HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: HB 1559 Professional Licensure
SPONSOR(S): McClure
TIED BILLS: IDEN./SIM. BILLS: SB 1786
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Regulatory Reform & Economic Development 11 Y, 0 N Thompson Anstead
Subcommittee
2) Commerce Committee Thompson Hamon
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
Chapter 472, F.S., governs the practice of land surveying and mapping in Florida. Through the Florida Board of
Professional Surveyors and Mappers (Board), the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS)
licenses and regulates professional surveyors and mappers in the state. Current law provides education and
experience prerequisites that must be met in order to be eligible to take the licensure examination to practice
as a surveyor and mapper.
Currently, applicants must at least have a bachelor’s degree in a related course of study and a minimum of
four years of experience working under a professional surveyor in order to take the licensure examination.
Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated course of study must have six years of experience, and
complete a minimum of 25 semester hours from a college or university approved by the board in surveying
and mapping related subjects in order to take the licensure examination.
The bill provides additional pathways to qualify to take the licensure examination as follows:
Allows applicants with a high school diploma or an associate’s degree, who complete 25 hours of
coursework in surveying and mapping, and six years of experience under a professional surveyor
and mapper, five years of which must be in responsible charge of the work performed, to be eligible to
take the licensure examination.
Allows applicants who qualified to obtain a surveying and mapping license in another state that hold a
license to practice in another state and have two years of experience in the active practice of
surveying and mapping to be eligible to take the licensure examination.
Allows applicants with a registered apprenticeship certificate in surveying and mapping and an
experience record of two or more years in the active practice of mapping to be eligible to take the
licensure examination.
The bill may have a positive fiscal impact on state government and the private sector, and no fiscal impact on
local government.
The effective date of the bill is July 1, 2022.
This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives .
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DATE: 2/6/2024
FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Background
Land Surveying and Mapping
Chapter 472, F.S., governs the practice of land surveying and mapping in Florida. Through the Florida
Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers (Board), the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services (DACS) licenses and regulates professional surveyors and mappers in the state. 1
These regulations include, but are not limited to:2
Examination;
Licensure, including certificates of authorization;
Continuing education;
Seals;
Standards of practice;
Prohibitions and penalties;
Disciplinary guidelines;
Investigative procedures;
Power to administer oaths, take depositions, and issue subpoenas;
Unlicensed activities; and
Elevation certificates.
According to DACS, licensed surveyors and mappers make exact measurements and determine
property boundaries. They provide data relevant to the shape, contour, gravitation, location, elevation
or dimension of land or land features on or near the earth's surface for engineering, mapmaking,
mining, land evaluation, construction and other purposes. 3
The Board has authority to adopt rules to implement ch. 472, F.S., subject to approval by DACS.4
Effective October 1, 2009, the regulation of professional surveyors and mappers by the Board was
transferred from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to DACS.5
According to DACS, in 2022, there were 2,579 surveyors and mappers licensed in Florida.6
Licensing Examinations
Current law provides education and experience prerequisites that must be met in order to be eligible to
take the licensure examination to practice as a surveyor and mapper or as a surveyor and mapper
intern.7 All applicants must be approved by the Board prior to taking any examination.8
All pathways to licensure as a professional surveyor and mapper in Florida require at least a four-year
college degree. The prerequisites to take the licensure examination to practice as a surveyor and
1 S. 472.007, F.S.
2 See ch. 472, F.S.
3 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Consumer Services, Surveyors and Mappers,
https://www.fdacs.gov/Business -Services/Surveyors-and-Mappers (last visited Jan. 27, 2024).
4 S. 472.008, F.S.
5 Ch. 2009-66, Laws of Fla.
6 Email from Carlos Nathan, Legislative Affairs Director, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Re: Survey ors Data,
(Jan. 6, 2022).
