Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 5J-17.062 - Procedures for Signing and Sealing Electronically Transmitted Surveys or Other Documents

(1) Information stored in electronic files representing plans, specifications, plats, reports, or other documents which must be sealed under the provisions of Chapter 472, F.S., shall be signed, dated and sealed by the professional surveyor and mapper in responsible charge.

(2) A license holder may use a computer generated representation of his or her seal on electronically conveyed work; however, the final hard copy documents of such surveying or mapping work must contain an original signature and seal of the license holder and date or the documents must be accompanied by an electronic signature as described in this section. A scanned image of an original signature shall not be used in lieu of an original signature and seal or electronic signature. Surveying or mapping work that contains a computer generated seal shall be accompanied by the following text or similar wording: "The seal appearing on this document was authorized by [Example: Leslie H. Doe, P.S.M. 0112 on (date)]" unless accompanied by an electronic signature as described in this section.

(3) An electronic signature is a digital authentication process attached to or logically associated with an electronic document and shall carry the same weight, authority, and effect as an original signature and seal. The electronic signature, which can be generated by using either public key infrastructure or signature dynamics technology, must be as follows:

(a) Unique to the person using it;

(b) Capable of verification;

(c) Under the sole control of the person using it;

(d) Linked to a document in such manner that the electronic signature is invalidated if any data in the document are changed.

(4) Alternatively, electronic files may be signed and sealed by creating a "signature" file that contains the surveyor and mapper's name and PSM number, a brief overall description of the surveying and mapping documents, and a list of the electronic files to be sealed. Each file in the list shall be identified by its file name and secure authentication code computed by a cryptographic hash function. A report shall be created that contains the surveyor and mapper's name and PSM number, a brief overall description of the surveyor and mapper documents in question and the secure authentication code of the signature file. This report shall be printed and manually signed, dated, and sealed by the professional surveyor and mapper in responsible charge. The signature file is defined as sealed if its secure authentication code matches the secure authentication code on the printed, manually signed, dated and sealed report. Each electronic file listed in a sealed signature file is defined as sealed if the listed secure authentication code matches the file's computed secure authentication code.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 5J-17.062

Rulemaking Authority 472.008, 472.025 FS. Law Implemented 472.025 FS.

New 2-1-00, Amended 12-16-07, Formerly 61G 17-7.0025, Amended by Florida Register Volume 43, Number 211, October 31, 2017 effective 11/13/2017, Amended by Florida Register Volume 44, Number 129, July 3, 2018 effective 7/15/2018.

New 2-1-00, Amended 12-16-07, Formerly 61G17-7.0025, Amended 11-13-17, 7-15-18.