1.4 Certificate of Authority for Surveying Firms

The statutory requirement (§ 73-13-43)

"No corporation, firm or partnership may engage in the practice of professional engineering or the practice of professional surveying in this state unless it has been issued a certificate of authority by the board." Rule 8.1 restates it: any Firm practicing or offering to practice surveying must be licensed with a Certificate of Authority (COA). The 2026 statute defines a firm as a professional service corporation, a corporation, a partnership (including limited and limited liability partnerships), or a limited liability company (§ 73-13-3(9)).

Older materials call this document a "Certificate of Authorization" and cite § 73-13-105. The current statute and rules use Certificate of Authority, and the surveyor section was repealed in 2026.

Who is exempt

Exempt sole proprietors and professional associations must keep their individual licenses active and offer only the services they are licensed and qualified to provide. Rule 8.1 phrases the sole-proprietor exemption as an individual licensee "practicing in their own name as a sole proprietorship." A licensee who wants to operate a sole proprietorship under a trade name should confirm the Board's position in writing rather than assume the exemption applies.

Qualifying the firm: the managing agent

To qualify, the firm must have at least one Mississippi-licensed professional surveyor as a principal officer, partner, or designated principal surveyor. That person must have management responsibility for the Mississippi practice and make significant technical and contractual judgments affecting the firm's reputation and liability (§ 73-13-43; Rule 8.2). The managing agent's duties include:

1. Making significant technical or contractual judgments on behalf of the firm.
2. Renewing the firm's certificate and notifying the Board of any change in managing agent.
3. Overall administrative supervision of the licensed and subordinate personnel doing Mississippi work.
4. Setting and enforcing firm policies consistent with the Code of Professional Conduct.

Two limits appear on exams often. A licensee may not be designated managing agent for more than one firm. A licensee who renders occasional, part-time, or consulting services may not be designated as responsible for the firm's professional services.

Liability is not diluted

The firm is responsible for the conduct of its agents, employees, officers, partners, members, and managers. No individual surveyor is relieved of responsibility for services performed because of employment by a COA holder (§ 73-13-43; Rule 8.3). The firm's certificate does not replace the individual seal. Each plat is still sealed, signed, and dated by the licensee in responsible charge (Rule 6.2).

Applying, fees, and change notices

• Applications are made on Board forms (Rule 8.4). An incomplete application is rejected with a statement of the reason.
• Allow at least 30 days after the application is complete for Board action.
• The statute caps the COA fee at $350 for one year or $700 for two years. The current schedule charges $200 for a COA application and $100 for a biennial COA renewal.
• If any information on the initial or renewal application changes, the firm must notify the Board within 30 days by filing an amended application.
• The Secretary of State will not incorporate, license, or authorize a firm whose name or purposes include "engineer," "engineering," "surveyor," "surveying," or a derivative unless the firm has a Board COA or a Board letter of eligibility (§ 73-13-43).

Renewal and lapse (Rule 8.5)

Disciplining a firm

Chapter 13 authorizes discipline against "any person or firm" practicing engineering or surveying, including nonlicensees (§ 73-13-37). Rule 9.2 adds firm-level sanctions when a firm's managing agents, officers, directors, owners, or managers are found guilty of conduct that violates the Statute or the Board's rules or orders. The Board may place the firm on probation, fine it, recover costs, or reprimand it. It may also revoke, suspend, or refuse to issue or renew the COA. Practicing through a firm without a valid COA is practicing without a license. That exposes both the firm and the licensees involved to discipline and to the criminal penalties in § 73-13-39 (Section 2.4).

Exam scenarios

• A surveyor forms "Delta Line Surveying, LLC" and signs contracts in the LLC's name. A COA is required, with the surveyor designated as managing agent.
• A surveyor is already managing agent for Firm A and is asked to be listed for Firm B as well. Not allowed: one firm per managing agent.
• A firm's only licensed principal retires. The firm must notify the Board within 30 days and designate a qualified Mississippi licensee to keep a valid basis for its certificate.
• A firm received its initial certificate in March 2026. It expires December 31, 2026, and the firm then moves onto the biennial cycle.