Florida Rules and Laws for Professional Engineers (2025-2027)

Beginning with the effective date of the Eighth Edition of the Florida Building Code (2023), all licensees actively participating in the design of engineering works or systems in connection with buildings, structures, or facilities and systems covered by the Florida Building Code, as identified within Section 553.73(1)(a), F.S., shall:

1. Complete at least a one (1) hour Advanced Florida Building Code course on each new Edition of the Florida Building Code, which can count towards the licensee’s area(s) of practice continuing education requirements;
2. Provide the Board with a copy of a certificate of completion which shows: course number, course hours, Code edition and revision year, and portion of Code or course focus. This course may also count towards the area of practice requirement for continuing education set forth in Rule 61G15-22.001, F.A.C.

Historically, the signing and sealing of a document was intended to verify its authenticity to its recipient.
Today, by signing, dating, and sealing an engineering document, a Professional Engineer:

• Verifies the authenticity of the document, and
• Accepts responsibility for its accuracy and legitimacy.
• It also indicates that the document is a final engineering document.
• It places the responsibility of the document’s content on the PE who signed and sealed the document.

Based on recent changes on 61G15-23.004 Procedures for Digitally Signing and Sealing Electronically Transmitted Plans, Specifications, Reports or Other Documents.

(1) Engineering plans, specifications, reports or other documents which ______________ signed, dated and sealed in accordance with the provisions of Section 471.025, F.S., and Rule 61G15-23.001, F.A.C., may be signed digitally as provided herein by the professional engineer in responsible charge. As used herein, the terms “certification authority,” and “digital signature” shall have the meanings ascribed to them in Sections 668.003(2) and (3), F.S. (2) A professional engineer utilizing a digital signature to electronically sign and seal engineering plans, specifications, reports or other documents shall have their identity authenticated by a certification authority and shall assure that the digital signature is: (a) Unique to the person using it; (b) Capable of verification; (c) Under the sole control of the person using it; and, (d) Linked to a document in such a manner that the digital signature and correspondingly the document is invalidated if any data in the document is changed.

In the case where multiple licensees sign and seal a single item, each licensee shall apply their digital signature and include qualifying language with those items required in paragraph (e) of this rule, thoroughly describing what portions the licensee is taking responsibility for.

1. Engineering plans, specifications, reports or other documents which must be signed, dated and sealed in accordance with the provisions of Section 471.025, F.S., and Rule 61G15-23.001, F.A.C., may be signed electronically as provided herein by the professional engineer in responsible charge. As used herein, the term “electronic signature” shall have the meanings ascribed to them in Sections 668.003(2), (3) and (4), F.S.
2. The SHA or “Secure Hash Standard” authentication code is described in Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 180-4 “Secure Hash Standard,” August 2015, 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-05976.
3. A professional engineer utilizing an electronic signature to sign and seal engineering plans, specifications, reports or other documents shall:
   1. Create a static electronic version, such as PDF, of the engineering document(s) that is to be electronically transmitted;
   2. Compute an SHA-1 authentication code for each electronic engineering document;
   3. Create a printable “signature report” that contains the licensee’s given name, the licensee’s license number, and a list of the electronic files to be signed and sealed that includes a brief description of each engineering document and the SHA authentication code of each engineering document;
   4. Print and physically sign, date and seal the “signature report” in compliance with Rule 61G15-23.003, F.A.C.; and,
   5. Transmit the signed, dated and sealed “signature report” to the receiving party along with each electronically signed, dated and sealed engineering document either by [NAME], State of Florida, Professional Engineer, License No. [NUMBER] This item has been digitally signed and sealed by [NAME] on the date indicated here. Printed copies of this document are not considered signed and sealed and the signature must be verified on any electronic copies. 75 As of November 27, 2024 hardcopy or electronic scan. If scanned and sent electronically, the hardcopy of the signed and sealed report shall be retained by the licensee in accordance with Rule 61G15-30.009, F.A.C. Each engineering document is considered to be electronically signed and sealed if the document’s SHA authentication code matches the SHA authentication code on the physically signed, dated and sealed "signature report."

1. The same information required by subsection 61G15-23.002(2), F.A.C. if a digitally created seal is not used
2. The item has been electronically signed and sealed using a SHA authentication codes; and, 3. Printed copies of the document are not considered signed and sealed and all SHA authentication code must be verified on any electronic copies. (d) Formatting of seals and text similar to that depicted below shall be used. While the formatting may be altered, the text must remain identical. 1. When a digitally created seal is used:

When a digitally created seal is not used the following can be used