Glen - showing my ignorance - apologies -what does the CSE license mean over your way? Is it something you have to have in order to run a stationary steam engine on steam?
I can appreciate the fact that its a means of the "State" milking you for readies.
It really means that sometime in the future,the state will have a licensing test for boiler operators. High and low, 3rd,2nd,and 1st class stationary engineers. Up until now the cities Detroit and Dearborn had licensing departments. You need a license form them to operate steam equipment in the confines of each city. They don't have any reciprocal licensing agreements as other places do.
So you would have to have two licenses if you worked in both places. Other states use a national boiler board license. Some use insurance company licenses and testing. Most places you can't cross the state line and have your License be valid. It can get to be a real pain.
In some states they have a state license that can be used any where and then local licenses.
They just changed the law in Michigan adding the state registration of your current License. As the state has nothing in place for testing, let alone a paper copy of the license/registration papers. As they ran out of the limited supply, they didn't think they would get the number of people applying to be grandfathered in. (know body wants to retake the testing for the top license.)
This is the current boiler act in Michigan
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(bf1ngu554xztrn45tjznl2ao))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-act-290-of-1965&queryid=39491&highlight=This is the states breakdown:
Boiler operator and stationary engineer registrations are classified as follows:
(a) Low pressure boiler operator, who operates low pressure boiler plants having an aggregate of not more than 4,000 square feet of boiler heating surface.
(b) High pressure boiler operator, who operates boiler plants having an aggregate of not more than 4,000 square feet of boiler heating surface or not more than 10 steam engine-turbine horsepower.
(c) Third-class stationary engineer, who operates boiler plants having an aggregate of not more than 7,500 square feet of boiler heating surface or not more than 100 steam engine-turbine horsepower.
(d) Second-class stationary engineer, who operates boiler plants having an aggregate of not more than 20,000 square feet of boiler heating surface or not more than 200 steam engine-turbine horsepower.
(e) First-class stationary engineer, who operates boiler plants having an aggregate of 20,000 square feet or more of boiler heating surface or 200 steam engine-turbine horsepower or more.
This is the section that somebody that is not registered with the state can't use the follow to describe them selves.:
(2) An individual or business entity shall not use the terms "registered boiler operator", "certified boiler operator", "registered stationary engineer", "certified stationary engineer", "low pressure registered boiler operator", "low pressure certified boiler operator", "high pressure registered boiler operator", "high pressure certified boiler operator", "third-class registered stationary engineer", "third-class certified stationary engineer", "second-class registered stationary engineer", "second-class certified stationary engineer", "first-class registered stationary engineer", "first-class certified stationary engineer", or any other name, style, or description that indicates that the individual or an individual employed by the business entity is registered under this act unless the individual has been issued a registration under this act.
An individual registered under this act shall only use 1 of the titles described in subsection (2) or the abbreviation "R.B.O.", "C.B.O.", "R.S.E.", or "C.S.E.".
Now the real funny part is the 1st subsection.:An individual may operate a boiler and associated auxiliaries without obtaining a registration under this act.
Now most locations in the state, depending on the size of the equipment. Will require a Detroit or Dearborn License. Or some other recognized license.
Now if that isn't enough BS to sort through here is the section that explains the meaning of the words used in the boiler law:
http://www.state.mi.us/orr/emi/admincode.asp?AdminCode=Single&Admin_Num=40804001&Dpt=CI&RngHigh=As the boiler law is not to clear on hobby small scale boilers and equipment of the stationary kind. You need to sort thru the AdminCode. But as the deputy Boiler inspector for the state told me it is so loosely write that it is pretty much up to the inspector on the site at the time. As far as what is what, and whether it is safe. That is pretty much way most of the hobby steam shows run everything on air. The traction and larger tractors are under a different set of rules when there is an admission charged. Not too mention marine applications that carry passengers or cargo, Steam yacht or small steam boats that falls under the Coast Guard, Again depending on size of the waterways, pond, lake etc that is being operated on.
Oh and as a side note the marine steam licenses do not qualify one for stationary license or vise a versa.
Now that your head is probably spinning!

The short answer to your question
what does the CSE license mean over your way? Is it something you have to have in order to run a stationary steam engine on steam?
NOT A F--ing thing! Other than I figured I paid $80.00 bucks a year for it I should get some use out of it!

No need of apologies, as I would be just as confused with your regulations and laws.
By the way Alan is on a steam railroad forum here on this side of the pond a lot.
http://bbs.livesteam.net/glen