NCEES has introduced a software engineering PE exam.[1] Not many people are taking it yet (18 total test takers for April 2015) [2] but that isn't surprising since it's brand new, many "software engineers" don't qualify for licensure, and only a bit more than half the states even license for software PEs. Personally, I don't see how much of a difference licensure will make for safety-critical projects given that regulated industries are already, well, regulated. Nevertheless, forcing someone to take professional and personal liability for their work, as well as establishing a common body of knowledge, both strike me as good in general for safety-critical work.
Respectfully, I think programmer licensure is an oversimplification of the problem. Far more goes into the design of software systems than just the software. Product Management often wants things done a certain way. Hardware guys want things done their way.
Take this hacking example. Couldn't you imagine a situation in which, a licensed software engineer is pleading with PM to separate the entertainment system, from the controls? But, PM pushes back, and wins, on the account of cost savings?
> Take this hacking example. Couldn't you imagine a situation in which, a licensed software engineer is pleading with PM to separate the entertainment system, from the controls? But, PM pushes back, and wins, on the account of cost savings?
Then the engineer, being professionally and personally liable for their work product, notes that they are ethically obligated to "hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public" and that "if engineers' judgment is overruled under circumstances that endanger life or property, they shall notify their employer or client and such other authority as may be appropriate."[1]
[1] http://ncees.org/about-ncees/news/ncees-introduces-pe-exam-f...
[2] http://ncees.org/exams/pe-exam/