Professional Land Surveyor

Predetermination

Pursuant to 2017 Wisconsin Act 278, beginning August 1, 2018, prior to submitting an application for a credential, an individual may apply to the Department for a determination of whether the individual would be disqualified from obtaining the credential due to his or her conviction record.  To apply for a predetermination, please fill out Form #3085 and submit all required documentation specified on the form.  Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 111.335(4)(e), the offenses or kinds of offenses that may result in a refusal, bar, or termination of licensure are published under Additional Resources on the left side of this page.

License Information

Fee Reduction

Pursuant to 2017 Wisconsin Act 319, beginning August 1, 2018, an applicant for an initial credential may apply for a reduction of the initial credential fee that is equal to 10% of the initial fee.  Qualification is based on the federal adjusted gross income being at or below 180% of the federal poverty guideline prescribed for the applicant's family household size by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. To determine eligibility please visit the United States Department of Health and Human Services website at https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines, prior to submitting Form 3217.

2013 Wisconsin Act 358 became effective August 1, 2014, and renamed Land Surveyors as Professional Land Surveyors, created new definitions for Professional Land Surveyors, and added exemptions for licensure. 

Per Wisconsin State Statutes 440.08 (2), the required renewal date for the Professional Land Surveyor credential is 01/31/even years.  Should you receive your initial credential in the months leading up to this date, you are still required to renew your license by the statutorily defined date.

Registration Seals

As a credential holder with this Board, you are required to obtain a personal registration seal in compliance with the specifications outlined in Wis. Admin. Code § A-E 2.02.  It is the credential holder's responsibility to obtain a seal, which should only include the numbers before the dash (i.e. 30666-006, 8178-005).  The inner circle area of the seal must include the credential holder's name, credential number, and the city and state where the credential holder resides or is employed.  This information serves as a basis for locating the credential holder and should be the same as the mailing address on file with the Board office (i.e. if the credential holder's address is Memphis, TN, then Memphis, TN must be placed on the inner circle).

Submission of Plans for State Approval

Questions regarding the submission of plans for state approval should be directed to the Safety and Buildings Division of DSPS at (608) 266-3151.

Pre-Credential ​Education Information

1. Receive a bachelor's degree in professional land surveying of not less than 4 years from a college or university approved by the state where college or university is located and 2 years of satisfactory land surveying experience.
2. Receive a bachelor's degree in civil engineering of not less than 4 years from a college or university approved by the state where the college or university is located with at least 24 semester credits in courses concentrating on legal principles and technical aspects of land surveying and 2 years of satisfactory professional land surveying experience.
3. Receive an associate degree with at least 60 semester credits in a civil engineering or land surveying curriculum including 12 semester credits in professional land surveying and 4 years of satisfactory professional land surveying experience.
4. A record of at least 10 years of professional land surveying practice of satisfactory character that indicates that the applicant is competent to practice professional land surveying.

Reciprocity 

​Information regarding reciprocity is available here​. 

Renewal Information

Requirements

• FEE (See Renewal Dates and Fees)
• SIG (Signature regarding completion of Continuing Education - see Continuing Education Information for details)
• If your legal status as a qualified alien or nonimmigrant lawfully present in the United States has changed since the issuance of your credential or your last renewal, please contact the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services at (608) 266-2112 or dsps@wisconsin.gov.

Renewal Methods

• Online Log In: License Renewal Online
• Request a Paper Renewal Form: (608) 266-2112

Credential Retired Status

Per Wis. Stat. § 443.015 (1m)(a)1 a or b, a credential holder with an active or expired credential is eligible to place his or her credential in Retired status if:

• He or she is retired and no longer engages in the practice for which the credential was issued, and
• He or she is at least 65 years old or has actively maintained or previously held the credential for a minimum of 20 years (consecutive or nonconsecutive).

If you do not intend to practice and want your license to be placed in Retired status, you can partially renew online. If your credential status is not already in Retired status, you can complete the renewal online, up to the payment. Do not pay online. Follow instructions given during the renewal process.

If you complete the renewal for Retired status online, you will need to email our office beginning June 15, 2020 to request paper renewal forms: DSPSRenewal@wisconsin.gov. You will also need to submit Form R443. Please be sure to inform staff at the Department to include Form R443 for you to complete or you can print it from the website.

• The 2020 prorated renewal fee is $34.00 for Retired status.
• While a credential is in Retired status, the credential holder may no longer engage in the practice for which the credential was issued and must apply for Active status, including the remaining renewal fee of $34.00, before returning to the practice authorized under his or her credential.

Wisconsin Act 210 (effective June 1, 2012)

This Act extends the license of a service member if the license expires while they are on active duty from 90 days to 180 days from the date of discharge. The same applies to a spouse of a service member if the spouse does not practice under their license while the service member is on active duty and does not practice because the service member is on active duty.

This Act repeals a provision of prior law that required a service member to meet all of the requirements for license extension or renewal, except for continuing education requirements, in order to have the license extended.

Service members and spouses may request extensions of licenses beyond 180 days from discharge and may request a waiver or extension of time to complete continuing education requirements due to hardship. Please view Active Duty/Discharge Renewal Extension Form #R210.