AGENCY POLICIES
To follow are the official policies of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors' website. The mission of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (Board) is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people in Texas by ensuring that the practice of engineering and surveying in the state is carried out only by those persons who are proven to be qualified and by regulating the practice of Professional Engineering and Surveying in Texas. The agency website is used as a continuation and means of communicating this critical mission.
Website Linking and Privacy Policy Physical Location Accessibility Website Accessibility Cookies E-MailWebsite Linking and Privacy Policy
Introduction
In accordance with Texas Government Code §2054.126 and related statutes, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) adopts this Website Privacy and Linking Policy to guide the use, reproduction, and linking of content on its website, and to protect the personal information of individuals who interact with the agency online.
Reference Authority
This policy is based on the following legal authorities:
- Texas Government Code §§ 2054.112, 2054.126, 2054.603, 552, 559
- Texas Administrative Code, Title 1, Chapter 206
- Texas Business & Commerce Code § 521.053
Purpose
This policy serves two primary purposes: 1. To establish procedures for individuals and entities to link to or reproduce content from the TBPELS website. 2. To outline TBPELS’s responsibilities in protecting personal information collected through its website.
Scope
This policy applies to all content and services provided through the TBPELS public website and governs both external linking practices and internal privacy protections.
Website Linking Policy
Third-Party Linking to TBPELS Website
- No prior permission is required to link to the TBPELS website.
- Links must not misrepresent TBPELS content or imply TBPELS endorsement.
- Links should use the full base URL (e.g., https://pels.texas.gov) and not abbreviated or embedded formats.
- Entities linking to TBPELS should ensure accessibility for users with disabilities.
- TBPELS content may change without notice; linkers are encouraged to verify links regularly.
Copying or Reproducing TBPELS Content
- Public content may be copied or reproduced without permission, provided:
- The source (TBPELS), URL, and date of access are clearly cited.
- The content is not presented in a misleading manner.
- A disclaimer is included stating that TBPELS does not endorse the reproducing entity or its presentation.
- Any intellectual property rights (e.g., trademarks) are respected.
TBPELS Linking to Third-Party Websites
- TBPELS may link to:
-- Government websites (federal, state, local) that serve the public interest.
-- Non-governmental websites that support TBPELS’s mission and provide a public benefit.
- TBPELS is not obligated to link to any third-party site and may remove links at its discretion.
- A disclaimer will accompany third-party links stating that TBPELS does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of third-party content.
Privacy Policy
Data Minimization
TBPELS collects only the personal information necessary to fulfill its statutory responsibilities. Information no longer needed is disposed of in accordance with the agency’s records retention schedule.
Individual Access and Participation
Upon request, TBPELS will inform individuals of the personal information it holds about them and provide a means to correct inaccurate information, in accordance with Texas Government Code §559. Should an individuals need to correct their information please contact our agency at info@pels.texas.gov.
Privacy Notice
TBPELS collects information on this website for license and registration application and renewal purposes, and as required by board rules. Information collected is kept securely in a restricted access database and may be shared with partners under strict data use agreements to facilitate licensure verification.
Breach Notification
If sensitive personal information is compromised, TBPELS will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Attorney General as required by Texas Business & Commerce Code §521.053. TBPELS provides privacy training to employees with access to sensitive data.
Contact
For questions about this policy or to report a privacy concern, please contact us:
Email: info@pels.texas.gov
Phone: (512) 440-7723
Website: https://pels.texas.gov
Physical Location Accessibility
Two handicap access parking spots are available in the rear of the TBPELS facility. One spot is van accessible. In addition, a wheel chair ramp is available. Signs will direct the user to the parking area.
Website Accessibility
The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors is committed to making its Web sites accessible to all users and we have included several features designed to improve accessibility for users with disabilities. Some of these features are described below.
Images on the site contain 'alt tags' with descriptions of the image, which aid users who listen to the content of the site by using a screen reader, rather than reading the site. Major reports, forms and other special publications are made available on the agency's Web site. In most cases that are several versions of the same document to choose from. To improve the accessibility of our Web site we test any major redesign with several screen readers and other Web tools. The results of these reviews have been incorporated into the website. We welcome comments on how to improve the site's accessibility for users with disabilities.
If you use assistive technology and the format of any material on our Web sites interfere with your ability to access the information, please use the following point of contact for assistance. To enable us to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please indicate the nature of your accessibility problem, the preferred format in which to receive the material, the Web address of the requested material, and your contact information.
This website aims to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1. Additional information about accessibility programs in Texas is available from the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities.
Cookies
What are cookies? A cookie is a small piece of information that is sent to your browser when you access a website. The use of cookies is an industry standard and they are found at most major websites. There are two kinds of cookies. A session cookie is a line of text that is stored temporarily in your computer's RAM. It is never written to a computer's drive and it is destroyed as soon as you close your browser. A persistent cookie is a more permanent line of text that gets saved by your browser to a file on your hard drive. Depending on your browser settings, you may receive notification that a site is requesting cookie information, possibly with an expiration date. Persistent cookies have a future expiration date. Session cookies have no date associated with them. TBPELS uses cookies to facilitate your use of our site, we do not collect personal information about you and the cookie will be destroyed as soon as you exit your browser. There is no information stored on your computer and no unauthorized files are written onto your disk drives. The kind of cookies we use are called "session cookies." They help you use our website interactively and are destroyed as soon as you close your browser. These "session cookies" do not collect information about you, but only about your browser "session." The cookie makes it easier for you to use the dynamic features of these web pages, without having to provide the same information as you move from one page to another. To protect your privacy, be sure to close your browser completely after you have finished conducting business with any website that uses cookies. If you are concerned about the potential use of information gathered from your computer by cookies, you can set your browser to prompt you before it accepts a cookie. Most Internet browsers have settings that let you identify and/or reject cookies.
If you send an email message with a question or comment that contains personally identifying information, we will only use the personally identifiable information to respond to your request. We may redirect your message to another government agency or person who is in a better position to answer your question. In accordance with the provisions of Government Code §441, we consider email messages to be official state records. Emails are managed for their content in accordance with the agency's authorized records retention schedule. However, email addresses are considered confidential and are strictly used for agency correspondence and are not releasable to the public via an open records request nor are they releasable for marketing purposes.