Georgia Land Surveyor — Requirements & Free Practice

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Land Surveyor Intern Certificate

Optional intern certification after approved education and the currently offered FS examination; it is not authorization to practice independently.

Licensing authority: Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board · Application information

Land surveyor intern certification

Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam

Board approval: Certification is optional and discretionary; satisfy additional requirements imposed by Board rules and submit the certificate application. The currently offered FS exam may have been passed before applying.
Education: Complete the education component of O.C.G.A. 43-15-13(a)(1)(A)(i), (B)(i), or (C)(i): the respective degree/diploma and at least 18 semester hours of acceptable surveying subjects.

Professional Land Surveyor

Individual license to practice land surveying. Ordinary initial issuance and comity are distinct from hydrology authorization. O.C.G.A. 43-15-21 temporary permits authorize engineering, not land surveying. The Board-specific exemption in O.C.G.A. 43-15-3(g) is applied to the general Chapter 1 endorsement provision; military pathways expressly adopted in Rule 180-3-.05 are retained.

Licensing authority: Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board · Application information

Licensure by comity — comparable

Georgia Land Surveyor Laws and Rules Examination

Board testing statement: The general Board land-surveyor page states: All candidates for licensure must have passed the Fundamentals of Land Surveying (FS) test, the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying (PS) test, and the GA State Specific test. This implementing statement is retained as an applicant-facing condition; the specific statutory comity requirement is the Georgia laws examination.
Documentation: Submit the online application, fee, education and experience summaries and four plats: two boundary and two topographic, adapted to Georgia standards and certified. No apprenticeship affidavit is required for comity.
Examination review: Rule 180-2-.03(5) directs the Board to review prior experience in determining required examinations. O.C.G.A. 43-15-16(b) expressly retains the Georgia laws examination. Historical written-examination evidence and examinations belonging to another jurisdiction are applicant conditions.
Existing license: Hold an existing land surveying license issued by a United States state, territory or possession; Board licensure by comity remains discretionary.
Qualifying prior license: Existing license obtained under qualifications comparable to Chapter 15. The Board 2025 V1.0 guidance generally compares education, experience quality and testing to Georgia requirements at first licensure; it lists 10 semester hours for 1978-2018 and 18 semester hours from 2018 onward.

Licensure by comity — pre 1968

Georgia Land Surveyor Laws and Rules Examination

Board testing statement: The general Board land-surveyor page states: All candidates for licensure must have passed the Fundamentals of Land Surveying (FS) test, the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying (PS) test, and the GA State Specific test. This implementing statement is retained as an applicant-facing condition; the specific statutory comity requirement is the Georgia laws examination.
Documentation: Submit the online application, fee, education and experience summaries and four plats: two boundary and two topographic, adapted to Georgia standards and certified. No apprenticeship affidavit is required for comity.
Examination review: Rule 180-2-.03(5) directs the Board to review prior experience in determining required examinations. O.C.G.A. 43-15-16(b) expressly retains the Georgia laws examination. Historical written-examination evidence and examinations belonging to another jurisdiction are applicant conditions.
Existing license: Hold an existing land surveying license issued by a United States state, territory or possession; Board licensure by comity remains discretionary.
Qualifying prior license: Existing license obtained by a written examination of at least eight hours before July 1, 1968.

Licensure by comity — pre 1978

Georgia Land Surveyor Laws and Rules Examination

Board testing statement: The general Board land-surveyor page states: All candidates for licensure must have passed the Fundamentals of Land Surveying (FS) test, the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying (PS) test, and the GA State Specific test. This implementing statement is retained as an applicant-facing condition; the specific statutory comity requirement is the Georgia laws examination.
Documentation: Submit the online application, fee, education and experience summaries and four plats: two boundary and two topographic, adapted to Georgia standards and certified. No apprenticeship affidavit is required for comity.
Examination review: Rule 180-2-.03(5) directs the Board to review prior experience in determining required examinations. O.C.G.A. 43-15-16(b) expressly retains the Georgia laws examination. Historical written-examination evidence and examinations belonging to another jurisdiction are applicant conditions.
Existing license: Hold an existing land surveying license issued by a United States state, territory or possession; Board licensure by comity remains discretionary.
Qualifying prior license: Existing license obtained by a written examination of at least sixteen hours before July 1, 1978.

