Seals Acceptable to the Board, Seal, Signature and Date Shall Be Affixed, Procedures for Electronically Signing and Sealing Electronically Transmitted Plans, Specifications, Reports or Other Documents
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION
Board of Professional Engineers
RULE NUMBER:RULE TITLE:
61G15-23.001Signature, Date and Seal Shall be Affixed
61G15-23.002Seals Acceptable to the Board
61G15-23.005Procedures for Electronically Signing and Sealing Electronically Transmitted Plans, Specifications, Reports or Other Documents
NOTICE OF CHANGE
Notice is hereby given that the following changes have been made to the proposed rules in accordance with subparagraph 120.54(3)(d)1, FS, published in Vol. 41, No. 116, of the June 16, 2015, issue of the Florida Administrative Register. The changes are in response to concerns by the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee as well as comments from the August 12, 2015 public hearing on the rule.
61G15-23.001 shall read as:
61G15-23.001 Signature, Date and Seal Sshall Be Affixed (SUBSTANTIAL REWRITE OF THE RULE SEE F.A.C. FOR THE CURRENT TEXT)
(1) No change.
(a) No change.
(b) All final documents provided to the owner or the owner’s representative.; and
(c) All documents required by any public entity or any provision of contract which requires the signing, dating and sealing of additional original documents.
(2) Additional Final and Non-Final Documents. Plans and Prints: When an engineer must sign, date and seal plans or prints under the provisions of Section 471.025, F.S., and subsection (1) of this rule, every sheet within the plans and prints must be signed, dated and sealed by the professional engineer in responsible charge.
(a) A professional engineer may sign, date and seal documents required by any public entity or any provision of contract which requires the signing, dating and sealing of additional original documents. A title block shall be used on each sheet of plans or prints and shall contain the printed name, address, and license number of the engineer who has signed, dated and sealed the plans or prints.
(b) A professional engineer shall not sign, date and seal any documents which are not final documents unless the professional engineer states any limitations on the use of those documents on the face of those documents by using terms such as “Preliminary,” “For Review Only,” “Not for Construction,” or any other suitable statement which denotes that the documents are for limited use, are not final and are not intended for permit, construction, or bidding purposes. If the engineer signing, dating and sealing engineering plans or prints is practicing through a duly authorized engineering business; the title block shall contain the printed name, address and certificate of authorization number of the engineering business.
(3) A professional engineer may only sign, date and seal engineering plans, prints, specifications, reports or other documents if that professional engineer was in responsible charge, as that term is defined in subsection 61G15-18.011(1), F.A.C., of the preparation and production of the engineering document and the professional engineer has the expertise in the engineering discipline used in producing the engineering document(s) in question. Professional engineers working for local, State or Federal Government agencies shall legibly indicate their name and license number, and shall indicate the name and address of the agency on all documents that are required to be signed, dated and sealed. Engineering Specifications and Calculations: When an engineer must sign, date and seal engineering specifications or calculations under the provisions of Section 471.025, F.S., and subsection (1) of this rule, an index sheet shall be used and shall be signed, dated and sealed by each professional engineer who is in responsible charge of any portion of the engineering specifications or calculations.
(a) The index sheet must be signed, dated and sealed by those professional engineers in responsible charge of the production and preparation of each section of the engineering specifications or calculations, with sufficient information on the index sheet so that the user will be aware of each portion of the specifications or calculations for which each professional engineer is responsible.
(b) The index sheet shall include at a minimum:
The printed name, address and license number of each engineer in responsible charge of the production of any portion of the calculations or specifications.
2. If the engineer signing, dating and sealing calculations or specifications is practicing through a duly authorized engineering business; the printed name, address and certificate of authorization number of the engineering business.
3. Identification of the project, by address or by lot number, block number, section or subdivision and city or county.
4. Identification of the applicable building code and chapter(s) that the design is intended to meet.
5. Identification of any computer program used for engineering the specifications or calculations.
(4) Additional Requirements for Plans or Prints, Engineering Specifications and Calculations, and Engineering Reports or Other Documents. When an engineer signs, dates and seals any of the following types of documents plans or prints under the provisions of Section 471.025, F.S., and subsection (1) of this rule, the following additional information must be included: Engineering Reports or Other Documents: When an engineer must sign, date and seal engineering reports or other documents under the provisions of Section 471.025, F.S., and subsection (1) of this rule, a signature page or cover letter shall be used and shall be signed, dated and sealed by each professional engineer who is in responsible charge of any portion of the report with sufficient information provided so that the user will be aware of each portion for which each professional engineer is responsible.
(a) Plans and Prints. Every sheet within the plans and prints must be signed, dated and sealed by the professional engineer in responsible charge. If the engineer signing, dating and sealing an engineering report or other document is practicing through a duly authorized engineering business, the printed name, address and certificate of authorization number of the engineering business shall be placed on the signature page or cover letter.
