it does seem like there is some latitude in the licensing laws that would allow a board to abuse its power. However, it seems like if that interpretation held, these licensing laws would be in clear violation of the First Amendment.
The consequences are minor, Ritter said. If the board had concluded that Cox was the author of the report, it would simply have written him a letter asking him not to do it again. Repeat offenders could, in theory, be referred to a district attorney for prosecution of a misdemeanor.
In Pennsylvania, the maximum penalty is $1000 and a 3 month sentence. Seems fairly severe in comparison to the severity of the crime in this case. I really don't see why there isn't a simple clause that says you can do any kind of engineering work as long as you are not representing yourself as a licensed engineer.