AB-2435 • 2026

Professional engineering, geology, geophysics, and land surveying: practice without a license: administrative penalties.

Budget Crime

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Chen
Last action: 2026-06-10
Official status: From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Professional engineering, geology, geophysics, and land surveying: practice without a license: administrative penalties.

AB 2435, as amended, Chen.

What This Bill Does

AB 2435, as amended, Chen.
Land surveyors: practice without authorization: penalties.
Professional engineering, geology, geophysics, and land surveying: practice without a license: administrative penalties.
Existing law establishes the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists to license and regulate professional engineers under the Professional Engineers Act, to license and regulate land surveyors under the Professional Land Surveyors’ Act, and to license and regulate geologists and geophysicists under the Geologist and Geophysicist Act.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-06-10 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.
2026-05-27 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on B. P. & E.D. and PUB. S.
2026-05-14 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2026-05-14 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 5056.)
2026-05-07 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2026-05-06 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 6).
2026-04-21 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-16 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.
2026-04-15 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-23 California Legislative Information
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2026-03-17 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.
2026-03-16 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-16 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on B. & P.
2026-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2026-02-20 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2435, as amended, Chen.
Land surveyors: practice without authorization: penalties.
Professional engineering, geology, geophysics, and land surveying: practice without a license: administrative penalties.
Existing law establishes the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists to license and regulate professional engineers under the Professional Engineers Act, to license and regulate land surveyors under the Professional Land Surveyors’ Act, and to license and regulate geologists and geophysicists under the Geologist and Geophysicist Act. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to practice or to offer to practice civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering, geology, geophysics, or land surveying without being licensed under those acts, unless the person is exempt from licensure. Existing law requires fees and civil penalties received pursuant to the Professional Engineers Act, the Professional Land Surveyors’ Act, and the Geologist and Geophysicist Act to be deposited in the Professional
Engineer’s, Land Surveyor’s, and Geologist’s Fund, and continuously appropriates those funds to the board for purposes of those acts.
This bill would authorize the executive officer of the board to issue a citation to a person or entity that subjects the person or entity to an administrative fine of not less than $500 and no more than $20,000 for each violation of practicing or offering to practice civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, geology, geophysics, or land surveying without a license unless the person or entity is otherwise authorized by law. By authorizing additional penalties to be deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.
Existing law, the Professional Land Surveyors’ Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of land surveyors by the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. The act prohibits a person from practicing land surveying unless appropriately licensed or specifically exempted from licensure. Under the act, a person who practices, or offers to practice, land surveying without applicable legal authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor.
This bill would specify tiered penalties, including specified fines and jail time, for a first, 2nd, or 3rd conviction for practicing land surveying without legal authorization.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF