50-State Engineering Licensing Compliance Guide
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Georgia Engineering Industry Licensing

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Licensing requirements for engineering industry firms and individuals in Georgia.

This page provides an overview of engineering industry licensing in Georgia for individuals and firms. You will find state requirements, application fees, filing instructions, and more. For assistance with licensing, please contact us to learn about our software and managed license services.

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Company Licenses

Georgia Engineering Company Licenses

Georgia Certificate of Authorization for Land Surveying Firms

Agency:Georgia Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Eligible Entity Types:

Georgia allows surveying firms to practice under most entity types, including corporations, professional corporations, LLCs, and Professional LLCs

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Certificate of Authorization for Land Surveying Firms

Agency Fee:

$0

How to Apply:
  1. Secretary of State: Foreign entity registration
  2. Engineering and Land Surveying Board Certificate of Authorization

Registration Renewal

Form:

Online

Agency Fee:

$10

Due:

By June 30 of even-numbered years.

Notes:

Reinstatement of Lapsed Certificate: $500

All businesses offering Professional Engineering services in the State of Georgia through individual, registered professional engineers as agents, officers or partners, are required by O.C.G.A. 43-15-23 to file with the Board an APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZATION to practice.

Georgia Certificate of Authorization for Professional Engineering

Agency:Georgia Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Law:

O.C.G.A. § 43-15-23

Eligible Entity Types:
  • Business Corporations
  • Professional Corporations
  • Limited Liability Companies
  • Partnerships
  • Associations
Ownership Requirements:

Business Corporations:

  • At least one of the principal officers must be a Georgia licensed engineer.

Professional Corporations:

  • All shareholders of Georgia PCs must be licensed to practice engineering.
  • At least one member of the board of directors and the president of a professional corporation shall be licensed to practice the profession for which the corporation is organized.

Limited Liability Companies:

  • At least one of the principal members must be a Georgia licensed engineer.

Partnerships:

  • At least one of the partners must be a Georgia licensed engineer.

Initial Registration

This section applies to engineering firms that are applying for a license in Georgia for the first time. If you already have a license and are looking to renew it, please see the renewal section.

Form:

Application for Certificate of Authorization for Professional Engineering

Agency Fee:

$0

Turnaround:

Within 10-15 days applicants will be notified by mail.

Original Ink:Required
Notarize:Required
Notes:
  • There is no fee for this application
  • If the firm or organization with which you are affiliated offers to practice both professional engineering and land surveying it will be necessary for it to obtain a separate Certificate of Authorization for BOTH practices. A combined Certificate of Authorization will not be issued.
  • Additional forms may be photocopied as required
  • The individual, who is in responsible charge of the professional engineering performed or offered to be performed in Georgia, must be currently licensed as a Georgia Professional Engineer and must sign the
    form.
    • If the firm has branch office, each branch must have a full-time Professional Engineer and must be listed on the form.
Before you Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  • Ensure that your business entity will meet ownership requirements.
  • Identify a Georgia licensed engineer to act as the professional in charge of the firm's engineering activities for each office location in Georgia.

Foreign Applicants:

  • Obtain a certificate of good standing from your entity's home state showing that your entity is actively registered to file with your foreign qualification application (certificates cannot be more than 90 days old at the time of filing).
  • If using a DBA in your home state, also obtain a copy of the resolution of the board of directors, certified by the entity’s secretary, adopting the name (to be filed with your foreign qualification application).
  • Ensure that your Georgia entity will meet ownership requirements.
  • Identify a Georgia licensed engineer to act as the professional in charge of the firm's engineering activities for each office location in Georgia.
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. File entity formation documents with the Secretary of State - Corporations Division.
  2. Submit an Application for Certificate of Authorization for Professional Engineering to the Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. Determine whether or not your entity will need to foreign qualify in Georgia. If not required, skip to number 3.
  2. File foreign qualification documents with the Secretary of State - Corporations Division.
  3. Submit an Application for Certificate of Authorization for Professional Engineering to the Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
Required Attachments:
  • A list of the officers, board of director members, partners and/or principals for the corporation, Professional Corporation, partnership, association, or other entity, including the name, home address, title and Georgia Professional Engineer number (if applicable)
  • A copy of the engineer in responsible charge's photo identification

Registration Renewal

This section applies to engineering firms that are already licensed in Georgia and need to renew their license.

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$10

Due:

By June 30 of even-numbered years.

Notes:

Reinstatement of Lapsed Certificate: $500

Required Attachments:
  • List of directors, officers, managers, or members of the firm including addresses
  • List of licensees in responsible charge of the firm's professional services
  • List of branch office locations including licensee in responsible charge

Amendment

Due:

Within 30 days of the effective date of the change.

Original Ink:Not required
Notarize:Not required
Notes:

Notify the board in writing with any changes via fax or mail. The company address can be changed online.