Initial licensure by examination — associate

All of the following:

Application: Apply through the Board licensing portal; submit fees, transcripts, reference forms and all required documents. O.C.G.A. 43-15-15 requires good character and at least five unrelated references, at least three professional engineers or professional land surveyors with personal knowledge of qualifying experience.
Application documents: Submit two boundary and two topographic plats meeting Georgia standards, supervisor certifications, an apprenticeship affidavit and education and experience summaries.
Apprenticeship: Complete at least 24 months of full-time responsible-charge apprenticeship under daily PLS supervision after completing at least nine of the required 18 semester hours; boundary surveying, topographic surveying and one additional Board-acceptable skill must be evaluated by the supervisor.
Education: Complete 18 semester hours of Board-acceptable land surveying coursework, excluding prerequisites.
Education track: Associate's degree in a Board-approved curriculum; at least five years of satisfactory combined office and field surveying experience.
Exam sequence: O.C.G.A. 43-15-13(a)(2)(B) requires education first, then FS passed before PS, then PS passed before the Georgia laws/history exam. The Board page states: With the passage of SB 195 in 2024, the board no longer “approves” candidates to take their surveying exams. While candidates are allowed to take the exams at any point during their journey to licensure, all candidates are strongly encouraged to complete their land surveying coursework prior to attempting to pass the three required exams. The statutory sequence is retained; the Board statement is shown as an implementing timing difference.
Experience credit: Experience before nine semester hours receives at most 50% credit at Board discretion; up to one additional year may be credited for qualifying additional university studies. Experience must be progressive, broad and lawful.
Military expedited processing: Rule 180-3-.05(2) permits military spouses and transitioning service members to request expedited processing on showing qualifying status, paying the fee and satisfying all license requirements.

Initial licensure by examination — bachelor

All of the following:

Application: Apply through the Board licensing portal; submit fees, transcripts, reference forms and all required documents. O.C.G.A. 43-15-15 requires good character and at least five unrelated references, at least three professional engineers or professional land surveyors with personal knowledge of qualifying experience.
Application documents: Submit two boundary and two topographic plats meeting Georgia standards, supervisor certifications, an apprenticeship affidavit and education and experience summaries.
Apprenticeship: Complete at least 24 months of full-time responsible-charge apprenticeship under daily PLS supervision after completing at least nine of the required 18 semester hours; boundary surveying, topographic surveying and one additional Board-acceptable skill must be evaluated by the supervisor.
Education: Complete 18 semester hours of Board-acceptable land surveying coursework, excluding prerequisites.
Education track: Bachelor's degree in a Board-approved curriculum; at least three years of satisfactory combined office and field surveying experience.
Exam sequence: O.C.G.A. 43-15-13(a)(2)(B) requires education first, then FS passed before PS, then PS passed before the Georgia laws/history exam. The Board page states: With the passage of SB 195 in 2024, the board no longer “approves” candidates to take their surveying exams. While candidates are allowed to take the exams at any point during their journey to licensure, all candidates are strongly encouraged to complete their land surveying coursework prior to attempting to pass the three required exams. The statutory sequence is retained; the Board statement is shown as an implementing timing difference.
Experience credit: Experience before nine semester hours receives at most 50% credit at Board discretion; up to one additional year may be credited for qualifying additional university studies. Experience must be progressive, broad and lawful.
Military expedited processing: Rule 180-3-.05(2) permits military spouses and transitioning service members to request expedited processing on showing qualifying status, paying the fee and satisfying all license requirements.

Initial licensure by examination — high school

All of the following:

