21 NCAC 56 .1103. STANDARD CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

(a)  Certification of Final Drawings.  Drawings or maps not subject to the exceptions in Paragraph (c) of this Rule shall conform to the following:

(1)           Certification is required on reproducibles or original drawings;

(2)           The seal may be a rubber stamp, embossed seal, computer-generated seal, or other facsimile that becomes a permanent addition to a plan sheet or map;

(3)           The licensee's written signature must be placed over, or adjacent to, the seal on the original document. A facsimile signature is not acceptable;

(4)           The date of signing must be annotated on the original document;

(5)           All sheets of engineering and surveying drawings must be certified;

(6)           The name, address and license number of the licensee's firm shall be included on each sheet of engineering drawings.  For surveys, the name, address and license number of the licensee's firm shall be included on the first sheet of the survey or title sheet.  The individual license number of the sole proprietor shall be used as the license number for an exempt sole proprietorship that meets the requirements of 21 NCAC 56 .0802(b)(1); and

(7)           Any revision on a drawing after a licensee's certification is affixed shall be described and dated and if not done under the responsible charge of the same licensee shall be separately certified.

(b)  Certification of Specifications and Reports.  All specifications, reports, or other documents, including letter reports and calculations, not subject to the exceptions in Paragraph (c) of this Rule shall conform to the following:

(1)           Certification is required on original specifications, reports, or other documents, including letter reports and calculations;

(2)           The seal may be a rubber stamp, or other facsimile;

(3)           The licensee's written signature must be placed over, or adjacent to, the seal on the original document.  A facsimile signature is not acceptable;

(4)           The date of signing must be annotated on the original document;

(5)           The title sheet of engineering specifications or other reports must be certified and bear the name, address and license number of the licensee's firm.  The title sheet of any survey report or written description of property shall include the name, address and license number of the licensee's firm.  The individual license number of a sole proprietor shall be used as the license number for an exempt sole proprietorship that meets the requirements of 21 NCAC 56 .0802(b)(1); and

(6)           Any revision in the document after a licensee's certification is affixed shall be described and dated and if not done under the responsible charge of the same licensee shall be separately certified.

(c)  Exceptions to Required Certification.  The certification of a licensee on a map, drawing, plan, specification, plat, document, or report shall signify that it is the final work of the licensee unless the work is stamped or marked substantially as follows so as to put the public on notice not to use as a final product, in which case certification is optional:

(1)           "Preliminary - Do not use for construction";

(2)           "Progress Drawings - Do not use for construction";

(3)           "Preliminary Plat - Not for recordation, conveyances, or sales";

(4)           "Final Drawing - Not released for construction";

(5)           "Final Drawing - For Review Purposes Only";

(6)           "Not a Certified Document – This document originally issued and sealed by (name of licensee), (license number), on (date of sealing).  This document shall not be considered a certified document";

(7)           "Not a Certified Document as to the Original Document but Only as to the Revisions - This document originally issued and sealed by (name of licensee), (license number), on (date of sealing).  This document is only certified as to the revisions".

(d)  Electronically Transmitted Documents.  Documents, including drawings, specifications and reports, that are transmitted electronically beyond the direct control of the licensee shall have the computer-generated seal removed from the original file, unless signed with a digital signature as defined in Paragraph (e) of this Rule.  After removal of the seal the electronic media shall have the following inserted in lieu of the signature and date:  "This document originally issued and sealed by (name of sealer), (license number), on (Date of sealing).  This medium shall not be considered a certified document."  Hardcopy documents containing the original seal, signature and date of the licensee may be duplicated by photocopy or electronic scanning processes and distributed either in hardcopy or electronic medium.  The scanned digital files of certified documents are not subject to the requirements of this Paragraph.  The electronic transmission beyond the direct control of the licensee of CAD, vector or other files subject to easy editing are subject to the requirements of this paragraph.  Easy editing is based on the file consisting of separate elements that can be individually modified or deleted.  Documents that are excepted from certification by a statement meeting the requirements of Subparagraphs (c)(1) through (c)(5) of this Rule are not subject to the requirements of this Paragraph.

(e)  Documents to be electronically transmitted beyond the direct control of the licensee that are signed using a digital signature, shall contain the authentication procedure in a secure mode and a list of the hardware, software and parameters used to prepare the document(s).  Secure mode means that the authentication procedure has protective measures to prevent alteration or overriding of the authentication procedure.  The term "digital signature" shall be an electronic authentication process that is attached to or logically associated with an electronic document.  The digital signature shall be:

(1)           Unique to the licensee using it;

(2)           Capable of verification;

(3)           Under the sole control of the licensee; and

(4)           Linked to a document in such a manner that the digital signature is invalidated if any data in the document is changed.

(f)  A digital signature process may be submitted to the Board for approval that it meets the criteria set forth in Subparagraphs (e)(1) through (4) of this Rule.  The licensee shall confirm that if another process is used, that it meets the criteria.

 

History Note:        Authority G.S. 89C-10; 89C-16;

Eff. February 1, 1976;

Readopted Eff. September 29, 1977;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2011; July 1, 2009; May 1, 2009; August 1, 2002; August 1, 2000; August 1, 1998; February 1, 1996; May 1, 1994; April 1, 1989; December 1, 1984.