Complaints, Discipline and Enforcement

Engineers, like doctors and lawyers, are licensed professionals. As such, it is against the law to take responsibility for engineering work in Ontario unless you are licensed with PEO. It is also illegal to call yourself a "P.Eng.", a "professional engineer", or even an "engineer", unless you are licensed with the association. Companies must also hold a Certificate of Authorization with PEO if they wish to provide engineering services to the public.

PEO's mandate, as described in The Professional Engineers Act, is to ensure that the public is protected and that individuals and companies providing engineering services uphold a strict code of professional ethics and conduct.

How does PEO protect the public?

PEO has the power to discipline professional engineers found guilty of professional misconduct. The association can also take action against unlicensed individuals who illegally describe themselves as engineers. Similarly, the association can prosecute companies or entities who illegally provide engineering services to the public.

The Discipline Process

If you have concerns about either the work of an engineer, or suspect that a person or a company is practicing engineering and may not be licensed, you can contact PEO's Regulatory Compliance department through hotline: 416-840-1444 (1-800-339-3716x1444). They can tell you if the matter warrants action and will do so as appropriate. If your complaint relates to misconduct, it may proceed to PEO's Discipline Committee for a hearing. Hearings work like court cases; PEO is the prosecutor, the engineer is the defendant. The committee is judge and jury. If found guilty, the engineer is sentenced by the Discipline Committee. The sentence could involve revocation or suspension of a licence, payment of fines and/or publishing the name of the engineer in PEO's Gazette - the Blue Pages in the centre of the Engineering Dimensions magazine. Publishing the name is mandatory if the licence has been revoked or suspended.

Detailed Discipline Process

Duty to Report.

How to register a complaint with PEO?

Enforcement

PEO also takes action against individuals or companies who are not licensed to practise engineering. If an individual uses the title "professional engineer", or "engineer", or uses a seal that leads to the belief that s/he is an engineer, PEO will prosecute the matter through provincial court. This begins through the association applying to a judge of the Ontario Court for an order to cease and desist contravention of the Professional Engineers Act. Fines can range from $10,000 for a first offence, to $50,000 in repeat offense cases.