2009 North Carolina Code
Chapter 89C - Engineering and Land Surveying.
§ 89C-25. Limitations on application of Chapter.

§ 89C‑25.  Limitations on application of Chapter.

This Chapter shall not be construed to prevent or affect:

(1)        The practice of architecture, landscape architecture, or contracting or any other legally recognized profession or trade.

(2)        The practice of professional engineering or land surveying in this State or by any person not a resident of this State and having no established place of business in this State when this practice does not aggregate more than 90 days in any calendar year, whether performed in this State or elsewhere, or involve more than one specific project; provided, however, that the person is licensed to practice the profession in the person's own state or country, in which the requirements and qualifications for obtaining a certificate of licensure are satisfactory to the Board; in which case the person shall apply for and the Board will issue a temporary permit.

(3)        The practice of professional engineering or land surveying in this State not to aggregate more than 90 days by any person residing in this State, but whose residence has not been of sufficient duration for the Board to grant or deny licensure; provided, however, the person shall have filed an application for licensure as a professional engineer or professional land surveyor and shall have paid the fee provided for in G.S. 89C‑14, and provided that the person is licensed to practice professional engineering or professional land surveying in the person's own state or country in which the requirements and qualifications for obtaining a certificate of licensure are satisfactory to the Board, in which case the person shall apply for and the Board will issue a temporary permit.

(4)        Engaging in engineering or land surveying as an employee or assistant under the responsible charge of a professional engineer or professional land surveyor or as an employee or assistant of a nonresident professional engineer or a nonresident professional land surveyor provided for in subdivisions (2) and (3) of this section, provided that the work as an employee may not include responsible charge of design or supervision.

(5)        The practice of professional engineering or land surveying by any person not a resident of, and having no established place of business in this State, as a consulting associate of a professional engineer or professional land surveyor licensed under the provisions of this Chapter; provided, the nonresident is qualified for performing the professional service in the person's own state or country.

(6)        Practice by members of the armed forces; employees of the government of the United States while engaged in the practice of engineering or land surveying solely for the government on government‑owned works and projects; or practice by those employees of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, county employees, or employees of the Soil and Water Conservation Districts who have federal engineering job approval authority that involves the planning, designing, or implementation of best management practices on agricultural lands.

(7)        The internal engineering or surveying activities of a person, firm or corporation engaged in manufacturing, processing, or producing a product, including the activities of public service corporations, public utility companies, authorities, State agencies, railroads, or membership cooperatives, or the installation and servicing of their product in the field; or research and development in connection with the manufacture of that product or their service; or of their research affiliates; or their employees in the course of their employment in connection with the manufacture, installation, or servicing of their product or service in the field, or on‑the‑premises maintenance of machinery, equipment, or apparatus incidental to the manufacture or installation of the product or service of a firm by the employees of the firm upon property owned, leased or used by the firm; inspection, maintenance and service work done by employees of the State of North Carolina, any political subdivision of the State, or any municipality including construction, installation, servicing, maintenance by regular full‑time employees of streets, street lighting, traffic‑control signals, police and fire alarm systems, waterworks, steam, electric and sewage treatment and disposal plants; the services of superintendents, inspectors or foremen regularly employed by the State of North Carolina or any political subdivision of the State or a municipal corporation; provided, however, that the internal engineering or surveying activity is not a holding out to or an offer to the public of engineering or any service thereof as prohibited by this Chapter. Engineering work, not related to the foregoing exemptions, where the safety of the public is directly involved shall be under the responsible charge of a licensed professional engineer, or in accordance with standards prepared or approved by a licensed professional engineer.

(8)        The (i) preparation of fire sprinkler planning and design drawings by a fire sprinkler contractor licensed under Article 2 of Chapter 87 of the General Statutes, or (ii) the performance of internal engineering or survey work by a manufacturing or communications common carrier company, or by a research and development company, or by employees of those corporations provided that the work is in connection with, or incidental to products of, or nonengineering services rendered by those corporations or their affiliates.

(9)        The routine maintenance or servicing of machinery, equipment, facilities or structures, the work of mechanics in the performance of their established functions, or the inspection or supervision of construction by a foreman, superintendent, or agent of the architect or professional engineer, or services of an operational nature performed by an employee of a laboratory, a manufacturing plant, a public service corporation, or governmental operation.

(10)      The design of land application irrigation systems for an animal waste management plan, required by G.S. 143‑215.10C, by a designer who exhibits, by at least three years of relevant experience, proficiency in soil science and basic hydraulics, and who is thereby listed as an Irrigation Design Technical Specialist by the North Carolina Soil and Water Conservation Commission. (1921, c. 1, s. 13; C.S., s. 6055(o); 1951, c. 1084, s. 1; 1975, c. 681, s. 1; 1995, c. 146, s. 1; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 742, s. 35; 1997‑454, s. 1; 1998‑118, s. 23; 2007‑536, s. 1.)