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17 CAR § 285-305. Professional surveyor
17 CAR § 285-305. Professional surveyor.
(a) Original licensure.
(1) Effective January 1, 2017, an applicant shall submit:
(A) Proof of graduation with:
(i) A Bachelor of Science degree in surveying, geomatics, geomatics engineering, or spatial information systems with a minor or emphasis in surveying from a program accredited by ABET or approved by the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors;
(ii) An Associate of Science or Associate of Applied Science degree in surveying or surveying technology from a program approved by the board; or
(iii)(a) A baccalaureate degree from a curriculum of four (4) years or more and at least thirty (30) hours of surveying or surveying-related courses.
(b) One (1) or more of the courses shall emphasize United States Public Land Survey System aspects and principles, and one (1) or more of the courses shall emphasize law and professionalism in geomatics or surveying; and
(B)(i)(a) Proof of three (3) years of acceptable experience if the applicant’s educational qualifications meet the requirements of subdivision (a)(1)(A)(i) or (iii) of this section or six (6) years of acceptable experience if the applicant’s educational qualifications meet the requirements of subdivision (a)(1)(A)(ii) of this section.
(b) Refer to 17 CAR § 285-501.
(ii) Those applicants requiring three (3) years’ experience shall demonstrate:
(a) At least one (1) year in performing field duties that would include all aspects of planning and performing boundary surveys in a public land survey system similar to that in Arkansas, including:
(1) Finding and evaluating evidence;
(2) Monumentation;
(3) Checking distances and locations; and
(4) Verifying accuracies and closures;
(b) At least one (1) year in performing office duties involving:
(1) The research and planning of boundary, title, right-of-way, or other surveys requiring the determination of boundary lines and corners for field crews;
(2) Computations for plats; and
(3) The drawing, drafting, and publishing of surveys and survey plats; and
(c) The remainder of the three (3) years in either of the office or field procedures identified above or may be in other types of surveying, whether in the office or field, such as:
(1) Construction stakeout;
(2) Surveying for engineering projects;
(3) Topographical surveying; or
(4) Any activity constituting surveying measurement certification.
(iii) Those applicants requiring six (6) years’ experience shall demonstrate:
(a) At least two (2) years in performing field duties that would include all aspects of planning and performing boundary surveys in a public land survey system similar to that in Arkansas, including:
(1) Finding and evaluating evidence;
(2) Monumentation;
(3) Checking distances and locations; and
(4) Verifying accuracies and closures;
(b) At least two (2) years in performing office duties involving:
(1) The research and planning of boundary, title, right-of-way or other surveys requiring the determination of boundary lines and corners for field crews;
(2) Computations for plats; and
(3) The drawing, drafting, and publishing of surveys and survey plats; and
(c) The remainder of the six (6) years can be in either office or field procedures identified above or may be in other types of surveying, whether in the office or field, such as:
(1) Construction stakeout;
(2) Surveying for engineering projects;
(3) Topographical surveying; or
(4) Any activity constituting surveying management certification.
(iv)(a) Time documented as spent in classroom training in engineering or surveying topics and that improve or enhance the applicant’s skills in one (1) or more of the areas identified in subdivision (a)(1)(B)(ii)(c) or (a)(1)(B)(iii)(c) of this section may substitute for the field or office experience at the discretion of the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors.
(b) Surveying courses that are not included or required as part of the applicant’s degree or educational requirements shall be presumed to qualify for experience credit.
(c) The amount of credit actually provided for classes or training shall be determined based on the time spent while taking or attending the course or class as well as its content and complexity, and the total of all classroom or training credit shall not exceed the experience for an applicant under subdivision (a)(1)(B)(ii)(c) or (a)(1)(B)(iii)(c) of this section.
(2)(A) Applicant shall submit five (5) references, three (3) of which shall be from professional surveyors having personal knowledge of the applicant’s surveying experience.
(B) These references should include both present and past supervisors.
(3) The applicant shall have previously passed a NCEES examination in the fundamentals of surveying that is acceptable to the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors.
(4) The applicant shall be admitted to an approved NCEES Professional Surveying examination once the applicant meets the above requirements, or the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors shall accept the results of an approved NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying examination that the applicant has passed.
(5) The applicant shall pass the Arkansas state surveying examination or examinations.
(6) Upon satisfactory completion of these requirements, the applicant shall be granted licensure in the State of Arkansas.
(7)(A) An applicant who submitted an application prior to January 1, 2017, and was found by the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors to meet the qualifications in effect at that time may take or continue to take the NCEES examination and state specific surveying examination as provided in 17 CAR § 285-502.
