Engineer, Surveyor and Geologist License Defense
Representation Before the Board
The State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists licenses professional engineers, professional land surveyors and professional geologists, and certifies engineer interns and surveyors and geologists in training. The Board enforces the Registration Law, its code of ethics and the rules governing professional seals and business entities.
Complaints frequently come from clients, neighboring landowners, municipalities and other professionals, and they often concern the adequacy of plans or reports, boundary surveys or the sealing of documents not prepared under the licensee's responsible charge. Allegations of practice beyond one's competence and of unfair dealing with other professionals are also addressed by the code of ethics.
Mimm Law, LLC represents engineers, land surveyors, geologists and their firms at every stage of a Board matter, from the initial inquiry through final order.
Governing Law
- Board
- State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists
- Statute
- Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law, 63 P.S. § 148 et seq.
- Regulations
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 37
- Licensees
- PEs, PLSs and PGs
- Renewal
- Biennial; licenses expire September 30 of odd-numbered years
Who the Board Regulates
- Professional engineer license
- Professional land surveyor license
- Professional geologist license
- Engineer intern, surveyor-in-training and geologist-in-training certificates
- Retired status
Grounds for Discipline
Section 4(g) of the Registration Law authorizes the Board to suspend or revoke a license for, among other things:
- Fraud, deceit or misrepresentation in obtaining a license or certificate
- Gross negligence, incompetency or misconduct in practice
- Conviction of, or a plea of nolo contendere to, extortion, bribery, fraud or a similar offense related to practice
- Violation of the Registration Law or the Board's regulations
- Violation of the code of ethics, including sealing work not performed under the licensee's responsible charge
- Practicing outside the licensee's area of competence
- Aiding or abetting unlicensed practice
- Unfaithful conduct as an agent or trustee, or accepting improper compensation
Sanctions the Board May Impose
The Board may suspend or revoke a license, and a suspended license may later be reinstated. The Board may also temporarily suspend a license that presents an immediate and clear danger, and a license is automatically suspended upon a felony conviction under the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act. A licensee whose license is revoked may reapply after five years. The Law authorizes civil penalties, and the misuse of a seal or unlicensed practice may also be prosecuted criminally.
In addition to the sanctions in the Board's own statute, Chapter 31 of Title 63 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes authorizes each licensing board to impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation and to assess the costs of investigation against a licensee found to have violated the law.
Obligations That Often Lead to Board Matters
The Professional Seal
A licensee's seal must appear on plans, specifications, plats and reports prepared under the licensee's responsible charge, and it may not be used while a license is suspended or revoked. Improper sealing is a common subject of Board complaints.
Business Entities
A firm offering engineering, surveying or geology services must practice through licensed professionals in responsible charge, and its documents must carry the licensee's name, seal, signature and date.
Continuing Professional Competency
Licensees must complete 24 professional development hours each biennial period and must retain documentation to support the hours reported at renewal. Records must be kept for five years after the activity, audit requests must be answered within 30 days, and missing records may be treated as proof that the hours were not completed.
Matters We Handle
- Client complaints concerning plans, surveys or reports
- Sealing of documents not prepared under the licensee's supervision
- Boundary and survey disputes
- Firm practice requirements
- Continuing professional competency audits
- Criminal charges and convictions affecting licensure
How We Can Help
Board Investigations
Upon receipt of a letter of inquiry, a subpoena or contact from an investigator, the firm evaluates the allegations, reviews the licensee's records, prepares a written response and attends any investigative interview. In some matters, an early, well-documented response may resolve the matter before formal charges are filed.
Formal Charges and Hearings
When the Commonwealth files an Order to Show Cause, the time to respond is short, and a respondent who misses the deadline may be held in default and the facts alleged deemed admitted. The firm prepares and files the answer, negotiates a consent agreement where one serves the client's interests, and tries the matter before the hearing examiner or the Board where it does not.
Applications and Reinstatement
For applicants whose history may raise questions, and for licensees seeking reinstatement after suspension, revocation or lapse, the firm assembles the application and supporting record and presents the matter to the Board.
Questions Licensees Ask
A neighbor disputes my boundary survey. Is that a Board matter?
It may become one. Boundary disputes are ordinarily resolved between the landowners, but a complaint to the Board will focus on whether the survey met the applicable standards and whether the surveyor exercised appropriate professional judgment. The field notes, research file and plat are central to the response.
May I seal a plan that my employee prepared?
Yes, if the plan was prepared under your responsible charge as the Law defines it. Sealing documents that were not prepared by you or under your complete direction and control, such as an outside consultant's work that you only reviewed, is a violation even where the work itself is sound.
I hold licenses in several states. How will a Pennsylvania matter affect them?
Discipline in one jurisdiction is commonly a ground for discipline in others and must usually be reported. A Pennsylvania matter should be resolved with each licensing jurisdiction in view.
Should I speak with an investigator before I have counsel?
A licensee who receives a letter of inquiry, a subpoena or a telephone call from an investigator with the Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation should be courteous and should note the investigator's name and contact information, but should not give a substantive statement before obtaining advice. Anything said to an investigator may be included in the report reviewed by the prosecuting attorney and, later, by the Board. Counsel can determine what is being alleged, gather the relevant records and prepare a response that is accurate, complete and appropriately limited.
Must I report a criminal conviction, plea or ARD, or discipline in another state?
Yes. Pennsylvania law requires every licensee to notify the licensing board in writing within 30 days of discipline imposed by a licensing authority in another jurisdiction and of a finding of guilt, guilty plea, plea of nolo contendere, probation without verdict, disposition in lieu of trial or Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition on a felony or misdemeanor charge. Some boards' regulations impose additional or earlier reporting duties, including, for nurses and massage therapists, a duty to report the filing of criminal charges within 30 days. A failure to report is itself a ground for discipline, and it is frequently charged alongside the underlying conduct.
Meet Your Attorney
Steven A. Mimm, Esq.
Founder, Mimm Law, LLC. Admitted in Pennsylvania (2008) and New Jersey (2022).
From 2014 to 2022, Attorney Steven A. Mimm served as a prosecuting attorney bringing disciplinary actions on behalf of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs before Pennsylvania's licensing boards. That experience informs how the firm evaluates evidence, negotiates with the Commonwealth and prepares cases for hearing. Where a licensee also faces criminal charges, the firm handles the licensing matter and coordinates with the licensee's criminal defense counsel.
Related: All Licensing Boards · Licensing and FAQs
Last reviewed September 2026. The information on this page is general in nature and is not legal advice. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.