In Canada the title "Engineer" is protected by law. One must have an engineering degree from an accredited university in order to use the title. It's fairly strictly enforced.
That's not entirely right. You need to be licensed by the provincial engineering body to call yourself a P.Eng. An engineering degree from an accredited program is often part of the path to that credential, but is neither necessary nor sufficient by itself.
And as to being strictly enforced, IMO, it's not really enforced for software people, so long as they stick to "engineer" and avoid "Professional Engineer". Plenty of firms have job listings for "Software Engineers" that don't require the P.Eng. credential, plenty of people have easily discovered LinkedIn profiles holding themselves out as Software Engineers, but there's not much enforcement.
There was a push by the Professional Engineers Ontario in the early 2000s to regulate Microsoft's MCSE terminology, but I think it basically failed. IMO, they've given up on regulating the term "engineer" unless it's really egregious, like holding yourself out as a P.Eng. when you're not, or actually doing work that requires a P.Eng. without actually having one.
I think Texas also does or did. I think there was a push to repeal that law since it wasn't really enforced, but I don't remember if it was successful.
And as to being strictly enforced, IMO, it's not really enforced for software people, so long as they stick to "engineer" and avoid "Professional Engineer". Plenty of firms have job listings for "Software Engineers" that don't require the P.Eng. credential, plenty of people have easily discovered LinkedIn profiles holding themselves out as Software Engineers, but there's not much enforcement.
There was a push by the Professional Engineers Ontario in the early 2000s to regulate Microsoft's MCSE terminology, but I think it basically failed. IMO, they've given up on regulating the term "engineer" unless it's really egregious, like holding yourself out as a P.Eng. when you're not, or actually doing work that requires a P.Eng. without actually having one.