Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE)

Fla. Stat. § 471.023

• Business Corporations
• Professional Corporations
• Limited Liability Companies
• Professional Limited Liability Companies
• Partnerships
• Business Trusts

Business Corporations:

• At least one of the principal officers must be an engineer licensed in Florida.

Professional Corporations:

• Shareholders of Florida PCs must be either licensed individuals, a professional corporation, or a professional limited liability company.

Limited Liability Companies:

• At least one of the principal members must be an engineer licensed in Florida.

Professional Limited Liability Companies:

• Members of Florida PLLCs must be either licensed individuals, a professional corporation, or a professional limited liability company.

Partnerships:

• At least one of the partners must be an engineer licensed in Florida.

• A qualifying agent who leaves an engineering firm must notify the Board within 24 hours.
• If the qualifying agent leaves the firm and was the only qualifying engineer for the business, the firm may no longer provide engineering services in Florida and must be qualified by another Professional Engineer within 60 days if it wishes to resume offering engineering services.

• Each qualifying agent must notify the board within 30 days after any change in the information contained in the application with which the qualification is based. 
• A qualifying agent who terminates an affiliation with a qualified business organization shall notify the management corporation of such termination within 24 hours.
•  the event a qualifying agent ceases employment with a qualified business organization and the qualifying agent is the only licensed individual affiliated with the business organization, the executive director of the management corporation or the chair of the board may authorize another licensee employed by the business organization to temporarily serve as its qualifying agent for a period of no more than 60 days to proceed with incomplete contracts. The business organization is not authorized to operate beyond such period under this chapter absent replacement of the qualifying agent.
• A qualifying agent shall notify the department in writing before engaging in the practice of engineering in the licensee’s name or in affiliation with a different business organization.

(2) A professional engineer utilizing a digital signature to electronically sign and seal engineering plans, specifications, reports or other documents shall have their identity authenticated by a certification authority and shall assure that the digital signature is: (a) Unique to the person using it; (b) Capable of verification; (c) Under the sole control of the person using it; and, (d) Linked to a document in such a manner that the digital signature and correspondingly the document is invalidated if any data in the document is changed.

(3) The affixing of a digital signature to engineering plans, specifications, reports or other documents as provided herein shall constitute the signing and sealing of such items. (a) A digitally created seal as set forth in Rule 61G15‐23.002, F.A.C., may be placed where it would appear if the item were being physically signed, dated and sealed. (b) The date that the digital signature was placed into the document must appear on the document in accordance with subsection 61G15‐23.001(4), F.A.C., and where it would appear if the item were being physically signed, dated and sealed. (c) The engineering plans, specifications, reports or other documents being digitally signed and sealed shall include text to indicate the following and place it where an original signature would appear if the item were being physically signed, dated and sealed:

1. The same information required by subsection 61G15‐23.002(2), F.A.C., if a digitally created image of the seal is not use;
2. The item has been digitally signed and sealed; and,
3. Printed copies of this document are not considered signed and sealed and all signatures must be verified on any electronic copies.

(d) Formatting of seals and text similar to that depicted below shall be used. While the formatting may be altered, the text must remain identical.

When a digitally created seal is not used:

[NAME], State of Florida, Professional Engineer, License No. [NUMBER]
This item has been digitally signed and sealed by [NAME] on the date indicated here.
Printed copies of this document are not considered signed and sealed and the signature must be verified on any electronic copies.

FL Admin Code 61G15‐23.004

Also see 61G15‐23.005 for rules related to SHA signature use.

Formatting of seals and text similar to that depicted below shall be used. While the formatting may be altered, the text must remain identical.

1. When a digitally created seal is used:

This item has been digitally signed and sealed by [NAME] on the date adjacent to the seal.
Printed copies of this document are not considered signed and sealed and the signature must be verified on any electronic copies.

FL Admin Code 61G15‐23.004