fines#

and#penalties#involve#licensed#professional#engineers#that#allowed#their#license#to#lapse#

inadvertently#while#continuing#to#engage#in#engineering#consulting#work.#The#professional#

engineer#that#sent#a#proposal#for#an#engineering#design#on#14#January#after#their#license#

lapsed#on#31#December#and#failed#to#renew#their#license#until#24#January#is#likely#guilty#of#

the#unlicensed#practice#of#professional#engineering.#

Consider#the#information#in#this#article#before#making#a#complaint#to#the#Board#regarding#

the#unlicensed#practice#of#engineering.#After#considering#the#points#in#this#article#and#there#

remains#a#concern#that#there#may#be#unlicensed#practice,#make#a#complaint#to#the#Board.#

Vigilant#professional#engineers#are#the#first#line#of#defense#preventing#harm#to#the#public#

caused#by#unlicensed#practitioners.#The#Board#appreciates#the#time#and#effort#required#to#

make#a#complaint,#will#treat#each#complaint#seriously,#and#will#diligently#evaluate#the#

complaint.#