[bsoles]

This again? You don't need a license to be an engineer. Every graduate of an engineering school at an accredited university/college IS an engineer. People seem to conflate an "engineer" with a "professional engineer". The two are not the same; the latter requires a license. At least in the US.

[sarchertech]

There are states that regulate the bare term “engineer” depending on the context.

And all states require a license to offer certain engineering services, so practically speaking in certain fields you can’t “be an engineer” without a license.

For example in most (all?) states you can’t hang up a shingle adverting yourself as an “Engineer” doing structural work without a license even if you aren’t calling yourself a “Professional Engineer”.