Rule 180-6-.03. Rules of Practice

1. (1) The engineer or land surveyor shall perform services only in areas of his/her competence. The engineer or land surveyor shall undertake to perform engineering or land surveying assignments only when qualified by education or experience in the specific technical field of professional engineering or land surveying involved.
2. (2) The engineer or land surveyor may accept an assignment requiring education or experience outside of his/her own field of competence, but only to the extent that his/her services are restricted to those phases of the project in which he/she is qualified. All other phases of such project shall be performed by qualified associates, consultants or employees who shall sign, seal, and be responsible for such other phases or technical segments of the project.
3. (3) The professional engineer who develops the design criteria and engineering concept for a project, provides analysis, and is responsible for the preparation of the construction documents shall be responsible for the design of the project within his/her contractual area of engineering services and shall be known as the engineer of record.
4. (4) In the event that a professional engineer who is not the engineer of record is used for specific portions of the work, that individual shall be a registered engineer in the State of Georgia and shall seal, sign, and date his/her own reports, calculations, and drawings. He/she shall coordinate his/her work with the engineer of record and shall be responsible to the engineer of record for that specific portion of the project design. He/she shall be known as the specialty engineer.
5. (5) The engineer or land surveyor shall not affix his/her signature and/or seal to any engineering or land surveying plan, document, or plat unless such plan, document, or plat is prepared by the registrant or an individual in the employ of the registrant. All plans, documents, and plats prepared by non-registrants must be prepared under the direct supervisory control of the registrant on a daily basis.
6. (6) The term "Direct supervisory control" as referenced in O.C.G.A. § 43-15, as related to engineering shall require the certifying registrant to provide guidance and direction to personnel in the preparation of engineering plans, documents, or drawings in each phase of the preparation of the calculations, drawings, specifications, reports, and all other work products completed by said personnel. "Personnel" shall be defined as any registrant or non-registrant employee or contract registrant or non-registrant (whether full-time or part-time) or sub-consultant to the certifying registrant who are members of the team producing work product to be certified by the certifying registrant. The term "Direct supervisory control" referenced in O.C.G.A. § 43-15, as related to land surveying, shall require the certifying land surveying registrant to provide daily guidance and direction to personnel in the performance and calculations related to field work and the preparation of land surveying drawings and other related documents. Land surveying personnel must be employed and managed directly by a registrant or firm licensed to practice land surveying in Georgia. Direct supervisory control may be typically established at a location (address) where both the certifying registrant and personnel are employed and there is a direct connection between the certifying registrant and the personnel. If the certifying registrant and the personnel are not located at the same location, then the certifying registrant must be able to demonstrate how direct supervisory control is maintained over the personnel and how the certifying registrant and the personnel maintain a direct connection for the direct supervisory control of the engineering or surveying work as indicated above, if requested by the Board. Satisfactory proof of direct supervisory control from the certifying registrant over the personnel includes, but is not limited to, written guidance or directions to the personnel; written records of ongoing communication during the project; and work product mark-ups by the certifying registrant to the personnel. The Board shall determine if such direct supervisory control provided by the certifying registrant is acceptable to the Board.
7. (7) In the event a question arises as to the competence of an engineer or land surveyor to perform an assignment, the Board may require him/her to submit to an appropriate examination, as determined by the Board. That action by the Board shall be required only if the question cannot be otherwise resolved to the Board's satisfaction.
8. (8) Renovation or the retrofitting of a building or structure is considered as the practice of engineering when the work involves the addition or reduction of weight or loading; analysis of structural systems or members; removal or addition of structural elements; analysis of drainage systems on or below the roof surface; changes to the drainage characteristics; or changes required for the building or structure to conform to current jurisdictional building codes. Nothing in this rule is intended to restrict the normal practice by registered architects. Nothing in this rule is intended to restrict the normal practice of roofing contractors insofar as repairing or the replacement of like kind of roofing systems so long as no additional weight is added.

Authority: O.C.G.A. §§ 43-1-25, 43-15-4, 43-15-6, and 43-15-22.

History. Original Rule entitled "Rules of Practice" was filed and effective as Emergency Rule on July 31, 1975, to remain in effect for a period of 120 days or until a permanent Rule covering the same subject matter has been adopted superseding this Emergency Rule.

Amended: Permanent Rule adopted. Filed November 4, 1975; effective November 24, 1975.

Amended: F. Aug. 9, 1990; eff. Aug. 29, 1990.

Repealed: New Rule of same title adopted. F. Feb. 25, 1993; eff. Mar. 17, 1993.

Repealed: New Rule of same title adopted. F. Jan. 17, 1996; eff. Feb. 6, 1997.

Amended: F. Nov. 13, 1997; eff. Dec. 3, 1997.

Amended: F. May 30, 2017; eff. June 19, 2017.

Amended: F. Jan. 12, 2026; eff. Feb. 1, 2026.