Approved by the Committee on Licensure on May 12, 2020
Approved by the Public Policy Committee on May 18, 2020
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 11, 2020
Policy
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports enhanced licensure mobility through expedited comity for professional licensure among licensing jurisdictions.
Expedited comity enables a professional engineer who holds a current record from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), and who is designated by NCEES to be a Model Law Engineer or Model Law Structural Engineer, to receive a license from another jurisdiction.
Issue
Civil engineers represent the largest component of licensed professional engineers in the United States. At the time professional engineering licensure laws were adopted by licensing jurisdictions, civil engineering was usually practiced within a limited geographic area. Advances in technology, coupled with a population-wide trend of increased mobility, have resulted in changes in the marketplace for civil engineers.
The complexity of engineering projects frequently results in a team approach involving several firms and offices in multiple locations. As a consequence, ASCE perceives a need for expedited licensure by comity in response to employment and project opportunities in other jurisdictions. An engineer, licensed in one jurisdiction, with demonstrated professional competence through years of successful practice and has a clear conduct record should be able to obtain a license in other jurisdictions in a timely manner by a simple, uniform process subject to any special qualifications which may be imposed by jurisdictions due to specific local conditions (e.g., seismic, permafrost, hurricanes). Currently, procedures and administrative regulations in some jurisdictions unnecessarily delay acquisition of a license by comity for a professional engineer who is already licensed in another jurisdiction.
Engineers in responsible charge of projects in a jurisdiction must be licensed by that jurisdiction and in many cases also work for a company with the required certificate of authorization from that jurisdiction. In some jurisdictions, if an engineer submits a proposal without these credentials the engineer could be charged with practicing without a license and the company could be penalized for practicing without a proper certificate of authorization or state registration.
Rationale
Civil engineering practice requires a wide national and global vision on the part of engineers, including a rapid and effective response to infrastructure and other public needs, and timely jurisdiction approval of requests for authorization to practice engineering in other jurisdictions.
ASCE Policy Statement 464
First Approved in 1994