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Thoughts On The surveyor must hold a license in the state in which services are
offered or performed.
Professional Practice I would also caution that in many states holding a valid survey li-
cense to practice in the state is not sufficient. The person must also
and Education hold a certificate of authorization (COA) or similar business license
or work for a firm that does hold a certificate of authorization in the
state. I have seen many disciplinary citations issued to out-of-state
By: Knud E. Hermansen, PLS, PE, Ph.D, Esq. firms that incorrectly believed that they could provide services in
a state by simply having an employee of that firm licensed in the
Article 6: Licensing With and Without A degree state. I would also caution that the out-of-state firm must often
pay income taxes to the state and in some case the municipality
This is a follow-up to Article No. 4 & 5 published in the in which they performed their services and received payment. A
Traverse Edition 50.3) most frustrating time in my past was when a municipality in a state
I was not a resident demanded I pay an income tax on a small fee
This is the sixth article I have prepared in the series offering I received for services completed in that municipality. Had I been
thoughts on professional practice and education. In this article, I aware, I would have refused the services or doubled my fee to cover
wish to review survey licensing requirements. I have noted that the frustration and time to do the extensive paperwork involved in
a graduate of a surveying course of study will likely seek multiple paying a municipal income tax.
state survey licenses. More practitioners seek multiple state licens-
ing than when I started my surveying practice. It is common for I would also like to dispel some misconceptions that surveying
four-year surveying graduates to be licensed in two or more states. must be thought of as a ‘lesser’ profession or not a profession at
I know of one individual licensed in more than a dozen states. As I all because individuals can be licensed without formal education
look back on fifty years of surveying practice, over that time, I have in the professional field. I suppose some judges or legislatures
held licenses to practice surveying in six states. feel and have ruled otherwise. Their position allows them to have
While the reader is probably aware of their state licensing require- an opinion that establishes the definition in that state. It is a fact
ments, a review of licensing requirements nationwide is appropri- of life that an opinion of a person in power means more than an
ate. Requirements for licensure among states vary. opinion of some other person.
More than 25% of states require some formal education in order to The fact is there are other professions that surveyors work along-
be licensed. Not all of these states require a surveying or geomat- side that permit licensure without a formal education. As I write
ics degree. The most stringent academic requirement found for this article, Washington, Vermont, California and Virginia allow an
licensure exist in states that require a surveying or geomatics individual to become a member of the bar without graduation from
degree from an ABET accredited program. Some states relax this a law school. Wyoming, New York and Maine allow individuals to be
1
standard slightly by not mandating an ABET accredited surveying members of the bar without a juris doctorate (J.D.) degree so long as
or geomatics degree. Relaxing academic restrictions even more, the individual has at least some law school courses.
some states accept any four-year degree with a certain number Not all states require an engineering degree to become a profes-
of surveying credits. Next in academic laxity is a state allowing sional engineer (P.E.). Some state permit engineering experience
any four-year degree without specific surveying credits. Some alone to qualify for licensure.
states will permit a two-year surveying or geomatics degree
with a certain number of surveying courses. Finally, a number of I am sure that some individuals reading this article will wonder what
states continue to allow licensing by experience only. Two-years my opinion is regarding a requirement for formal education in order
of experience is a minimum requirement coupled with education. to obtain a survey licensure. I have five degrees and taught in a four-
The norm for experience among states appears to be four-years year surveying program for more than thirty years. My background
of experience coupled with education. More experience is required would suggest I am a strong advocate for a degree requirement. Yet
when there is less formal education. surprisingly, I am not in favor of mandating education in order to be-
It stands to reason that a person wishing to pursue licensure as come licensed. My first surveying licensure was obtained based on
a surveyor with the widest possible opportunity for employment my surveying experience alone. There is no question that I learned
and licensure in the United States should meet the most stringent more about surveying by obtaining my B.S. degree. I also learned a
state requirement for licensure. The person casting a wide net for lot more about surveying when obtaining my M.S. degree followed
employment or licensing should obtain an ABET accredited four- by my Ph.D., and, lastly, my law degree. The fact that I learned more
year surveying or geomatics degree. There are several universities about surveying upon attaining each degree, doesn’t mean each
in the United States and foreign countries with excellent programs degree should be required for licensing.
that are ABET accredited. Some offer accredited surveying degrees My opinion is that an individual that passes the fundamentals of
entirely through distance education. Individuals can achieve an surveying exam, professional surveying exam, and state specific
ABET accredited degree without leaving their state. exam has the knowledge necessary to competently practice survey-
This wide diversity of pathways allowing surveying licensure reveals ing. Competent practice demands a minimum level of knowledge
differing opinions nationwide and within state societies as to what - not retention of all knowledge possible. A degree will instill the
should be the requirements for licensure in a state. The issue has information in less time, with a better understanding, and with
been firmly settled in some states. It is a source of great debate in more extensive knowledge. Yet, an intelligent individual, through
others. This article is not intended to create controversy in states self-study, and extensive experience can also gain the minimum
that has had the controversy and has settled the requirements. level of knowledge for competent practice. I believe the important
A person that does not have a degree or possesses a degree not point is whether the individual has the knowledge, not the way the
knowledge was acquired. Some of the best surveyors I have ever
accepted in a state of their residency or employment can always met or followed had no formal education or a two year degree only.
seek licensure in another state should they wish to show profes-
sional achievement. Of course, I must stress that a person working 1 A search portal that provides ABET accredited surveying programs can be
in one state holding a survey license in another state cannot nec- found at https://amspub.abet.org/aps/category-search?disciplines=69&di
essarily provide surveying services in the state where they work. sciplines=67

24 The Nevada Traverse Vol.50, No.4, 2023