ARTICLE 1. General Provisions [6700. - 6706.3.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 1.

in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6700. Section 6700.

This chapter constitutes the chapter on professional engineers. It may be cited as the Professional Engineers Act.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6701. Section 6701.

“Professional engineer,” within the meaning and intent of this act, refers to a person engaged in the professional practice of rendering service or creative work requiring education, training and experience in engineering sciences and the application of special knowledge of the mathematical, physical and engineering sciences in such professional or creative work as consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning or design of public or private utilities, structures, machines, processes, circuits, buildings, equipment or projects, and supervision of construction for the purpose of securing compliance with specifications and design for any such work.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6702. Section 6702.

“Civil engineer” as used in this chapter means a professional engineer in the branch of civil engineering and refers to one who practices or offers to practice civil engineering in any of its phases.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6702.1. Section 6702.1.

“Electrical engineer” as used in this chapter means a professional engineer in the branch of electrical engineering and refers to one who practices or offers to practice electrical engineering in any of its phases.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6702.2. Section 6702.2.

“Mechanical engineer” as used in this chapter means a professional engineer in the branch of mechanical engineering and refers to one who practices or offers to practice mechanical engineering in any of its phases.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6703. Section 6703.

The phrase “responsible charge of work” means the independent control and direction, by the use of initiative, skill, and independent judgment, of the investigation or design of professional engineering work or the direct engineering control of such projects. The phrase does not refer to the concept of financial liability.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6703.1. Section 6703.1.

“Supervision of the construction of engineering structures” means the periodic observation of materials and completed work to determine general compliance with plans, specifications, and design and planning concepts. However, “supervision of the construction of engineering structures” does not include responsibility for the superintendence of construction processes, site conditions, operations, equipment, personnel, or the maintenance of a safe place to work or any safety in, on, or about the site. For purposes of this subdivision, “periodic observation” means visits by an engineer, or his or her agent, to the site of a work of improvement.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6704. Section 6704.

(a) In order to safeguard life, health, property, and public welfare, no person shall practice civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering unless appropriately licensed or specifically exempted from licensure under this chapter, and only persons licensed under this chapter shall be entitled to take and use the titles “consulting engineer,” “professional engineer,” or “registered engineer,” or any combination of those titles or abbreviations thereof, and according to licensure with the board the engineering branch titles specified in Section 6732, or the authority titles specified in Sections 6736 and 6736.1, or the title “engineer-in-training.” (b) The provisions of this section shall not prevent the use of the title “consulting engineer” by a person who has qualified for and maintained exemption for using that title under the provisions of Section 6732.1, or by a person licensed as a photogrammetric surveyor.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6705. Section 6705.

A subordinate is any person who assists a registered professional engineer in the practice of professional engineering without assuming responsible charge of work.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6706. Section 6706.

(a) An engineer who voluntarily, without compensation or expectation of compensation, provides structural inspection services at the scene of a declared national, state, or local emergency at the request of a public official, public safety officer, or city or county building inspector acting in an official capacity shall not be liable in negligence for any personal injury, wrongful death, or property damage caused by the engineer’s good faith but negligent inspection of a structure used for human habitation or owned by a public entity for structural integrity or nonstructural elements affecting life and safety. The immunity provided by this section shall apply only for an inspection that occurs within 30 days of the declared emergency. Nothing in this section shall provide immunity for gross negligence or willful misconduct. (b) As used in this section: (1) “Engineer” means a person registered under this chapter as a professional engineer, including any of the branches thereof. (2) “Public safety officer” has the meaning given in Section 3301 of the Government Code. (3) “Public official” means a state or local elected officer.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 6706.3. Section 6706.3.

Any reference in any law or regulation to a registered engineer, or to a registered civil, electrical, or mechanical engineer, is deemed to refer to a licensed engineer, or to a licensed civil, electrical, or mechanical engineer, as the case may be.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026