November/December 2019

PE Report
Florida Firms Say Goodbye to Certificates of Authorization

As Florida aims to reduce regulatory burdens for occupations, Florida AEC firms are no longer required to apply for a certificate of authorization.

As of October 1, firms will be required to register their businesses with the Florida Board of Professional Engineers and be qualified by having a professional engineer licensed in the state on their staff. The board, however, is prohibited from charging a fee for qualifying a business organization.

Prior to this change in law, engineering firms had to renew their certificate of authorization every two years and pay a $93.75 fee. Engineering firms applying for a certificate of authorization for the first time had to pay a $125 initial application fee and a $100 initial fee. There was also a $5 unlicensed activity fee.

Firms that are current and active holders of a certificate will be transferred to a new registry.

If a firm’s qualified licensee leaves the firm, the board must be notified within 24 hours. If the licensee was the only qualifying licensee with the firm, the business must stop offering engineering services in the state. If the firm wants to continue offering services, another qualified engineer must be brought into the firm within 60 days.

The registry will also apply to out-of-state firms that want to provide engineering services on a temporary basis.

Learn more about certificates of authorization and other topics associated with managing firm licensure in the white paper “Licensing for Profitability, Agility, & Growth: Meeting the Challenges of Small and Mid-Sized Engineering Firms.”