Professional Engineering & Land Surveying

License Requirements

Land Surveying

General Requirements

Any use of the title "Land Surveyor" within New York State requires licensure. To be licensed as a Land Surveyor in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character
• be at least 21 years of age
• meet education, examination, and experience requirements
• be a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States (INS I-551 Status/"Green Card")

You must submit an application for licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 145, Section 7206-a of New York's Education Law and Part 68 of the Commissioner's Regulations. Copies of both the NYS Education Law and the Commissioner's Regulations are available upon request from the Forms Management Unit at opforms@mail.nysed.gov or (518) 474-3817 ext. 320.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

Fee Schedule

• Eligibility to take Part 1 of the exam only - $70
• Application for licensure by exam or endorsement - $345

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

Fees cover the processing and evaluation of your application by the Department. Additionally, except for an application for eligibility to take only Part 1 of the examination, the fee covers your registration as a land surveyor for three years from the date your license is issued.

• Do not send cash.
• Make your personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail your application and fee to:

Partial Refunds

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Land Surveying Unit at opunit1@mail.nysed.gov or (518) 474-3817 ext. 250 or by fax at: (518) 402-5354.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

Education and Experience Requirements

Eligibility for licensure is based on a combination of education and/or experience totaling 8 years beyond high school graduation. The credit awarded for education determines the required number of years of experience needed.

If you are within 20 semester credits of completing the requirements for an approved accredited/registered bachelor's degree program in land surveying, or an equivalent major, you may take the Part 1 examination. The following information explains what constitutes an approved program.

Approved Accredited/Registered Programs

Approved accredited/registered programs are master's, baccalaureate and associate degree programs in surveying, surveying engineering, surveying engineering technology, or a similar surveying-related title accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) or registered by the New York State Education Department as licensure-qualifying for land surveying. For such programs, you would receive four years of education and experience credit for a baccalaureate (or master's) degree and two years for an associate's degree. However, to receive this credit the program must have been registered by the Department or accredited by ABET at the time you earned your degree.

Proportional credit may be awarded for other education completed, depending on the course content. Contact the Bureau of Comparative Education at comped@mail.nysed.gov or (518) 474-3817 ext. 300 for further information.

Transcripts must be sent directly to the land surveying unit from the institution attended.

For more information about currently accredited academic programs in surveying engineering (EAC), surveying engineering technology (TAC), and surveying (Related engineering - RAC), contact the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) at:

Acceptable Land Surveying Experience

The State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying evaluates acceptable experience based on criteria specified in regulations. The experience must:

• include 50 percent of the required experience spent in charge of work related to property conveyance and/or boundary line determination;
• demonstrate adequate experience in the technical field aspects of the profession;
• demonstrate adequate experience in charge of the office aspects of the profession;
• demonstrate experience in the legal aspects of the profession;
• demonstrate adequate direct supervision of experience by a licensed land surveyor; and
• include at least two years of experience working on projects requiring a knowledge and use of surveying codes and practices utilized in the United States.

Acceptable experience should include a full and current knowledge of all surveying equipment and shall include measurements of space, water, land and structures to determine boundaries, areas, elevations, alignments and locations; evaluation and analysis of field data, appropriate research of public and private land records, preparation of client service contracts and final surveying reports, maintenance of survey records and the supervision of field and office personnel, all in accordance with legal regulations and statutes and the standards of the professional practice.

"Stake-out" and "line and grade" surveys do not provide adequate training in themselves. However, when such surveys, including "right-of-way" surveys, are performed under the supervision and direction of a licensed land surveyor, the State Board may, at its discretion, consider granting credit for the work toward partial fulfillment of the experience requirement.

Examination Requirements

Before you can be licensed, you must pass Part 1 (Fundamentals of Land Surveying), Part 2 (Principles and Practice of Land Surveying) and Part 3 (New York State Specific) examinations. Parts 1 and 2 are developed by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (NCEES). Part 3 is developed by the New York State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying. (See "General Requirements" section for information about laws and regulations governing licensure as a land surveyor in New York State which may be incorporated in the Part 3 of the exam.)