Application: Apply through the Board licensing portal; submit fees, transcripts, reference forms and all required documents. O.C.G.A. 43-15-15 requires good character and at least five unrelated references, at least three professional engineers or professional land surveyors with personal knowledge of qualifying experience.
Application documents: Submit two boundary and two topographic plats meeting Georgia standards, supervisor certifications, an apprenticeship affidavit and education and experience summaries.
Apprenticeship: Complete at least 24 months of full-time responsible-charge apprenticeship under daily PLS supervision after completing at least nine of the required 18 semester hours; boundary surveying, topographic surveying and one additional Board-acceptable skill must be evaluated by the supervisor.
Education: Complete 18 semester hours of Board-acceptable land surveying coursework, excluding prerequisites.
Education track: High school diploma or equivalent; at least eight years of satisfactory combined office and field surveying experience.
Exam sequence: O.C.G.A. 43-15-13(a)(2)(B) requires education first, then FS passed before PS, then PS passed before the Georgia laws/history exam. The Board page states: With the passage of SB 195 in 2024, the board no longer “approves” candidates to take their surveying exams. While candidates are allowed to take the exams at any point during their journey to licensure, all candidates are strongly encouraged to complete their land surveying coursework prior to attempting to pass the three required exams. The statutory sequence is retained; the Board statement is shown as an implementing timing difference.
Experience credit: Experience before nine semester hours receives at most 50% credit at Board discretion; up to one additional year may be credited for qualifying additional university studies. Experience must be progressive, broad and lawful.
Military expedited processing: Rule 180-3-.05(2) permits military spouses and transitioning service members to request expedited processing on showing qualifying status, paying the fee and satisfying all license requirements.

Military service member or spouse licensure by comity

Georgia Land Surveyor Laws and Rules Examination

Board testing statement: The general Board land-surveyor page states: All candidates for licensure must have passed the Fundamentals of Land Surveying (FS) test, the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying (PS) test, and the GA State Specific test. This implementing statement is retained as an applicant-facing condition; the specific statutory comity requirement is the Georgia laws examination.
Documentation: Submit the online application, fee, education and experience summaries and four plats: two boundary and two topographic, adapted to Georgia standards and certified. No apprenticeship affidavit is required for comity.
Examination review: Rule 180-2-.03(5) directs the Board to review prior experience in determining required examinations. O.C.G.A. 43-15-16(b) expressly retains the Georgia laws examination. Historical written-examination evidence and examinations belonging to another jurisdiction are applicant conditions.
Existing license: Hold an existing land surveying license issued by a United States state, territory or possession; Board licensure by comity remains discretionary.
Military status: Service member, transitioning service member or military spouse; submit satisfactory military-status documentation.
Prior license: Active license in good standing in another state with training, experience and testing substantially meeting or exceeding Georgia requirements; submit licensing-agency verification.

Initial licensure with military education and experience credit

All of the following:

Application: Apply through the Board licensing portal; submit fees, transcripts, reference forms and all required documents. O.C.G.A. 43-15-15 requires good character and at least five unrelated references, at least three professional engineers or professional land surveyors with personal knowledge of qualifying experience.
Application documents: Submit two boundary and two topographic plats meeting Georgia standards, supervisor certifications, an apprenticeship affidavit and education and experience summaries.
Apprenticeship: Complete at least 24 months of full-time responsible-charge apprenticeship under daily PLS supervision after completing at least nine of the required 18 semester hours; boundary surveying, topographic surveying and one additional Board-acceptable skill must be evaluated by the supervisor.
Education: Complete 18 semester hours of Board-acceptable land surveying coursework, excluding prerequisites.
Exam sequence: O.C.G.A. 43-15-13(a)(2)(B) requires education first, then FS passed before PS, then PS passed before the Georgia laws/history exam. The Board page states: With the passage of SB 195 in 2024, the board no longer “approves” candidates to take their surveying exams. While candidates are allowed to take the exams at any point during their journey to licensure, all candidates are strongly encouraged to complete their land surveying coursework prior to attempting to pass the three required exams. The statutory sequence is retained; the Board statement is shown as an implementing timing difference.
Experience credit: Experience before nine semester hours receives at most 50% credit at Board discretion; up to one additional year may be credited for qualifying additional university studies. Experience must be progressive, broad and lawful.
Military credit: Document university graduation and major/hour requirements substantially meeting Georgia requirements, acceptable supervised experience meeting Georgia requirements, and proof of passing the required examinations. The corresponding bachelor, associate or high-school statutory experience threshold applies.
Military expedited processing: Rule 180-3-.05(2) permits military spouses and transitioning service members to request expedited processing on showing qualifying status, paying the fee and satisfying all license requirements.
Military status: Service member, transitioning service member or military spouse; provide satisfactory status documentation.

Reissuance of a revoked license or termination of suspension