As a result of Regulation and Bylaw changes passed at the 1995 Annual General Meeting, Permit Holders were required to have a Professional Practice Management Plan (PPMP) and have their responsible members attend a Permit to Practice seminar once every five years.

APEGGA also has a responsibility to maintain a register of all users of one of the restricted titles (Engineer, Engineering, Geology, Geologist, Geophysics or Geophysicist). The Permit to Practice facilitates the registration of corporate users of one of the restricted titles.

The 1998 AGM passed motions to modify Regulations and Bylaws allowing Permit fees to be waived under certain circumstances. The measure was passed subject to the Association obtaining further input from stakeholders, which has now been done.

At its Feb. 4, 1999 meeting, APEGGA Council agreed on the definitions of three types of Permit Holders (see below). They are:  a) Sole Practitioners (type S); b) an Operating Entity (type O) -- providing services internally; or c)Practicing Entity (Type P) -- offering services to the public and not falling into the Type S or Type O categories.

Sole Practitioner (Type S)

A sole practitioner is a partnership, corporation or other entity which practices the profession of engineering, geology or geophysics where:

• Greater than 50 per cent of a partnership, corporation or other entity is owned by a single P.Eng., P.Geol. or P.Geoph. and,
• The single P.Eng., P.Geol. or P.Geoph. who owns the partnership, corporation or other entity exercises 100 per cent control over the partnership, corporation or other entity and,
• Sole responsibility for all of the professional work done by the partnership, corporation or other entity is taken by the single P.Eng., P.Geol. or P.Geoph. who owns the majority of the partnership, corporation or other entity and,
• The partnership, corporation or other entity has no other professional employees, partners or owners and,
• The partnership, corporation or other entity has less than five full or part-time employees, and
• Substantially all (more than 95 per cent, on an annual basis), of the professional work done by the partnership, corporation or other entity is carried out by the sole practitioner.

Members of APEGGA may incorporate as corporation of convenience. If this corporation does not use one of the restricted titles in its name and does not advertise or hold itself out as practicing one of the professions, it is not required to obtain a Permit to Practice.

Operating Entity (Type O)

An operating entity is a partnership, corporation, agency or other entity where:

• All professional services are consumed internally in the creation of the product that the operating entity sells and,
• No professional services are offered directly to anyone (person or company) outside the operating entity for a fee and,
• The operating entity has a quality program in place that meets or exceeds the requirements of the Professional Practice Guideline and,
• The operating company ensures that all professionals employees are aware of and comply with their quality program.

Practicing Entity (Type P)

A practicing entity is a partnership, corporation, agency or other entity which does not meet all of the criteria of either type S or type O. This category will include most of the current Permit-holding organizations that offer professional services to clients.

This also will include a sole practitioner in which:

• 50 per cent or less of the a partnership, corporation or other entity is owned by a single P.Eng., P.Geol. or P.Geoph. or,
• Less than 100 per cent control over the partnership, corporation or other entity is exercised by a single P.Eng., P.Geol. or P.Geoph. who owns the partnership, corporation or other entity or,
• More than one P.Eng., P.Geol. or P.Geoph. takes responsibility for the professional work done by the partnership, corporation or other entity or,
• The partnership, corporation or other entity has professional employees, partners or owners or,
• The partnership, corporation or other entity has five or more full or part-time employees or,
• Less than 95 per cent, on an annual basis, of the professional work done by the partnership, corporation or other entity is carried out by the sole practitioner.

This category will also include an operating entity which:

• Does not consume all professional services internally in the creation of the product that the operating entity sells or,
• Offers professional services directly to anyone (person or company) outside the operating entity for a fee.

Type P Requirements

The type P Permit Holder will be required to meet all of the requirements of the Permit to Practice including:

• Full application fee.
• Full annual fee.
• Professional Practice Management Plan.
• Responsible members attending a Permit to Practice seminar once every five years.
• Annual signed report that a PPMP is in place which meets the criteria of the Professional Practice Guideline.

Type S Exemptions

The type S Permit Holder exemptions will be:

• The application fee will be 25 per cent of the regular member annual fee.
• The application fee will include the first year's annual Permit to Practice fee.
• The annual fee for the second and subsequent years will be 25 per cent of the regular member annual fee.

All other Permit to Practice requirements shall apply to a type S Permit to Practice including:

• Professional Practice Management Plan.
• Responsible members attending a Permit to Practice seminar once every five years.
• Annual signed report that a PPMP is in place which meets the criteria of the Professional Practice Guideline.
• Annual signed report that conditions for a type S Permit to Practice are being met. This report will be submitted with the annual Permit to Practice renewal. This report will also include a requirement that the Permit Holder will advise APEGGA immediately if any of the requirements are not complied with (i.e. a Professional employee is hired).

Type O Exemptions

The type O Permit Holder exemption will be:

• Their responsible members will not be required to attend the Permit to Practice seminars.

All other Permit to Practice requirements shall apply to a type O Permit to Practice including:

• Full application fee.
• Full annual fee.
• Professional Practice Management Plan.
• Annual signed report that a PPMP is in place which meets the criteria of the Professional Practice Guideline.
• Annual signed report that conditions for a type O Permit to Practice are being met. This report will be submitted with the annual Permit to Practice renewal. This report will also include a requirement that the Permit Holder will advise APEGGA immediately if any of the requirements are not complied with (i.e. the Quality Management Plan fails an audit).