The examinations are administered twice a year, in April and October, at various sites throughout New York State. You must meet two different deadlines: the deadline for submitting your licensure application to the New York State Education Department and the deadline for submitting your Examination Scheduling Form to CASTLE Worldwide, Inc., the test vendor.

The deadlines for submitting licensure applications are:

• For April examinations - November 1 of previous year
• For October examinations - May 1 of same year

The deadlines for submitting the Examination Scheduling Forms to CASTLE Worldwide, Inc. are indicated on the scheduling form.

All required licensure application forms and the CASTLE Worldwide, Inc. Scheduling Forms must be postmarked by the filing deadlines; there are no exceptions.

The Department will notify you when you are eligible to take the professional licensing examinations and will include an Examination Scheduling Form and appropriate scheduling information with that notification. Do not attempt to schedule the examination until you receive your notice of eligibility.

NCEES study guides for Parts 1 and 2, containing sample problems, answers or solutions, and additional information are available for purchase from:

Part 3 - New York State Specific Examination

Suggested Bibliography for the New York State Specific Land Surveyor Examination

The references listed here may be located through or obtained from local libraries and their Inter-Library Loan Services; from the State Library; from professional colleagues and local and state professional societies (e.g., New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors).

1. NEW YORK STATE LEGAL RESOURCES
   1. Statutory Authorities
      • McKinney's Consolidated Laws of New York Annotated
        • Book 11 County Law
        • Book 16 Education Law, Articles 130 and 145
        • Book 24 Highway
        • Book 49 Real Property Law
        • Book 49 ½ Real Property Actions and Proceedings
        • Book 61 Town Law
        • Book 63 Village Law
   2. Legal Encyclopedia
      • New York Jurisprudence, 2nd
        • Volume 1 Adjoining Landowners
        • Volume 2 Adverse Possession
        • Volume 11 Buildings, Zoning and Land Controls
        • Volume 12 Buildings, Zoning and Land Controls
        • Volume 25 Counties, Towns and Municipal Corporations
        • Volume 26 Counties, Towns and Municipal Corporations
        • Volume 27 Counties, Towns and Municipal Corporations
      • Black's Law Dictionary, 6th or 7th Edition
   3. Subdivision Laws
      • New York State Realty Subdivision Laws
        • Article 11, Title II, Public Health Law
        • Article 17, Title 15, Environmental Conservation Law
   4. Miscellaneous
      • Description of Methods Used in Locating Canal Lands Owned by the State of New York Prepared in accordance with provisions of Chapter 199, Laws of 1910 and Amendatory Laws, including Chapter 51, laws of 1917.
      • New York Zoning Law and Practice, 3rd edition, Anderson, Robert M. (Available from Lawyers Co-operative, Rochester, New York)
      • Code of Practice for Land Surveyors*
      • Highway Law and the Land Surveyor*
      • Legal Issues and the Land Surveyor*
      • Real Property Law and the Land Surveyor*
        (*Available from the New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors)
2. SURVEYING TEXTS, MANUALS, ETC.
   • Control of Land Subdivisions: A Manual of Subdivision Regulations
   • New York Riparian Law K. Ayers
   • Boundary Control and Legal Principles, 4th Edition Brown, Robillard & Wilson
   • Evidence & Procedures for Boundary Location, 3rd Edition Brown, Robillard & Wilson
   • Boundaries & Landmarks: A Practical Manual Milford
   • Clark on Surveying & Boundaries, 6th Edition Robillard & Bouman
   • Boundaries & Adjacent Properties Skelton
   • GPS for Land Surveyors Van Sickle
   • Ethics for the Professional Surveyor Mouland
   • Definitions of Surveying & Associated Terms ACSM
   • Elementary Surveying, 9th Edition (or latest edition) Wolf & Brinker
   • Surveying Theory & Practice, 7th Edition (or latest edition) Anderson & Mikhail
   • Surveying, 10th Edition (or latest edition) Moffitt & Bossler
3. Additional Resources may be obtained from the following web sites:
   • Law Research Center - www.caselaw.findlaw.com
   • National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying - www.ncees.org

NCEES limits calculators allowed in examination room

NCEES has revised the examination policy concerning materials permitted in the examination room.