7 S. 472.013, F.S.
8 R. 5J-17.030, F.A.C.
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mapper are as follows:9
A bachelor’s degree in surveying and mapping or in a similarly titled program:
o Four or more years of work experience under a professional surveyor;
o All four years of work experience must have been in responsible charge of the accuracy
and correctness of the surveying work performed; or
A bachelor’s degree in a course of study other than surveying and mapping:
o Six or more years of work experience under a professional surveyor;
o Five of the six years of experience must have been in responsible charge of the
accuracy and correctness of the surveying work performed.
o These applicants must also complete a minimum of 25 semester hours from a college
or university approved by the board in surveying and mapping subjects or in any
combination of courses in civil engineering, surveying, mapping, mathematics,
photogrammetry, forestry, or land law and the physical sciences.
The following is a chart outlining these education and work experience prerequisites:
Type of Applicant Type of Degree Work Experience
Surveyor and Mapper Surveying and Mapping 4 or more years
(Option 1) Bachelor’s Degree subordinate to surveyor
and mapper and in
“responsible charge” of
work performed
Surveyor and Mapper Non-Surveying and 6 or more years
(Option 2) Mapping Bachelor’s subordinate to surveyor
Degree; and and mapper of which
25 semester hours 5 years must be in
surveying and mapping “responsible charge” of
subjects work performed
The board, by rule,10 is authorized to establish fees for examination. The initial application and
examination fee must not exceed $125 plus the actual per applicant cost to DACS to purchase the
examination from the National Council of Engineering Examiners or a similar national organization. The
examination fee must be sufficient to cover the cost of obtaining and administering the examination and
is refundable if the applicant is found ineligible to sit for the examination. The application fee is
nonrefundable.11
Exiled Foreign-Trained Professionals
Exiled foreign-trained professionals that wish to become surveyors and mappers must have graduated
with an appropriate college degree from a college or university and must have lawfully practiced the
profession for at least three years.12 Specifically, an exiled professional is eligible for examination if the
exiled professional satisfies all of the following seven requirements:13
Immigrated to the United States after leaving the person’s home country because of political
reasons, provided the country is located in the Western Hemisphere and does not have
diplomatic relations with the United States;
Applied to DACS and submits a fee;
Was a resident of this state immediately preceding the person’s application;
9 See s. 472.013, F.S.
10 R. 5J-17.070, F.S.
11 S. 472.011, F.S.
12 See s. 472.0101, F.S.
13 S. 472.0101(1)(a)-(g), F.S.
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Demonstrated to DACS, through submission of documentation verified by the applicant’s
respective professional association in exile, that the applicant graduated with an appropriate
professional or occupational degree from a college or university.
o However, DACS may not require receipt of any documentation from the Republic of
Cuba as a condition of eligibility under this section;
Lawfully practiced the profession for at least 3 years;
Prior to 1980, successfully completed an approved course of study pursuant to chapters 74-105
and 75-177, Laws of Florida; and
Presented a certificate demonstrating the successful completion of a continuing education
program, which offers a course of study that will prepare the applicant for the examination.
DACS is required to develop rules for the approval of such programs for the Board.14
Upon request of a person who meets the requirements and submits an examination fee, DACS, for the
Board, is required to conduct a written practical examination that tests the person’s current ability to
practice the profession competently in accordance with the actual practice of the profession. The fees
charged for the examinations are established by DACS, for the board, by rule,15 and must be sufficient
to develop or to contract for the development of the examination and its administration, grading, and
grade reviews.16
Recent Trends
The average age of a land surveyor in the U.S. is in the upper 50s. According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, in 2023 there were 43,000 working surveyors in the U.S., 8,000 were 34 years of age or
younger, and 16,000 were age 55 and over.17 Many in the profession will be retiring and need to be
replaced.18
In addition, reports indicate that the most common degree for land surveyors is a bachelor's degree,
with 43 percent of land surveyors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree
level is an associate degree at 24 percent and high school diploma at 21 percent.19
Certain education and licensing qualifications for surveyors have created recruitment barriers. 20 Some
in the industry have indicated that a shortage may exist in the profession because of extensive
education expectations and cost. Many state boards require a four-year degree before beginning work
in the surveying field. These requirements might hinder those from pursuing a surveying path.
