Geologist, Professional - Licensure by Reciprocity

To be eligible for licensure in Wisconsin by reciprocity, you must have passed an examination as part of your licensure requirement for another state and must hold a current license in another state.

Wisconsin requires that the licensure requirements of the other state, territory, or country that issued the license are substantially equivalent to the requirements of this state.

Below are some general instructions for applying for a credential on LicensE. 

1. Create or log into your LicensE account. Please visit LicensE account Information page for detailed guidance on selecting your account type.

2. Select "Apply for a License."

3. Select your Category.

4. Select your License Type.

5. Select your Application Method, then "Next."

6. Review your Personal Information.

7. Enter the requested Information on each page of the application. Information may include Examination, Education, or License History, depending on your profession.

8. If applicable, request a Veterans Fee Waiver or Initial Credential Fee Reduction.

9. Submit the requested Documents you may already have. You do not need to have all documents ready to submit.

   Note: Forms are now hosted on AccessGov. Visit AccessGov Forms Directory to choose your form.

10. Respond to the Attestation questions.

11. Provide Payment Information. Fees may be found Credential Fees.

12. Submit your application.  

Profession specific application requirements can be found in the "Application Information" section.

After logging in, select Apply for a License and choose:

• Category: Business

• License Type: Geologist, Professional

• Application Method: Licensure by Reciprocity

Please Note: You are not required to provide all documents before initial application submission. You do not need to upload documents to every available category.

We must receive a Form 2391 - Verification of Examination or Registration from each state in which you have been issued a license. Form letters from other jurisdictions are acceptable. Verifications must be returned directly to DSPS and must include exam scores and licensure status.

These can be submitted via the LicensE Third Party Portal. 

Complete and submit Form 2392 - Experience Record.  Include as many applicable experience requirements as possible. Provide a complete chronological listing of your background, beginning with your education.

When filling out this form, include enough detail such that a peer may judge the character of your work. Include magnitude and complexity of work on each engagement including your duties and degree of responsibility. University or college shall be Engagement 1. Your first employment shall be Engagement 2, with subsequent experience in chronological order. Your current engagement should be your last entry

Complete and submit Form 2086 - Applicant Appraisal Form. 

Provide references from at least five (5) individuals, at least three (3) of whom have personal knowledge of your professional experience in your field and at least one (1) of whom is also a Professional Geologist. 

Evaluators may also be used as a reference. Family members can act as supplemental references in support of an application, but not as one of the five (5) required responses.

Complete and submit Form 2085 - Supplemental Form.

Wisconsin statute requires that you have a bachelor’s degree and at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of course credits in geology of a variety and nature sufficient to constitute a geology major from a college or university approved by the Board. This form should be used to record your geology courses completed. 

Transcripts must be submitted to substantiate all courses listed. If you attended more than one school, and transfer credits appear on the transcript from the school where the degree was received, it is not necessary to provide a transcript from the first school(s).

Applicant must pass the exam administered by the Association of State Boards of Geology.

Check their website for upcoming exams: ASBOG: Exam Schedule

Applicants must be preapproved by the Department to schedule the exam. See your application materials for information.

After you upload all required documents, submit your application, and pay the required fee(s):

1. Preliminary Application Reference Number (PAR)

   1. Your application will be assigned a Preliminary Application Reference number or PAR number. This number allows you and trusted parties to look up the status of your application without logging in. You can also reference this number in any support tickets you submit in regard to your application.

      • A trusted 3^rd party can look up your credential status by visiting LicensE, clicking “Application Status Lookup” and entering the PAR number you have provided to them.

2. Review Timeline

   1. Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

      • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see the performance data on our LicensE Dashboard to see what date we are reviewing for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

3. Pending Applicant Input Status

   1. After this review, if anything is missing or the credentialing team has any questions on your application, your application will go back into a status called “Pending Applicant Input.”  You will receive an email letting you know your application was moved into this status. You should then log into LicensE and check your application “Due Diligence.”

4. To check your "Due Diligence" 

   1. Your Due Diligence is a checklist of items required for your credential.

   2. The Due Diligence section is how DSPS staff will communicate with you regarding your credential requirements.

   3. Log in to your LicensE account

   4. Click on "Check Application Status" 

   5. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under “Action” select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop.

   6. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select “View Due Diligences.”

   7. The Due Diligence column lets you know what the requirement is.

   8. The “STATUS” column will you know if the item is “Met”, “Not Met”, or “Not Applicable.”

      • Items listed as “Not Met” are items that are needed by the Department.  

   9. The “NOTES” column of your Due Diligence will provide further written details or instructions about what is still needed.

5. To upload documents

   1. Some applications require additional document uploads.

   2. Log into your LicensE account

   3. Click on "Check Application Status"

   4. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under "Action" select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop. 

   5. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select "Upload Document."

   6. The document must be an allowable document type. 

   7. After uploading the document, click "submit." If you do not, it will not be sent to a reviewer. 

6. If you have any questions, you can submit a support ticket on LicensE by logging in and clicking "request support" at the top of the page.

LicensE statuses that require action from applicant:

LicensE statuses that indicate the application is with Department staff:

Support Ticket
Submit a support ticket on LicensE and click "request support." Please provide as much detail as possible regarding your concern so we can work to answer your question with a one touch resolution. 

Call
608-266-2112

Email
dsps@wisconsin.gov

Office Hours
7:45am-4:30pm
Department of Safety and Professional Services
4822 Madison Yards Way
Madison, WI, 53705

Note: The in-person office does not process same day.