Careers

Do you have what it takes to be a Professional Land Surveyor in Florida?

A professional land surveyor joins a profession dedicated to maintaining Florida’s history and mapping its future development. There are education requirements and state licenses. Did we mention our weather can be hot? Our state’s Florida Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers must approve all applicants for a professional surveyors license. You must commit to earning a bachelor’s degree and continuing education during your career to stay licensed.

Applicants must affirm they are honest, of good moral character, and achieved the following requirements to apply to practice as a professional surveyor in Florida.

Education Standards to Receive a Surveyors License

All new applicants must earn a bachelor’s degree, its equivalent, or higher in surveying and mapping or a similarly titled program featuring geomatics, geomatic engineering, and land surveying from a college or university recognized by the board and fully accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Each applicant must spend at least four years as an apprentice to a professional surveyor and mapper in surveying and mapping, gaining experience in the accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping work. Work experience acquired as a part of the education requirement may not be construed as experience in responsible charge.

If an advanced degree is in the course of study other than surveying and mapping, a minimum of five years experience as an apprentice to a professional licensed surveyor demonstrating responsible charge of accuracy and correctness work may be claimed. The degree and course of study must include at least 25 semester hours in surveying and mapping subjects or courses in civil engineering, surveying, mapping, mathematics, photogrammetry, forestry, land law, and physical sciences. Work experience as part of the education requirement does not count as experience in responsible charge.

Endorsement for License

More than 1,000 people move to Florida every day. Licensed surveyors from other states are welcome to apply! The Florida Department of Agriculture offers information and background on Professional Surveyor Licensing on its website. New residents are entitled to sit for the Florida Jurisdictional Exam if they satisfy either of these requirements:

You may qualify for Florida Surveyor and Mapping license if you earned a license before July 1, 1999, in another state or territory of the United States; you passed a national, regional, state, or territorial licensing example equal to the examination required by Florida; and you have at least eight years as a subordinate to a registered surveyor and mapper. In your experience, six years must show you were responsible for the accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping work.

You may apply for a Florida Surveyor and Mapping license if you hold a valid license to practice surveying and mapping issued by another state or territory of the United States. The license criteria were substantially the same as the license processing in Florida when the license was issued.