1. A. The practice of or offer to practice engineering or land surveying by firms registered under Section 475.1 et seq. of this title, or by more than one person acting individually through a firm, is permitted provided:

   1. 1. The person in direct control or having personal supervision of such practice and all personnel who act in behalf of said firm in professional matters are registered under Section 475.1 et seq. of this title; and

   2. 2. Said firm has been issued a certificate of authorization by the Board.

      All final drawings, specifications, plans, reports, land surveys, plats, land descriptions, calculations or other engineering or land surveying papers or documents involving the practice of engineering or land surveying, as defined in Section 475.1 et seq. of this title, when issued or filed for public record, shall be dated and bear the signature and seal of the professional engineer or the professional land surveyor, qualified in the appropriate branch of engineering or land surveying, who prepared them or under whose immediate direction they were prepared.

2. B. An engineering or land surveying firm desiring a certificate of authorization shall file with the Board an application, using a form provided by the Board, and provide all the information required by the Board. The Board shall prescribe a form to be filed with the renewal fee and which shall be updated within thirty (30) days of the time any information contained on the form is changed or differs for any reason. If, in the Board's judgment, the information contained on the form warrants such action, the Board shall issue a certificate of authorization for said firm to practice engineering or land surveying and to contract and collect fees for furnishing these services.

   No such firm shall be relieved of responsibility for the conduct or acts of its agents, employees, officers or partners by reason of its compliance with the provisions of this section. No individual practicing engineering or land surveying, pursuant to the provisions of Section 475.1 et seq. of this title, shall be relieved of responsibility for engineering or land surveying services performed by reason of his employment or other relationship with a firm holding an authorization certificate.

3. C. The Secretary of State shall not issue a certificate of incorporation to an applicant or a registration as a foreign firm to a firm which includes among the objectives for which it is established any of the words "Engineer", "Engineering", "Surveyor", "Land Surveying" or any modification or derivation thereof unless the Board(s) of Registration for these professions has issued for said applicant a certificate of authorization or a letter indicating the eligibility of such applicant to receive such a certificate. The firm applying shall supply such certificate or letter from the Board with its application for incorporation or registration.
4. D. The Secretary of State shall decline to register any trade name or service mark which includes such words, as set forth in subsection C of this section, or modifications or derivatives thereof in its firm name or logotype except those firms holding authorization certificates issued under the provisions of this section.
5. E. The certificate of authorization shall be renewed as hereinbefore provided in Section 475.16 of this title.
6. F. An engineer or land surveyor who renders occasional, part-time or consulting engineering or land surveying services to or for a firm may not, for the purposes of this section, be designated as being responsible for the professional activities of the firm.

Laws 1968, SB 524, c. 245, § 21, emerg. eff. April 26, 1968; Amended by Laws 1982, SB 616, c. 297, § 21; Amended by Laws 1992, SB 799, c. 165, § 18, emerg. eff. July 1, 1992.