Right... My point though is that I think software engineering would benefit from such a regulatory body. Not for everything mind you, but I would expect some things to require a "software engineer's" stamp. Any system that will be used to handle sensitive or classified data, life and death situations (like automotive or aircraft), etc. ought to require a stamp. Frankly, it those cases it probably does, but it is the electrical or mechanical engineer that ends up signing off on it.
That exists already. There are certification programs, and having certified people is often a requirement to get some contracts.
For example, if your company wants to build a computer system for the government, the contract usually requires certain certifications for the people that will build it.
There are also some jobs that require certain certifications for the candidates. It's not too uncommon I'd say. It all depends on the stakes.
