Ind. Code ch. 8-17-5

Ind. Code ch. 8-17-5
in effect

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-1 Authority to employ county highway engineer

Sec. 1. A county executive, or any two (2) or more counties acting under IC 36-1-7, may employ a full-time county highway engineer who is responsible for supervising the design, construction, planning, traffic, and other engineering functions of the county highway department under the direction of the county executive. The engineer shall prepare all required surveys, estimates, plans, and specifications. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.1. As amended by Acts 1981, P.L.11, SEC.61; P.L.86-1988, SEC.123.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-2 Qualifications of county highway engineer

Sec. 2. The county highway engineer must be a registered engineer, licensed by the state board of registration for professional engineers, experienced in highway engineering and construction and a resident of Indiana during the engineer's employment. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.2; Acts 1971, P.L.104, SEC.1. As amended by P.L.86-1988, SEC.124.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-4 Compensation

Sec. 4. The county highway engineer is entitled to a salary fixed by the county executive and shall be allowed actual traveling and other expenses incurred in the discharge of duties. The salary and expenses shall be paid out of county general funds, the county distribution of motor vehicle highway account funds, or both, and the county highway engineer fund. The county executive shall provide all facilities, equipment, and personnel required by the county highway engineer in the discharge of the engineer's duties. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.4. As amended by P.L.86-1988, SEC.125.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-5 Bond; power to negotiate contracts

Sec. 5. The county highway engineer shall work under the direction of the county executive and shall, under IC 5-4-1, give bond for the faithful performance of the engineer's duties. The county highway engineer may not enter into agreements to provide engineering services for pay to other local governmental units. However, an engineer may enter into contracts to provide engineering services for pay with the county executives of any two (2) or more counties, acting jointly. The county highway engineer may perform, at the direction of the executive, highway engineering work for municipalities within the county. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.5. As amended by Acts 1981, P.L.47, SEC.11; P.L.86-1988, SEC.126.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-6 Powers

Sec. 6. The county highway engineer shall, subject to the policies of the county executive, perform the following functions: (1) Prepare and publish a county-wide inventory and classification of the county highway system so that the total county federal aid secondary system is included in the county primary or arterial system of roads. (2) Prepare and keep a perpetual inventory of all bridges and culverts serving the county highway system. The inventory must show the location, dimensions, condition, and the year of construction for all bridges and major culverts. (3) Prepare and publish standards of design, construction, and maintenance of the county arterial, feeder, and local roads that make the best and most economical use of local road materials. (4) Prepare a long-range county-wide program of road and bridge construction and improvements, with the proposed projects arranged in order of priority. The program of proposed projects must cover a period of at least four (4) years. (5) Investigate requests and petitions for road or bridge improvements that are received either by the county executive or at public hearings, and make recommendations to the county executive. (6) Prepare surveys, designs, plans, and specifications for all county road and bridge construction projects, prepare contracts, and advertise for bids. (7) Make construction and materials inspection of all county road and bridge construction projects, inform the executive of the status of construction work, and certify completed construction projects. (8) Develop a county-wide program of traffic safety that provides for traffic control signs, signals, and speed limits, warning protection at railroad crossings, load limits, and detour routings. (9) Inspect and approve the construction of subdivision streets that are to be taken into the county highway system, and recommend appropriate action to the executive when roads and streets in subdivisions are being taken into the county highway system. (10) Prepare engineering estimates and make recommendations to the executive concerning the materials and equipment needed in the annual budgeting of both construction and maintenance funds. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.6. As amended by P.L.86-1988, SEC.127.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-7 County highway engineers to perform duties of office of county highway supervisor

Sec. 7. County highway engineers employed under this chapter shall perform the duties of the office of county highway supervisor relating to roads and bridges. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.7. As amended by P.L.66-1984, SEC.99; P.L.86-1988, SEC.128.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-8 County highway engineer appropriation

Sec. 8. There is annually appropriated from the counties' share of the April distribution of the motor vehicle highway account the amount necessary to make the distributions under this chapter for assisting the counties in the employment of a full-time county highway engineer. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.8. As amended by Acts 1980, P.L.77, SEC.1; P.L.86-1988, SEC.129; P.L.120-2019, SEC.1.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-9 Certification of employment

Sec. 9. The auditor of each county that employs a full-time county highway engineer shall annually certify that employment to the state comptroller. The certification must include: (1) the name and address of the county highway engineer; and (2) the serial number of the engineer's certificate of registration issued by the state board of registration for professional engineers. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.9. As amended by P.L.66-1984, SEC.100; P.L.86-1988, SEC.130; P.L.23-1991, SEC.3; P.L.120-2019, SEC.2; P.L.9-2024, SEC.297.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-10 Grant-in-aid subsidy

Sec. 10. (a) Upon receipt of the annual certification from the county auditor, the state comptroller shall distribute from the county highway engineer fund to each county a grant-in-aid subsidy of forty thousand dollars ($40,000) that is to be applied toward the engineer's annual salary. If the county highway engineer is employed by two (2) counties acting jointly, the amount distributed to each county is forty thousand dollars ($40,000). (b) The state comptroller shall distribute the grant-in-aid subsidies from the county highway engineer fund on a schedule determined by the state comptroller. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.10; Acts 1971, P.L.104, SEC.2. As amended by Acts 1980, P.L.77, SEC.2; P.L.86-1988, SEC.131; P.L.120-2019, SEC.3; P.L.9-2024, SEC.298.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-11 Repealed

Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.11; Acts 1971, P.L.104, SEC.3. Repealed by Acts 1981, P.L.41, SEC.72(b).

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-11.1 County highway engineers' fund; unused balances; disposition

Sec. 11.1. Any balance in the county highway engineers' fund at the end of each calendar year shall be returned to the counties' share of the motor vehicle highway account to be distributed in January of the following year. As added by Acts 1981, P.L.41, SEC.58.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-12 Construction of chapter

Sec. 12. This chapter shall not be construed as abolishing the office or employment of county highway supervisors; provided, that the respective boards of county commissioners may provide for the county highway engineer to serve also as the county highway supervisor. Formerly: Acts 1963, c.131, s.12. As amended by P.L.66-1984, SEC.101.

Ind. Code § 8-17-5-13 County engineering department; establishment; supervision by county highway engineer; divisions

Sec. 13. (a) This section applies to each county that employs a full-time county highway engineer under this chapter. (b) A county engineering department may be established by ordinance. (c) The county highway engineer shall, under the direction of the county executive, supervise the work of the department. The department may be organized into divisions. The divisions may perform county engineering services approved by the county executive. [Pre-Local Government Recodification Citations: 17-2-78-1; 17-2-78-2.] As added by Acts 1981, P.L.11, SEC.62.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/8Fetched: 10/17/2026

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