Licensure as a land surveyor involves completing three main components, which are education, experience and examinations. Although no surveying experience is required, an individual must have completed and/or be enrolled in at least 18 semester credit hours of surveying courses before being eligible to apply to take the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam. Upon passing this FS exam, the individual is enrolled as a land surveyor intern and begins internship in the land surveying profession.

Normally, an individual must have earned a baccalaureate degree or an associate degree in surveying or a related technical program, completed at least 24 semester credit hours of surveying courses, and gained a minimum of four or seven years, respectively, of qualifying land surveying experience under the direct supervision of licensed land surveyors prior to being eligible to apply to take the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam. Upon approval of the application by the Board and passing the PS exam as well as the South Dakota surveying take home exam and the South Dakota take home exam on laws and rules, the individual is licensed as a land surveyor and may begin to legally practice the profession of land surveying.

Applicants should refer to the Blue Book (covering South Dakota Codified Law (SDCL) 36-18A-29 and Administrative Rule of South Dakota (ARSD) 20:38:30:03) for specific information regarding education requirements for licensure as a Land Surveyor. Applicants should refer to the Blue Book (covering SDCL 36-18A-29 and ARSD 20:38:31:01 and 20:38:31:04) for specific information regarding experience requirements for licensure as a Land Surveyor. For qualified applicants who desire to apply for the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) examination prior to December 31, 2022, please contact the Board for a copy of the education and experience requirements which were in effect on January 1, 2011.

For more information please go to the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions website

https://dlr.sd.gov/btp/land_surveyors.aspx