Local Requirements: South Carolina Certificate of Authorization

As CFSEI comes across engineering issues that affect our members in the engineering and framing community, we will pass them along through web and print-based media.

Earlier this year, a CFSEI member who manufactures cold-formed steel trusses was asked to provide a Certificate of Authorization (COA) for a project in South Carolina (SC).  A COA is required for professional services companies (architects, engineers, lawyers, etc.) headquartered outside of South Carolina, before they can provide services within South Carolina.  The Secretary of State’s office provides the COA forms online, and foreign (Non-SC) companies must apply for a COA, and pay fees totaling around $110.

Because the CFSEI manufacturer member did not provide engineering or other professional services as his primary line of work, he was not sure if a COA was required.  After doing some research, he found a frequently asked questions (FAQs) document on the website of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.  The direct link to the document is  http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/engineers/PDF_Files/FAQ's.pdf.

Within this document is a series of questions about COA requirements.  It notes some of the issues with respect to foreign corporations’ requirements for a COA, but also includes the following:

Question: My company designs and manufactures … trusses. Our truss designs are prepared under the responsible charge of a licensed engineer. Must we obtain a Certificate of Authorization (COA)?
Answer: No. For companies such as yours and others like manufacturers of precast  concrete products or preengineered buildings where the engineering design is solely in support of the manufacturing business, a Certificate of Authorization (COA) would not be required.

Therefore, for companies that perform engineering to support their manufacturing business, although their primary line of work is manufacturing, a COA is not required.  Note that if your business DOES provide engineering services, a COA likely will be required.  COA forms are available from the SC Secretary of State’s office for various types of corporations and organizations.