The licensure of engineers in education provides assurance that those responsible for developing curricula and teaching students are knowledgeable about the public health, safety, and welfare aspects of engineering practice. Accordingly, engineering faculty teaching advanced engineering subjects should be licensed. The licensure of engineers employed by industry and public utilities provides assurance that products, processes, facilities and systems are designed, manufactured and provided in a manner consistent with the public health, safety, and welfare. Because the products, processes, facilities, and systems an engineer employed by industry or a public utility designs have as great or greater impact on the public safety and on the environment as does a design prepared by a private practitioner, the engineer employed by industry or a public utility should be expected to demonstrate the same standard of education, experience, and qualification expected of engineers in private practice. During its 1997 session, the California legislature expanded the state's industrial exemption to include consultants, temporary employees, contract employees and those hired pursuant to third-party contracts.
Current law provides an exemption only for employees of industrial corporations.
Thirty-eight states exempt U.S. government employees from licensing requirements. Washington Bulletin State Bulletin Clean Water Act Construction Safety Reg.