SB388 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Engineers and Land Surveyors, State Board of Licensure for Professional, licensure, graduation and experience qualifications, Sec. 34-11-4 am'd.

Summary

SB388 updates Alabama's licensure rules for engineers and land surveyors by adding detailed education, experience, and exam requirements and adding reciprocity provisions.

What This Bill Does

It creates explicit paths for professional engineer and professional land surveyor licensure based on whether the applicant’s degree is from an approved program, plus required years of experience and two sets of exams. It adds transitional provisions for doctorate holders and a specific time frame for certain doctorate cases. It also allows licensure via comity (reciprocity) from other jurisdictions and authorizes temporary interim permits, while counting graduate study and teaching credits toward experience and requiring good character.

Who It Affects

• Prospective and current applicants seeking licensure as professional engineers or professional land surveyors in Alabama, who would face new education, experience, and exam requirements and potential transitional rules.
• Engineers and land surveyors licensed in other states or countries who may pursue Alabama licensure through comity or temporary permits under new standards.

Key Provisions

• Professional Engineer licensure paths: (a) approved engineering curriculum with four years of experience plus an eight-hour fundamentals exam, then four more years of progressive experience to take an eight-hour principles and practice exam; (b) unapproved curriculum with six years of experience and the same two-exam sequence.
• Transitional provisions for doctorate holders: before December 31, 2015, certain bachelor’s degree + doctorate holders with specified experience may be admitted to the eight-hour engineering examination; opportunities exist for those with an approved bachelor’s plus engineering doctorate and quantified experience to qualify.
• Comity and interim permits: the board may license out-of-state or foreign engineers if education/experience/exams meet Alabama standards; the board may issue temporary interim permits with a fee (not to exceed $50).
• Engineer Intern licensure: paths for graduates of approved curricula with eight-hour fundamentals exam, or unapproved curricula with two years’ experience plus exam; comity options also included.
• Professional Land Surveyor licensure: paths based on approved land surveying curriculum with four years’ experience plus a fundamental land surveying exam and further experience with a six-hour principles/practice exam and a two-hour laws exam; alternative paths for six years or eight years of related experience with related curriculum requirements also exist.
• Land Surveyor Intern licensure: similar structures with required surveying curriculum hours, fundamental exam, and additional years of experience plus exams; comity options available.
• Graduate study and teaching credits: credits from master’s or Ph.D. programs may count toward licensure experience for both professional engineers and land surveyors; teaching credits in relevant curricula may also count as experience.
• Character requirement: all licensure candidates must be of good character and reputation.
• Board authority: the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors may approve programs and recognize exam credits from other jurisdictions, and may set interim permit terms and fees.
• Effective date: the act becomes effective immediately after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Engineers and Land Surveyors, State Board of Licensure for Professional