In California the protected term is "Professional Engineer" - you have to pass accreditation to call yourself that. No civil engineer can find work without it but no one cares whether software engineers get it.

By the way, as part of a cost-cutting measure many years ago, the state government standardized on a single certificate form for all professional certifications, which means the PE certificate looks exactly like the "Certified Hair Technician" certificate the barbers at Great Clips are required to display at their work area.