What is a land surveyor license, and how do you get one?
To become a licensed Professional Land Surveyor (PLS), earn a qualifying degree (most states expect a four-year surveying or closely related degree, often ABET-accredited), pass the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, complete about four years of progressive experience under a licensed surveyor, then pass the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam plus your state's own exam on local boundary law. Licences are issued by state boards of licensure for engineers and land surveyors. Surveyors earn a $75,440 median.
- Earn a qualifying degree, ideally ABET-accredited surveying.
- Pass the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam ($225).
- Work about four years of progressive experience under a licensed PLS.
- Pass the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam ($375).
- Pass your state's exam, apply to the board, and renew with continuing education.
How to get a land surveyor license
- 1
Earn a qualifying degree
Most states require a four-year degree, ideally an ABET-accredited surveying programme or a closely related field with the surveying coursework your board specifies. Check your state board's education rules before you enrol, because an unaccredited programme can add years of extra experience to your path.
- 2
Pass the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam
Sit the FS exam, usually near graduation. It is a closed-book computer-based NCEES exam costing $225, covering mathematics, measurement, geodesy and the basics of boundary law. Passing it makes you a Surveyor-in-Training (SIT or LSIT), which is what lets your experience years count toward licensure.
- 3
Complete about four years of progressive experience
Work under a licensed Professional Land Surveyor, with a substantial share of your time on boundary determination and property conveyance rather than pure data collection. Keep detailed, supervisor-verified experience records; boards audit them, and vague records are the most common cause of a rejected application.
- 4
Pass the NCEES PS exam and your state exam
Sit the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam ($375), covering boundary law, legal descriptions, plats and professional practice. Then pass your state's own exam on local boundary and property law, which almost every state requires because boundary law is intensely jurisdiction-specific.
- 5
Apply to your state board and keep the licence current
Submit your application with transcripts, verified experience, exam results and professional references, and pay the state fee (commonly $70-$400). Once licensed you may sign and seal plats. Renew on your board's cycle, usually every one to three years, with the required continuing education.
Land Surveyor license requirements
Requirements are set by each state board of licensure for engineers and land surveyors, but the structure is consistent nationwide. To qualify for a Professional Land Surveyor licence you generally need:
Education
Most states require a four-year degree, commonly an ABET-accredited surveying programme or a closely related field with specified surveying coursework. Some states still allow an associate degree or a pure experience route with substantially more years.
Experience
About four years of progressive surveying experience under the supervision of a licensed PLS, with much of it in boundary determination and property conveyance. States that use a credit model (New York, for example) reduce the years for a higher degree.
Examinations
The NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, then the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam after your experience, plus a state-specific exam covering local boundary and property law in most states.
Character & references
Boards require professional references (usually from licensed surveyors who supervised you) and a good-character declaration. A criminal record is reviewed case by case rather than being an automatic bar.
How much a land surveyor license costs
The exams are the direct cost; the degree and the four experience years are the real investment. Typical national ranges:
Exam fees go to NCEES; state application and licence fees are separate (commonly $70-$400). The degree is the real investment, and survey crews are paid work while you accumulate experience.
The land surveyor license exam
Two national exams, both written by NCEES, plus a state exam. The Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam is taken early, usually near graduation, and costs $225; it is a closed-book computer-based exam covering mathematics, measurement, geodesy and the basics of boundary law. After your experience years you sit the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam, $375, which covers boundary law, legal descriptions, plats and professional practice. Almost every state then adds its own exam on state boundary and property law. NCEES scores are scaled pass/fail rather than a published percentage.
How long it takes to get licensed
The degree and the four experience years are the long part; once your experience is documented and both NCEES exams are passed, boards typically issue the licence within 8-16 weeks.
Land Surveyor license types: the full ladder
Surveying does not use a journeyman ladder. You move from survey technician (unlicensed crew work) to Surveyor-in-Training after passing the FS exam, then to Professional Land Surveyor after the experience years and the PS exam. Only a PLS can sign and seal a survey or plat.
Survey Technician / Crew Member
Unlicensed field work on a survey crew: instrument operation, data collection, staking. No exam, and the normal way to start accumulating qualifying experience.
Surveyor-in-Training (SIT / LSIT)
The intermediate credential you earn by passing the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam. It certifies you are on the path to licensure and lets your experience years count toward the PS exam.
Professional Land Surveyor (PLS / LS)
The full state licence. Requires the degree, roughly four years of progressive experience, the NCEES PS exam and a state boundary-law exam. Only a PLS may sign and seal a plat or boundary survey.
Comity / endorsement licence
A second-state licence obtained by a PLS already licensed elsewhere. Boards generally accept the NCEES record and FS/PS results but almost always require the destination state's own boundary-law exam.
Photogrammetric / geodetic endorsement
Some states add separate authority or endorsements for photogrammetric mapping or geodetic control work, with their own experience and exam requirements.
NCEES Record
Not a licence: a verified portfolio of your education, exams, experience and references held by NCEES, which makes applying for licensure in additional states far faster.
FS exam (SIT) vs PS exam (PLS): land surveyor license
Land Surveyor license reciprocity between states
Surveying uses comity (also called licensure by endorsement) rather than blanket reciprocity. Because your NCEES FS and PS results and your NCEES Record are portable, a second-state licence is usually straightforward, but boundary law is intensely local, so almost every state still requires you to sit its own state-specific exam. Confirm the destination board's rules before you rely on an existing licence.
Land Surveyorsalary & job outlook
Licensed surveyors earn a median of about $75,440 per year ($36.27/hour), and a PLS who can sign and seal plats earns substantially more than an unlicensed crew technician. Employment is projected to grow 4%, with about 3,900 openings a year. See the full land surveyor salary guide for pay by state, city and experience level.
Land Surveyor license requirements by state
Every state licenses land surveyors through its board of licensure for engineers and land surveyors, but the education and experience credits differ. Open your state's full guide.
The NCEES FS and PS exams are national, but each state board sets its own education and experience rules and adds its own boundary-law exam. Requirements can change, verify with the board before applying.
Browse all state guides
Land Surveyor license FAQs
NCEES, Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam · NCEES, Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam · NCEES, Licensure and the NCEES Record · NYSED Office of the Professions, Land Surveying licence requirements · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (17-1022) · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (Surveyors). Requirements and fees are set per state and change, confirm with your state board before applying.
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