2012 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 40 - Professions and Occupations
Chapter 22 - ENGINEERS AND SURVEYORS
Section 40-22-280 - Exceptions from application of chapter.

(A) This chapter may not be construed to prevent or to affect:

(1) the practice of any other regulated profession or trade where the practice of the profession or trade may legitimately overlap the professions regulated by this chapter;

(2) the work of an employee or other subordinate of a person holding a certificate of registration under this chapter;

(3) the engineering work of regular employees of the government of the United States officially performing their duties for their employer on federal lands within this State, in the practice of engineering for the government, and where specified by federal statute;

(4) the surveying work of regular employees of the government of the United States officially performing their duties for their employer on lands within this State, in the practice of surveying for the government, and where specified by federal statute;

(5) the work or practice of a regular employee of a public utility, a telephone utility, or an electrical utility by rendering to the employing company engineering service in connection with its facilities which are subject to regulation, supervision, and control in order to safeguard life, health, and property by the Public Service Commission of this State, so long as the person is actually and exclusively employed. Engineering work not related to the exemption in this item where the safety of the public is directly involved must be accomplished by or under the responsible charge of a professional engineer;

(6) the work or practice of a regular employee of an electric cooperative, when rendering to the employing cooperative engineering service in connection with its facilities which are subject to regulations and inspections of the Rural Electric Administration, if the person is actually and exclusively employed. Engineering work not related to the exemption in this item where the safety of the public is directly involved must be accomplished by or under the responsible charge of a professional engineer;

(7) the work or practice of a regular employee of a state authority which is licensed by and subject to the safety regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and which sells and distributes electric power to consumers, so long as the person is actually and exclusively employed. Engineering work not related to the exemption in this item where the safety of the public is directly involved must be accomplished by or under the responsible charge of a registered professional engineer; and

(8) the work of a general contractor, specialty contractor, or material supplier in the preparation and use of shop drawings or other graphic descriptions used to detail or illustrate a portion of the work required to construct the project in accordance with plans and specifications prepared under the requirements of this chapter.

(B) If drawings and specifications are signed by the authors with the true title of their occupations, this chapter does not apply to the preparation of plans and specifications for:

(1) farm buildings not designed or used for human occupancy;

(2) buildings and structures less than three stories high and less than five thousand square feet in area, except that buildings of assembly, educational, hazardous, and institutional occupancies as defined by the International Code Series regardless of area are not exempt from the provisions of this chapter; and

(3) alterations to a building to which this chapter does not apply, if the alterations do not result in a change which would otherwise place the building under the application of this chapter.

(C) This subsection may not be construed to prejudice a law, ordinance, regulation, or other directive enacted by another political body or a requirement by a contracting authority which would otherwise require preparation of plans and specifications under the responsible charge of a professional engineer or professional surveyor.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 311, Section 1.