(1) A person may not:

(a) Practice engineering unless the person is licensed or exempt from licensure under this chapter.

Attorney's Note

Under the Florida Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
misdemeanor of the first degreeup to 1 yearup to $1,000
For details, see Fla. Stat. § 775.082(4)(a)

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 471.031

  • Board: means the Board of Professional Engineers. See Florida Statutes 471.005
  • Engineer: includes the terms "professional engineer" and "licensed engineer" and means a person who is licensed to engage in the practice of engineering under this chapter. See Florida Statutes 471.005
  • Engineering: includes the term "professional engineering" and means any service or creative work, the adequate performance of which requires engineering education, training, and experience in the application of special knowledge of the mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences to such services or creative work as consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning, and design of engineering works and systems, planning the use of land and water, teaching of the principles and methods of engineering design, engineering surveys, and the inspection of construction for the purpose of determining in general if the work is proceeding in compliance with drawings and specifications, any of which embraces such services or work, either public or private, in connection with any utilities, structures, buildings, machines, equipment, processes, work systems, projects, and industrial or consumer products or equipment of a mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or thermal nature, insofar as they involve safeguarding life, health, or property; and includes such other professional services as may be necessary to the planning, progress, and completion of any engineering services. See Florida Statutes 471.005
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • License: means the licensing of engineers to practice engineering in this state. See Florida Statutes 471.005
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
(b)1. Except as provided in subparagraph 2. or subparagraph 3., use the name or title “professional engineer” or any other title, designation, words, letters, abbreviations, or device tending to indicate that such person holds an active license as an engineer when the person is not licensed under this chapter, including, but not limited to, the following titles: “agricultural engineer,” “air-conditioning engineer,” “architectural engineer,” “building engineer,” “chemical engineer,” “civil engineer,” “control systems engineer,” “electrical engineer,” “environmental engineer,” “fire protection engineer,” “industrial engineer,” “manufacturing engineer,” “mechanical engineer,” “metallurgical engineer,” “mining engineer,” “minerals engineer,” “marine engineer,” “nuclear engineer,” “petroleum engineer,” “plumbing engineer,” “structural engineer,” “transportation engineer,” “software engineer,” “computer hardware engineer,” or “systems engineer.”
2. Any person who is exempt from licensure under s. 471.003(2)(j) may use the title or personnel classification of “engineer” in the scope of his or her work under that exemption if the title does not include or connote the term “professional engineer,” “registered engineer,” “licensed engineer,” “registered professional engineer,” or “licensed professional engineer.”
3. Any person who is exempt from licensure under s. 471.003(2)(c) or (e) may use the title or personnel classification of “engineer” in the scope of his or her work under that exemption if the title does not include or connote the term “professional engineer,” “registered engineer,” “licensed engineer,” “registered professional engineer,” or “licensed professional engineer” and if that person is a graduate from an approved engineering curriculum of 4 years or more in a school, college, or university which has been approved by the board.
(c) Present as his or her own the license of another.
(d) Give false or forged evidence to the board or a member thereof.
(e) Use or attempt to use a license that has been suspended, revoked, or placed on inactive or delinquent status.
(f) Employ nonexempt unlicensed persons to practice engineering.
(g) Conceal information relative to violations of this chapter.
(2) Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.