WmE A-IITORNEY GENERAL 

OiFTEXAS 

GERALD C.MANN 

-w 

April 28, 1939 

Hon. F. E. Rightor 

secretary 

Texas State Boerd of Registration 

for Professional gnaineers 

Austin, Texas 

Dear Sir: 

Opinion No. O-687 

Re: Renewal fees for certificate ,of 

registration of professional 

engineers. 

Your request for an opinion on the above stated questions has 

been received by this office. 

Your 

"The 

letter reads in part as follocvs: 

Board la in receipt of a letter whichreads as folloivs: 

""Section 16 of the Engineers License Law provides that a 

C8rtifiOat8, OfregiStratiOn may b.8 renewed at any tim8 with the 

maximum fee of twice the normal. I take this to mean that at 

some future date when and if I return-to Texas my certificate 

may be renewed for the sum of $10.00. Please advise if this 

assumption is corrf$.ct. I feft Texas in August, 1938 and 

expect to be away several years.1 ~ 

"Pleas8 advise if th!s registrant is correct in his assumption 

that $10.00 is the maxinmm amount COlleqtabl8 for renewal, or 

it is the intention of the act that the registrant can be 

charged a total of $10.00 for each year he isdelinquent." 

Section 1 of Aenate Bill No. 74, Acts of the 45th Legislature, 

regulating the practice of professional engineers provides 

that: . 

"That in order to safeguard life, health, and property, any 

person practicing or offering to practice the profession of 

engineering as hereinafter defined shall hereafter be required 

to s~ubmit evidence that he is qalified so to practice and 

shall be registered as hereinafter provided; and it shall be, 

unlawful for any person to practice or offer to practice the, 
Hon. F. E. Rightor, April 28, 1939, Page 2, O-607 

profession of engineering in thd's St&e, or to use in 

connection with his name of otherwise assume, use, or 

advertise any title or description tending to convey the 

the impression that he is a professional engineer unless such 

person has b88n duly registered or exempted under the provisions of this Act." 

S8C,tiOn 16 of Senate RI11 No. 74, supra, reads as follows: 

"Expirations and Renewals .--Certificates of registration 

shall expire on the last day of the month of December following 

their issuance or renewal and shallbecome invalid on that date 

unless.renewed. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the 

Board to notify every personregistered under this Act of the 

date of the expiration of his certificate and the amount of the 

fee that shall be required for its renewal for one (1) year; 

such notice shall be mailed at least one (1) month in advance 

of the date of the expiration of said certificate. Renewal 

may be'affected a% anytime during the month of December by 

the payment of a fee of Five ($5.00) L'ollars. Thefailure on 

the part of any registrant to,renew'hfs certificate annually in 

the month of December as requdred above shall notdeprive such 

person of the right of renewal, but the fee to be paid for the 

renewal of a certificate after the month of becember shall be 

increased ten (lO$) per cent for 8aCh month or fraction of month 

that renewal payment is delayed; provided, however, that the 

maximum fee for delayed renewal shall not eXC88d twice the 

normal renewal fee." 

Section 16 above quoted specifically provides that the maximum 

fee for delay in renewal shall not 8xC88d twice the nominal fee. 

You are respectfully advised that it is the opinion of this 

Department that '$10.00 is the,maxirmm amount ccllectable for 

renewal of certificates of registration of professional 

engineers and that it is not the intention of the above mentioned 

act that the registrant can be charged the total of $10.00 for 

each year he is delinquent. 

Trusting that the foregoin& answers your inquiry, we remain: 

Very truly yours 

ATTORNEX GENERAL OF TEXAS 

s/ Ardell 'Jyillaims 

BY 

AW:AW/cg . Ardell Wlliams 

APPROVED: Assistant 

s/ Gerald C. Mann 

ATTORNW GENERAL OF TEXAS