After PE- Business Cards & Email Signatures

[thechosenone]

Hi

I am curious what are the board rules for business cards and email signatures. Do you just put PE behind your name or do you need to mention list of states where you are license to cover yourself. I suppose same rule would apply to Email signatures.

Whats Texas board rules?

 

[cupojoe PE PMP]

If you go out to a state that you aren't licensed in to solicit work, give your business card that says ", PE" if that person goes to the state board website to see if you are licensed there, the local board could say you were holding yourself out to be a PE in that state and thus you and your company could be in trouble with that state board. If you put what states you are licensed in, you at least have a fighting chance to say that you were clear that you were only licensed in the states you listed. The risk of this being an issue is low, but it does happen and the consequences could be big. If you work for a firm that only does work locally, it may not ever be an issue. This is not intended to be legal/professional advice, just my understanding and observations.

 

[Porter_]

can't speak to Texas, but it's not required in my state (WA). frankly i don't think it's required in any state. i just simply have "P.E." at the end of my name on my business cards and email signature.

edit: in the spirit of cupojoe PE's post, i would disclose to clients where i'm licensed before contracts are drafted etc.

 

[snickerd3]

try searching the site. this topic has been discussed at nauseam in the past

 

[Ken PE 3.1]

I have never seen states listed on a business card, and only 1 person I know does that in an email.

I really don't think that you are soliciting services just by handing out a business card.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[cupojoe PE PMP]

I have never seen states listed on a business card, and only 1 person I know does that in an email.

I really don't think that you are soliciting services just by handing out a business card.

Just my 2 cents.

Agreed. There are lots of people who you could give a business card out to. But if you are there soliciting work (i.e. a sales presentation for a big project) where someone else would be the engineer of record, and you give out your business card they *could* say you are holding yourself out to be a PE while soliciting work in that state.

Here is something from the Texas Board's newsletter, search for "maverick technologies"

http://www.tbpe.state.tx.us/newsletters/summer04.pdf

I would look to your company guidance....Both my last company and current company (national engineering firms) require it to be on business cards and e-mails due to previous legal issues.

 

[Road Guy]

I'd say 99.9% of people just state their name, PE... I would gather an email signature isn't really "advertising"...

 

[treborTAMU]

First Last, P.E.

Typically you have a business address on your card. I would only put P.E. on your name if you are licensed in the state of the address on your card.

 

[triscuits]

First Last, P.E.

Typically you have a business address on your card. I would only put P.E. on your name if you are licensed in the state of the address on your card.\

This is how my company does it, and we have offices all up and down the east coast. If you have a license in the state where you're located, your business card has PE after your name. If you transfer offices to a state where you aren't licensed, your new business cards don't get PE until you get your license in that state.

 

[Porter_]

First Last, P.E.

Typically you have a business address on your card. I would only put P.E. on your name if you are licensed in the state of the address on your card.

i don't think my company has ever done a project in our state. in fact all of our upcoming projects are in the UK. pffft i'm proudly displaying P.E. on my business cards and emails.

 

[BamaStrucPESE]

I would think list the state if you aren't licensed in the state in which you work. Georgia requires the SE to stamp drawings, a coworker hasn't passed the SE, but has passed the PE in Alabama, so she shows PE (AL) on her cards/emails. Another coworker has a Michigan license but works in Alabama, he has PE (MI) on his.