Illegal practice
10.—(1)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, no person shall engage in any of the prescribed branches of professional engineering work in Singapore or draw or prepare any plan, sketch, drawing, design, specification or other document relating to any of the prescribed branches of professional engineering work in Singapore unless the person —
(a)is a registered professional engineer who has in force a practising certificate authorising him to engage in that branch of professional engineering work;
(b)is under the direction or supervision of a registered professional engineer who has in force a practising certificate authorising the professional engineer to engage in that branch of professional engineering work; or
(c)is authorised by the Board to work in collaboration (but without a right to any independent practice) with a registered professional engineer who has in force a practising certificate authorising the registered professional engineer to engage in that branch of professional engineering work.
[27/2005 wef 01/12/2005]
(1A)  The Board may grant its authorisation to any person under subsection (1)(c) subject to such conditions as the Board thinks fit to impose.
[27/2005 wef 01/12/2005]
(2)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, no person shall sign and submit to a building authority or to a public authority (as defined in section 3(2)) —
(a)any plan, sketch, drawing, design, specification or other document relating to any professional engineering work in Singapore; or
(b)any report on or a certificate or other document relating to any professional engineering work in Singapore which is required by any written law to be signed by a professional engineer,
unless the person is a registered professional engineer who has in force a practising certificate authorising him to engage in such professional engineering work; and any document that is signed in contravention of this subsection shall be invalid.
[Act 4/95 wef 01/04/1995]
(3)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, no person shall use verbally or otherwise —
(a)the words “professional engineer” or any additions to or abbreviation or derivative of those words in connection with his designation;
(b)the word “engineer” or the abbreviation “Er.” or “Engr.” as a title before his name; or
(c)any word, name or designation that will lead to the belief that the person is a registered professional engineer,
unless the person is a registered professional engineer.
[Act 4/95 wef 01/04/1995]
(3A)  Where the Board has authorised any person under subsection (1)(c) to work in collaboration with a registered professional engineer, the Board may allow that person to use such addition to or derivative of the words “professional engineer” as may be approved by the Board.
[27/2005 wef 01/12/2005]
(4)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, no person shall advertise or hold himself out or conduct himself in any way or by any means as a person who is authorised to supply professional engineering services in Singapore, unless the person is a registered professional engineer who has in force a practising certificate, a licensed corporation, a licensed partnership, a licensed limited liability partnership or a partnership consisting wholly of registered professional engineers:
Provided that nothing in this subsection shall apply to prevent a corporation or limited liability partnership that ceases to have in force a licence from carrying on any activity necessary to the winding up of the corporation or limited liability partnership.
[Act 4/95 wef 01/04/1995]
(5)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, no person shall supply or offer to supply professional engineering services in Singapore unless the person is —
(a)a registered professional engineer who has in force a practising certificate authorising him to engage in professional engineering work to which those services relate and is doing so on his own account or as a partner in a licensed partnership, licensed limited liability partnership or partnership consisting wholly of registered professional engineers;
(b)an allied professional and is doing so only by reason of being a partner in a licensed partnership or limited liability partnership; or
(c)a licensed corporation or limited liability partnership.
[Act 4/95 wef 01/041995]
(5A)  Notwithstanding subsection (5), a builder may supply or offer to supply professional engineering services in Singapore in connection with any building works which he undertakes to carry out if the professional engineering services are provided by a person referred to in subsection (5)(a), (b) or (c).
[18/2003 wef 01/01/2004]
(6)  Any person who contravenes subsection (1), (2), (3), (4) or (5) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(7)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit or authorise any licensed corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership to supply any professional engineering services which it is not licensed to supply.
(8)  In this section, “prescribed branches of professional engineering work” means —
(a)civil engineering;
(b)electrical engineering;
(c)mechanical engineering; and
(d)such other branches of engineering as may be prescribed.
[27/2005 wef 01/12/2005]