Regulation of Engineers in California

State-administered certification programs for the engineering profession are unjustified and should be eliminated. The reasons for this conclusion have nothing to do with the peculiarities of any particular engineering discipline, but are due to the inherent weaknesses of governmental-sponsored certification programs. State-run certification programs are not enforceable, may not reduce information costs to consumers, put barriers on an engineer's ability to practice, and may be duplicative of private certification programs. The second conclusion of this article calls for the registration of all exempt engineers who are in responsible charge in licensed disciplines. Finally, this article proposes that criteria be extablished and followed when determining whether a discipline should be brought under a licensing program. Each state should develop criteria whenever it seeks to impose regulations upon a given discipline, for without such standards it is impossible to establish a rational system of engineering regulations.