Reinstatement

Form:

Reinstatement Application for Certificate of Authorization For Professional Engineering

Agency Fee:

$500

Georgia Geology Firm License

Not required



Geoscience Firm licensure is not required on the State level in Georgia.

More information: Georgia Board of Geologists

Individual Licenses

Georgia Individual Engineering Licenses

Georgia Engineer-in-Training Certificate

Agency:Georgia Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Certificate as an Engineer-in-Training

Agency Fee:

$20

Renewal Not Required

Not required



Georgia Land Surveyor Intern Certificate

Agency:Georgia Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Certificate as a Land Surveyor Intern

Agency Fee:

$25

Renewal Not Required

Not required



Georgia Professional Engineer License

Agency:Georgia Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Allow Digital Signatures?Yes
Digital Signature Guidelines:

Documents to be electronically transmitted beyond the direct control of the licensee that are signed using an electronic signature shall contain the authentication procedure in a secure mode and a list of the hardware, software and parameters used to prepare the document(s). Secure mode means that the authentication procedure has protective measures to prevent alteration or overriding of the authentication procedure. This paragraph does not apply to property survey maps and plats governed by OCGA 15-6-67 which may be submitted in an electronic file format that is regulated by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority. The term "electronic signature" shall be an electronic authentication process that is attached to or logically associated with an electronic document. The electronic signature shall be:

(a) Unique to the licensee using it;

(b) Capable of verification;

(c) Under the sole control of the licensee; and

(d) Linked to a document in such a manner that the electronic signature is invalidated if any data in the document is changed.

GA R&R Rule 180-12-.02

Allow Digital Sealing?Yes
Digital Sealing Guidelines:

Documents as defined in Paragraph (1) that are transmitted electronically beyond the direct control of the licensee shall have the computer-generated seal removed from the original file, unless signed with an electronic signature as defined in Paragraph (9) of this Rule. After removal of the seal the electronic media shall have the following inserted in lieu of the signature and date:

"This document originally issued and sealed by (name of sealer), (license number), on (Date of sealing) and the entity's COA Information. This medium shall not be considered a certified document."

Hardcopy documents containing the original seal, signature, date and entity's COA information of the licensee may be duplicated by photocopy or electronic scanning processes and distributed either in hardcopy or electronic medium. The scanned digital files of certified documents are not subject to the requirements of this Paragraph. The electronic transmission beyond the direct control of the licensee of CAD, vector or other files subject to easy editing are subject to the requirements of this paragraph. Easy editing is based on the file consisting of separate elements that can be individually modified or deleted.

GA R&R Rule 180-12-.02

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Registration as a Professional Engineer by Examination

Agency Fee:

$30

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$50

Due:

By December 31 of even-numbered years.

Georgia Professional Geologist Registration

Agency:Georgia Board of Geologists
Allow Digital Signatures?Yes
Allow Digital Sealing?Yes
Digital Sealing Guidelines:

The seal authorized by the Board for registrants may be of the crimp type and/or rubber stamp facsimile or may be computer generated.

Board Stamp and Seal

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Registration as a Professional Geologist

Agency Fee:

$30 Application fee + $220 exam part 1 fee + $250 exam part 2 fee.

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$90

Due:

Dec 31 odd years

Georgia Professional Land Surveyor License

Agency:Georgia Board of Registration of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Certificate as a Professional Land Surveyor

Agency Fee:

$50

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$50

Due:

By December 31 of even-numbered years.

Learn about engineering licensing in other states:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho
Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri
Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania
Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Design Firm - Engineering firm registration is sometimes grouped with architecture and land surveying on a single “design firm” application form.

EI (Engineering Intern) - A term also used to describe an Engineer in Training.

EIT (Engineer in Training) - A professional designation granted upon having completed at least 3 years of school at an ABET-accredited university and having passed the FE exam.

FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) - An exam testing on basic engineering principles that is required to become an engineer in training.

PE (Professional Engineer or 'Principles and Practice in Engineering') - Means either Professional Engineer or refers to the Principles and Practice in Engineering exam that is a prerequisite for an engineering license.

Reciprocity - When a licensed engineer in one state can provide documentation (often an NCEES Record) to more easily apply for a license in another jurisdiction.

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
Accrediting board that sets standards for university programs in a variety of applied science disciplines.

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
Engineering, architecture, and land surveying advocacy group.

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Organization that provides continuing education, professional conferences, and advocacy efforts to the civil engineering community.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Mechanical engineering organization that focuses on education and professional development.

Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC)
Reviews accreditation requirements and makes final decisions regarding the accreditation process.

National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES)
Develops, administers, and scores the exams used for engineering licenses.

National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
NSPE is an advocacy group for professional engineers.

Revised October 18, 2021. Complete data last reviewed July 09, 2019.
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