§34-11-9. Corporate and partnership practice.

(a) Services offered to the public; certificate of authorization required.

(1) ENGINEERING OR LAND SURVEYING SERVICES. The practice of or offer to practice engineering and land surveying as defined in Section 34-11-1 by individual professional engineers or professional land surveyors licensed under this chapter through a corporation, partnership, or firm offering engineering services or land surveying services to the public through individual licensed professional engineers or professional land surveyors, as agents, employees, officers, or partners, is permitted subject to this chapter and one or more of the principal officers of the corporation, firm, or partners of the partnership and all personnel of the corporation, partnership, or firm who act in its behalf as professional engineers or professional land surveyors in this state are licensed as provided by this chapter, or are persons lawfully practicing under Section 34-11-14 and the corporation, partnership, or firm has been issued a certificate of authorization by the board as provided herein. All final drawings, specifications, plans, reports, or other engineering or land surveying papers or documents involving the practice of engineering or land surveying as defined in Section 34-11-1 of this chapter which shall have been prepared or approved for the use of such corporation, partnership, or firm or for delivery to any person or for public record within the state shall be dated and bear the signature and seal of the professional engineer or professional land surveyor who prepared or approved them. Nothing in this section should be construed to mean that a certificate of licensure to practice engineering or land surveying shall be held by a corporation, partnership, or firm.

(2) JOINT PRACTICE AUTHORIZED. Nothing in this section prohibits an individual, corporation, firm, or partnership from joining together to practice, offering to practice, or holding themselves out as qualified to practice engineering or land surveying provided that the individual, corporation, firm, or partnership meets the requirements of this section.

(3) LIABILITY GENERALLY. No corporation, firm, or partnership shall be relieved of responsibility for the conduct or acts of its agents, employees, officers, or partners by reason of its compliance with this section, nor shall any individual practicing engineering or land surveying as defined in Section 34-11-1 be relieved of responsibility for work performed by reason of employment, association, or relationship with the corporation, partnership, or firm.

(4) APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZATION. A corporation, partnership, or firm desiring a certificate of authorization shall file with the board an application upon a form to be prescribed by the board and the designation required by subdivision (5), accompanied by the licensure fee prescribed by subsection (d) of Section 34-11-5.

(5) RESIDENT LICENSEE. Every firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity which performs or offers to perform engineering or land surveying services shall have a resident licensed professional engineer or land surveyor in responsible charge of the engineering or land surveying work for each separate office or branch office in which engineering or land surveying services are performed or offered to be performed. The board shall issue rules to ensure adequate engineering supervision and surveying supervision of all work.

(6) FILING NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF OFFICERS, ETC., REQUIRED. A corporation or firm shall file with the board, using a form provided by the board, the names and addresses of all officers and board members of the corporation or firm including the principal officer or officers duly licensed to practice engineering or land surveying in this state, who shall be in responsible charge of the practice or offering to practice of engineering or land surveying in this state by the corporation or firm and of the individual or individuals designated as the responsible engineer or land surveyor of each branch office offering or performing Alabama engineering or land surveying. A partnership shall file with the board using a form provided by the board, the names and addresses of all partners, including the partner or partners duly licensed to practice engineering or land surveying in this state, and also of an individual or individuals duly licensed to practice engineering or land surveying in this state who shall be in responsible charge of the practice of engineering or land surveying in this state at the branch offices of the partnership. The same form, giving the same information, shall accompany the annual renewal fee prescribed in subsection (c) of Section 34-11-8. In the event there is a change in the firm name or in any of the partners or principal officers during the year, the changes shall be filed with the board by the corporation, partnership, or firm within 30 days after the effective date of the change.

(7) ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZATION; SUSPENSION; REVOCATION. If all the requirements of this section are met, the board shall issue to the corporation, partnership, or firm a certificate of authorization. The board may refuse to issue a certificate, if any facts exist which would entitle the board to suspend or revoke an existing certificate. Any person aggrieved by an adverse determination of the board may appeal to the circuit court in the manner provided in Section 34-11-13.

(8) CERTIFICATE REQUIRED OF ORGANIZATION OPERATING UNDER FICTITIOUS NAME. For the purposes of this section, a certificate of authorization shall be required by a corporation, partnership, firm, association, or person practicing under a fictitious name, offering engineering or land surveying services to the public. Where a licensee is practicing engineering or land surveying in his or her own given name, the licensee shall not be required to qualify under this section.

(b) Incidental engineering or land surveying services; certificate of authorization not required. The practice of engineering or land surveying incidental to or in connection with production, manufacture, transportation, distribution, or communication may be carried on by any person, partnership, firm, or corporation engaged in such production, manufacture, transportation, distribution, or communication and will not require a certificate of authorization. The engineering and land surveying services shall be performed by or under the direction of a professional engineer or professional land surveyor licensed in conformity with this chapter. All drawings, plans, specifications, plats, and reports involving the practice of engineering or land surveying shall when issued be dated and bear the seal or facsimile of the seal, signature, and licensure number of the professional engineer or land surveyor in responsible charge thereof.

(Acts 1961, Ex. Sess., No. 79, p. 1976, §18; Acts 1984, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 84-792, p. 182, §1; Acts 1991, No. 91-199, p. 375, §3; Acts 1997, No. 97-683, p. 1332, §1; Act 2004-501, p. 954, §1.)