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Florida Structural Engineers Association (FSEA)
Florida's Structural Engineering Recognition Program
In 2022, Florida passed a statute that established the Florida Structural Engineering Recognition Program. The legislation was formalized in Florida Statute 471.055 and became effective July 1 that year.
The statute requires the Florida Board of Professional Engineers to establish and administer the program and to set minimum requirements to achieve recognition. The statute states the program has been established, “to recognize Florida Professional Engineers who specialize in structural engineering and have gone above and beyond the required minimum professional engineer licensing standards.” The statute does not create any new governmental agency, and it prohibits the collection of any fees to participate in the program.
Leading up to enactment of this legislation, the Florida Structural Engineers Association (FSEA), with the assistance of other Florida engineering organizations, labored for years to bring this issue to the attention of Florida legislators and the governor. Finally, in 2022, the Florida House, Senate, and Governor DeSantis all agreed on its value, and the recognition program was established. Hence, Florida joined 24 other states with some form of structural engineering licensure, title restriction, practice restriction, or (as in Florida) recognition program.
To be clear, Florida’s recognition program is voluntary and optional, and it only offers recognition. Recognition is not required to practice structural engineering in Florida. Any Florida-registered Professional Engineer who is competent in the practice of structural engineering may provide structural engineering services in Florida.
In response to the legislation, the Florida Board of Professional Engineers established requirements for recognition under the program in 2022. These requirements were subsequently amended in June 2023 to make them more inclusive of Professional Engineers who demonstrate structural engineering expertise beyond the minimum engineering licensing standards.
The current requirements for recognition under the Florida Structural Engineering Recognition Program are as follows (copied from FAC 61G15-20-0011):
The Board shall recognize only those applicants who have completed the Application, including submission of required documentation, and who have demonstrated to the Board that they have:
(a) Passed the NCEES Structural I and Structural II exams taken prior to January 1, 2011, OR
(b) Prior to January 1, 2004, passed a 16-hour statewritten examination equivalent in scope and content to the examination identified in paragraph (1)(a) above. For purposes of this rule, the board identifies the following examinations as equivalent in scope and content: the 16-hour Western States Structural Engineering examination, OR
(c) Passed the NCEES Structural II exam plus an 8-hour state-written structural examination prior to January 1, 2011. For purposes of this rule, the board will accept the following 8-hour examinations: 8-hour NCEES Civil: Structural Examination; 8-hour NCEES Architectural Engineering Examination; 8-hour California Structural Engineering Seismic III Examination; or 8-hour Washington Structural Engineering III Examination, OR
(d) Passed the NCEES 16-hour Structural Engineering examination (vertical and lateral) taken after January 1, 2011, OR
(e) Has at least five (5) years of experience after licensure as a Professional Engineer in any jurisdiction(s) designing significant structural engineering projects. For purposes of this rule, “significant structural engineering projects” is defined as the design of structural components and structural systems of any of the following:
Buildings three stories or greater.
Risk Category III or IV buildings, as defined by Table 1604.5 RISK CATEGORY OF BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES in the current Florida Building Code in effect at the time of application or equivalent classification in another jurisdiction.
Vehicular Bridges
(f) Been Certified as a Special Inspector of Threshold Buildings pursuant to Section 471.015(7), F.S. prior to February, 2016, or if so certified after February, 2016, sought certification based on principal practice in the area of structural engineering as defined in paragraphs 61G15-35.003(1)(a) and (b), F.A.C. Certification as a Special Inspector (Limited) will not qualify an applicant for recognition.
(g) The license(s) and/or registration(s) must not have been disciplined or otherwise acted against for a violation related to the field of structural engineering.
Any currently licensed Florida Professional Engineer in good standing may apply to the Florida Board of Professional Engineers for recognition under the program. The application form is available as a fillable PDF on the Board’s website (https://fbpe.org/licensure/structuralengineering-recognition-program/).
Upon approval by the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, the Professional Engineer may indicate recognition under the program by using the term “Florida Board Recognized Structural Engineer” or “FRSE.” The engineer may use these designations in their practice and in marketing and advertising materials.
Currently, there are 357 Florida Board Recognized Structural Engineers.
