Print this page The Proper Use of Pennsylvania Professional Seals
Randall W. Whitesides, P.E.
Course Outline
To seal or not to seal, is that the question? The sealing and certification of technical documents can be deceptively complex. For example, certain work products of the design professions may require qualifying statements; a given seal form acceptable to one regulated profession can be unlawful to another; and professional practice overlap can produce uncertainty with regards to certifying ability. These examples are just a few of the many sealing and certifying specifics for which the Pennsylvania licensed professional is required to be knowledgeable. This course assembles the various rules and regulations related to this subject.
This course includes
a multiple choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding
of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this two hour course, the student will learn that:
- The sealing and certification process is strictly controlled and at the same time subject to change;
- Overlap or common practice activities among the professions exists and must be appropriately conducted;
- There are incorrect methods for sealing, signing, and dating technical documents;
- Qualified and special certifications are sometimes required;
- Certain types of projects are exempt from the sealing regulations; and
- Exemptions are subject to revision and can be superseded by other authority.
Intended Audience
The focus of this course deals primarily with Architects, Engineers, Land Surveyors, and to a lesser extent Geologist and Landscape Architects. The course material is limited to Pennsylvania laws and practices. However, there is remarkable similarity in the laws among the various States. This is because most States closely adhere to model laws and model rules adopted by the national affiliations. Therefore, professional practitioners licensed in other States may find this course content informative and useful.
Benefits for Attendees
This course will review the various aspects of the sealing and certification process for technical documents. Students of this course will find, in a single presentation, an integration of this subject, which is normally jointly covered in several Commonwealth practice Acts and Code regulations. The course is presumed to qualify for continuing professional competency training credit specified in the Pennsylvania statutes.
Course Content
The course content is in the following PDF file (1 MB).
The Proper Use of Pennsylvania Professional Seals
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Additional Resources
A list of Pennsylvania regulatory agencies and national non-profit consensus organizations, including their websites, is offered in the main course content under the heading Additional Resources. These are the resources the student should use to obtain excellent supplemental information on the legally correct methods of sealing and certification of technical documents. These resources should be continually consulted to insure up-to-date information.
Quiz
Once
you finish studying the
above course content,
you need to
take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
