Criminal Charges and Your Kentucky Professional Engineer License
Professional engineers in Kentucky design the infrastructure that keeps the Commonwealth running — bridges, buildings, roads, and systems that protect public safety. Whether you practice structural engineering in Louisville, civil engineering in Lexington, or any engineering discipline across Kentucky, your PE license from the Kentucky State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors represents your professional credibility. Criminal charges can threaten that license. Clark + Harris defends Kentucky engineers facing criminal charges that put their PE licenses at risk.
Kentucky Board of Licensure Authority
The Kentucky State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors operates under KRS 322.180 and has authority to take disciplinary action against licensed engineers for criminal conduct. The board can suspend, revoke, or impose conditions on a PE license based on felony convictions, crimes involving fraud or dishonesty, and conduct the board deems incompatible with professional engineering standards.
Engineering is fundamentally about public safety, and the board takes any criminal conduct that might reflect on an engineer’s judgment, integrity, or competence extremely seriously. This includes both offenses directly related to engineering practice and offenses that the board views as undermining public confidence in the profession.
Criminal Charges Threatening Engineering Licenses
Kentucky engineers face license jeopardy from fraud charges including bid-rigging, false certifications, and engineering report falsification. Building code violations resulting in criminal prosecution when structural failures or safety hazards occur create significant exposure. Environmental crimes related to engineering projects violating EPA or state environmental regulations lead to both criminal and licensing consequences. DUI and substance abuse charges raise concerns about judgment and fitness. Bribery and corruption in connection with government engineering contracts carry severe penalties. Any felony conviction creates grounds for board action.
Public Safety and Engineering Ethics
Engineers have a fundamental ethical obligation to protect public safety. Criminal charges that call this obligation into question — such as charges related to structural failures, environmental contamination, or falsified engineering reports — receive the most severe board scrutiny. These cases often involve parallel investigations by the board, law enforcement, and potentially federal regulatory agencies.
Defense Strategy for Kentucky Engineers
Clark + Harris provides defense for Kentucky engineers that addresses the criminal case and the licensing proceeding simultaneously. Our approach includes aggressive criminal defense, proactive board engagement to preserve PE licensure, coordination with professional liability defense when applicable, protection of professional reputation in the Louisville, Lexington, and statewide engineering community, and guidance on ethical obligations during the proceedings. We serve engineers throughout Kentucky.
Contact Clark + Harris for Engineer License Defense
If you’re a Kentucky professional engineer facing criminal charges, your PE license and your engineering career are at stake. Clark + Harris provides the defense you need.
Call 859-474-0001 today for a confidential consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon should I contact Clark + Harris after being charged in Kentucky?
As soon as possible. Early representation protects your rights during questioning, preserves evidence, and often leads to better outcomes. Call 859-474-0001 — we respond promptly to new inquiries.
Does Clark + Harris represent clients throughout Kentucky?
Yes. We represent clients in all 120 Kentucky counties, both state District and Circuit courts, and federal courts in the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky.
What happens during a free consultation with Clark + Harris?
We review the specific charges and evidence, discuss available defenses, explain the likely process in the relevant court, and give you a clear roadmap of next steps — at no cost to you.
Related Resources
If this information applied to your situation, the following Clark + Harris guides may also be helpful:
- Kentucky CPA License Defense: Criminal Charges and Your Accounting Career
- Criminal Charges and Your Kentucky Real Estate License
- Kentucky Insurance Agent License Defense After Criminal Charges
- Kentucky Financial Advisor Criminal Defense: Protecting Your Series 7 and FINRA Licenses
- Criminal Charges and Your Kentucky Mortgage Loan Officer License