1. A title block shall be used on each sheet of plans or prints and shall contain the printed name, address, and license number of the engineer who has signed, dated and sealed the plans or prints.
2. If the engineer signing, dating and sealing engineering plans or prints is practicing through a duly authorized engineering business; the title block shall contain the printed name, address and certificate of authorization number of the engineering business.
(b) Engineering Specifications and Calculations. An index sheet shall be used and shall be signed, dated and sealed by each professional engineer who is in responsible charge of any portion of the engineering specifications or calculations.
1. The index sheet must be signed, dated and sealed by those professional engineers in responsible charge of the production and preparation of each section of the engineering specifications or calculations, with sufficient information on the index sheet so that the user will be aware of each portion of the specifications or calculations for which each professional engineer is responsible.
2. The index sheet shall include at a minimum:
a. The printed name, address and license number of each engineer in responsible charge of the production of any portion of the calculations or specifications.
b. If the engineer signing, dating and sealing calculations or specifications is practicing through a duly authorized engineering business; the printed name, address and certificate of authorization number of the engineering business.
c. Identification of the project, by address or by lot number, block number, section or subdivision and city or county.
d. Identification of the applicable building code and chapter(s) that the design is intended to meet.
e. Identification of any computer program used for engineering the specifications or calculations.
(c)(4) Engineering Reports or Other Documents.: When an engineer must sign, date and seal engineering reports or other documents under the provisions of Section 471.025, F.S., and subsection (1) of this rule, a signature page or cover letter shall be used and shall be signed, dated and sealed by each professional engineer who is in responsible charge of any portion of the report with sufficient information provided so that the user will be aware of each portion for which each professional engineer is responsible.
1. A signature page or cover letter shall be used and shall be signed, dated and sealed by each professional engineer who is in responsible charge of any portion of the report with sufficient information provided so that the user will be aware of each portion for which each professional engineer is responsible.
2.(a) No change
(d)(5) No change
(6) Professional engineers working for local, State or Federal Government agencies shall legibly indicate their name and license number, and shall indicate the name and address of the agency on all documents that are required to be signed, dated and sealed.
(7) A professional engineer may only sign, date and seal engineering plans, prints, specifications, reports or other documents if that professional engineer was in responsible charge, as that term is defined in subsection 61G15-18.011(1), F.A.C., of the preparation and production of the engineering document and the professional engineer has the expertise in the engineering discipline used in producing the engineering document(s) in question.
(8) A professional engineer shall not sign, date and seal any documents which are not final documents unless the professional engineer clearly notes any limitations on the use of those documents on the face of those documents by using terms such as “Preliminary,” “For Review Only,” “Not for Construction,” or any other suitable statement which denotes that the documents are for limited use, are not final and are not intended for permit, construction, or bidding purposes.
Rulemaking Authority 471.008, 471.025 FS. Law Implemented 471.025, 471.033(1)(a),(e), (j) FS. History–New 1-8-80, Amended 6-23-80, Formerly 21H-23.01, 21H-23.001, Amended 4-1-97, 2-5-04, 8-8-05, 11-16-09, 2-2-12, .
61G15-23.002 shall read as:
61G15-23.002 Seals Acceptable to the Board. (SUBSTANTIAL REWRITE OF THE RULE. SEE FAC FOR CURRENT TEXT)
(1) No change.
(a) No change.
(b) No change.
(c) Digitally Created Seals: A Digitally Created Seal is any seal created as part of the document and not physically applied that is an opaque permanent representation that complies with Rule 61G15-23.002(2), F.A.C. when the document is printed in its native full size.
(2) No change.
(a) No change.
(b) No change.
(c) For Professional Engineers licensees who are in good standing under both Chapters 471 and 472, F.S., a seal similar to that depicted here may be used:
(d) No change.
61G15-23.005 shall read as:
61G15-23.005 Procedures for Electronically Signing and Sealing Electronically Transmitted Plans,
Specifications, Reports or Other Documents.
(1) No change.
(2) No change.
(a) Create a “signature” file that contains the licensee’s given name, the licensee’s license number, a brief overall description of the engineering documents to be signed and sealed, a list of the electronic files to be signed and sealed, and the SHA-1 authentication code or Secure Hash Standard for each electronic file to be signed and sealed. The SHA-1 authentication code is described in Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 180-4 180-3 “Secure Hash Standard,” August 2015 October 2008, which is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference by the Board and can be obtained from the Internet Website: http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-00790.,
(b) No change.
(c) No change.
(d) No change.
(3) No change.
(a) A dDigitally 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) No change.
(c) No change.
(d) NO change.
(e) Formatting of seals and text similar to that depicted below may be used.
Rulemaking Authority 471.025(1), 471.033(2), 471.008, FS. Law Implemented 471.025,471.033(1)(d), 668.006 FS. History–New
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Zana Raybon, Executive Director, Board of Professional Engineers2639 North Monroe Street, Suite B-112, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.