NCEES policy prohibits calculators that communicate or that may compromise the security of the examination. Beginning with the April 2004 exam administration, NCEES began strictly enforcing this policy by banning calculators with text-editing and communication abilities. Of great concern is the ability to type in text, store it in memory, and then communicate via wireless or cable connections to another calculator, personal computer, printer, or other electronic device. NCEES publishes a list of the calculators that are acceptable for Part 1 -Fundamentals of Land Surveying, Part 2 -Principles and Practice of Land Surveying and Part 3 -New York State Specific examinations. Only the models listed on the NCEES website will be permitted in the examination room.

For further information regarding NCEES examinations please visit the NCEES website at www.ncees.org or call 1-800-250-3196.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

Reasonable testing accommodations are available if you have a disability and may require them for the examination. Request the Office of the Professions Reasonable Testing Accommodations pamphlet and Request Form from the Bureau of Professional Examinations at opexams@mail.nysed.gov or (518) 474-3817 ext. 290 or FAX to (518) 473-8577.

If you are requesting reasonable accommodations, check the appropriate box on the Examination Scheduling Form you submit to CASTLE Worldwide, Inc. Attach the Reasonable Testing Accommodations form and all supporting documentation indicated in the Reasonable Testing Accommodations pamphlet.

The Office of the Professions, in cooperation with CASTLE Worldwide, Inc., will work with you to provide appropriate accommodations.

Certification as an Intern Land Surveyor

For an identification card as an "intern land surveyor," you must:

• be of good moral character
• be a U.S. citizen or alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States
• have graduated from an approved accredited or registered baccalaureate degree program in surveying and passed Part 1 of the licensing examination

If you are enrolled in an approved baccalaureate degree program in surveying, you may submit a Licensure Application (Form 1) with a $70 fee to be approved for Part 1 of the licensing examination when you are within the equivalent of 20 semester hours of graduation from your program.

Interim Practice of Land Surveying

A person who is not a resident, or who has no established place of practice in this State, or who is a New York State resident but has arrived in New York State within the last six months may practice as a land surveyor in New York State. Such a person must have filed an application for licensure as a land surveyor in New York and must be legally qualified for such practice in the state or country of their previous residence or place of practice. You must submit a Form 5 Notification of Intent to Practice Land Surveying under Section 7208 (b) of Education Law. Please see the Application Forms for further information.

30-Day Limited Permits

If you are legally qualified to practice in your own state or country, and are not a resident of New York State or do not have a place of business in New York State, you may be eligible to apply for a 30-day permit to practice in this State. Contact the State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying at lsurvbd@mail.nysed.gov or (518) 474-3817 ext. 140 for information and application forms.

Certificate of Authorization

All business entities providing land surveying services in New York are now required to obtain a Certificate of Authorization from the State Education Department, according to a change to section 7210 of New York State Education Law. Previously, only business entities that provided professional engineering services were required to obtain this certificate.

If you work for a land surveying firm that is one of the following types of business entities, your firm must obtain a Certificate of Authorization to provide land surveying services in New York State.

• Domestic Professional Service Corporation
• Foreign Professional Service Corporation
• Domestic Professional Service Limited Liability Company
• Foreign Professional Service Limited Liability Company
• Registered Foreign Limited Liability Partnership
• Registered Limited Liability Partnership
• Partnership
• General Business Corporation (Education Law § 7209(6))

This change also allows, but does not require, licensed individuals who are legally permitted to practice engineering and/or land surveying in New York State to obtain a certificate, if you choose to do so.

If your business entity is legally permitted to provide both professional engineering and land surveying services in New York State, your firm is required to obtain two (2) Certificates of Authorization: one Certificate to provide professional engineering services and a second Certificate to provide land surveying services.

To request an application for a Certificate of Authorization, please contact the Professional Corporations Unit of the Office of Professions at 518-474-3817 Ext. 400; fax: 518-473-5515; e-mail opcorp@mail.nysed.gov. There is a triennial fee of $125 for the Certificate and a renewal form will be sent to you every three years.