Nationally there appears to be a decline in the number of students graduating from surveying
programs.21
In Florida, as of 2022, the number of licensed surveyors had decreased by 305 licensees, from 2,884
licensees in 2013 to 2,579 licensees in 2021.22
Other States
14 S. 472.001(1), F.S.
15 R. 5J-17.210, F.A.C.
16 S. 472.0101(2), F.S.
17 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey, https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11b.pdf
(last visited Jan. 27, 2024).
18 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-
engineering/surveyors.htm#tab-6 (last visited Jan. 27, 2024).
19 Zippia, The Career Expert, LAND SURVEYOR DEMOGRAPHICS AND STATISTICS IN THE US , https://www.zippia.com/land-
surveyor-jobs/demographics/ (last visited Jan. 27, 2024).
20 The American Surveyor, Reaching Out, Using Technology and Outreach to Encourage Students to Join the Profession ,
https://amerisurv.com/2023/06/10/reaching-out/ (last visited Jan. 27, 2024).
21 Nearterm Blog, Is There a Shortage of Land Surveyors? (Nov. 2, 2020), https://nearterm.com/is-there-a-shortage-of-land-surveyors/
(last visited Jan. 27, 2024).
22 Email from Carlos Nathan, Legislative Affairs Director, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Re: Surveyors Data,
(Jan. 6, 2022).
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Each state and territory in the U.S. require those who perform the tasks defined as the practice of
surveying to hold a professional surveying license. Most states require professional surveyors to meet
a combination of requirements in education and exams.23
Generally, while each state board for surveyors has its own requirements for licensure, potential
licensees will follow a similar path of prerequisites to obtain a license in any state. Prerequisites
typically include:24
An education requirement - Sometimes a high school diploma but some states also require a
four-year degree from an accredited surveying program.
Successful completion of a Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) written examination - testing an
applicant’s breadth of understanding of basic surveying principles.
Successful completion of a written Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) examination -
testing an applicant's knowledge and competency of surveying skills.
A requisite amount of surveying experience - which for most states is four years and is usually
under the supervision of a professional surveyor.
According to research, the education and experience requirements in all 50 states appear to indicate
the following patterns:25
Most states require at least a four-year degree and four years of professional experience.
Typically, the extent of the degree is relative to the amount of professional experience required.
Fourteen states provide an option that requires only a high school diploma (or do not have any
educational requirements) along with a certain amount of professional experience.
Six states provide an option that does not require the completion of a degree, but requires the
completion of a certain amount of survey and mapping coursework and professional
experience.
The degrees that are required are typically in a surveying and mapping curriculum, a curriculum
related to surveying and mapping, or an unrelated curriculum but with a certain amount of
coursework in a surveying related curriculum.
States that allow postgraduate coursework in a surveying curriculum allow the coursework to be
substituted for professional experience.
Twenty-eight states do not provide an education-less alternative method of licensure.
One example of a state that allows a number of different pathways to licensure is North Carolina:26
Bachelor’s Degree: Graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in surveying can take the licensing
exam after two years of supervised experience.
Associate’s Degree: Graduates with a two-year Associate’s degree in surveying can take the
licensing exam with five years of supervised experience.
High School Diploma and Apprenticeship: Graduates with a high school diploma and an
apprenticeship can take the licensing exam with seven years of supervised experience.
High School Diploma: Graduates with a high school diploma or equivalent can take the
licensing exam with nine years of supervised experience.
Effect of the Bill
The bill changes language in the licensing requirements that allow the Board to approve educational
institutions and coursework to specify that applicants can obtain the required degree from “a college or
university accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.”
23 The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), Surveying Licensure,
https://ncees.org/surveying/surveying-licensure/ (last visited Jan. 27, 2024).
24 The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), NCEES Member Licensing Boards,
https://ncees.org/member-licensing-boards/ (last visited Jan. 27, 2024).
25 NCEES, supra note 24.
26 North Carolina Society of Surveyors, Licensure Requirements in North Carol