(B) In no case, however, shall an applicant be allowed to take the NCEES and/or state examination after January 1, 2020, unless the applicant meets the requirements of subdivision (a)(1) of this section.
(b) Reciprocity (comity).
(1) Required qualifications. An applicant applying for reciprocal licensure shall meet the following requirements:
(A)(i) The applicant shall hold in good standing a substantially similar license in another United States jurisdiction.
(ii) A professional surveyor license from another state is substantially similar to an Arkansas professional surveyor license if the applicant has, or the other state’s licensure qualifications require an applicant to have, one (1) of the following, whichever is least restrictive:
(a) Proof of graduation with a Bachelor of Science degree in surveying, geomatics, geomatics engineering, or spatial information systems with a minor or emphasis in surveying from a program accredited by ABET or approved by the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors;
(b) Proof of graduation with an Associate of Science or Associate of Applied Science degree in surveying or surveying technology from a program approved by the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors;
(c)(1) Proof of graduation with a baccalaureate degree from a curriculum of four (4) years and at least thirty (30) hours of surveying or surveying-related courses.
(2) One (1) or more of the courses shall emphasize United States Public Land Survey System aspects and principles, and one (1) or more of the courses shall emphasize law and professionalism in geomatics or surveying; or
(d) The applicant meets the Arkansas requirements for licensure that were in effect at the time the applicant received his or her initial license as a professional surveyor in another state.
(iii) The applicant shall not have had a license revoked for:
(a) An act of bad faith; or
(b) A violation of law, rule, or ethics.
(iv) The applicant shall not hold a suspended or probationary license in a United States’ jurisdiction;
(B) The applicant shall be sufficiently competent in the field of professional surveying; and
(C) The applicant shall meet the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors’ least restrictive requirements, which are described below in subdivision (b)(2)(D) of this section.
(2) Required documentation.
(A) An applicant shall submit:
(i) A fully executed application;
(ii) The required fee; and
(iii) The documentation described below.
(B) As evidence that the applicant’s professional surveyor license from another jurisdiction is in good standing and is substantially similar to an Arkansas professional surveyor license, the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors shall receive the following information:
(i)(a) Evidence of current licensure in good standing in that state.
(b) The State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors may verify this information online or by telephone to the other state’s licensing board;
(ii)(a) Evidence that the applicant has, or the other state’s licensure requirements match, the educational requirements in subdivision (b)(1)(A)(ii)(a), (b)(1)(A)(ii)(b), or (b)(1)(A)(ii)(c) of this section.
(b) The State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors may receive verification of an applicant’s education directly from the applicant’s school or schools, or the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors may verify the information online or by telephone; and
(iii) To demonstrate that the applicant has not had a license revoked for bad faith or a violation of law, rule, or ethics, as required by subdivision (b)(1)(A)(iii) of this section, and that the applicant does not hold a license on suspended or probationary status, as required by subdivision (b)(1)(A)(iv) of this section, the applicant shall provide the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors with:
(a) The names of all states in which the applicant is currently licensed or has been previously licensed; and
(b)(1) Letters of good standing or other information from each state in which the applicant is currently or has ever been licensed showing that the applicant’s license has not been revoked for the reasons listed in subdivision (b)(1)(A)(iii) of this section, and is not on suspended or probationary status as described in subdivision (b)(1)(A)(iv) of this section.
(2) The State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors may verify information online or by telephone.
(C) As evidence that the applicant is sufficiently competent in surveying, an applicant shall:
(i)(a) Submit five (5) references, three (3) of which shall be professional surveyors having personal knowledge of the applicant’s surveying experience.
(b) Preferably these references should include both present and past supervisors; and
(ii)(a) Have passed an examination in the fundamentals of surveying.
(b) For those individuals with at least fifteen (15) years licensed practice, the Fundamentals of Surveying examination may be waived.
(D) As evidence that the applicant meets the least restrictive requirements, the applicant shall:
(i) Have passed the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying examination;
(ii) Pass the Arkansas state surveying examination; and
(iii)(a) One (1) of the following, as applicable:
(1) If the applicant has a bachelor’s degree, the applicant must have three (3) years of experience; or
(2) If the applicant has an associate’s degree, the applicant must have six (6) years of experience.
(b) Arkansas will accept an applicant’s experience if the applicant’s experience has been accepted by another state in which the applicant holds a professional surveyor license in good standing that is substantially similar to an Arkansas professional surveyor.