Licensure Requirements in North Carolina

Steps to Earning Your PLS

If you are interested in becoming a Professional Land Surveyor, there are several avenues to achieve this goal. See the chart below to decide which route is a good fit for you:

EDUCATION		+	YEARS OF  SUPERVISED EXPERIENCE (Under PLS)
BS Surveying (45-semester hrs: Survey Courses)		+	2
AAS Degree Surveying Technology (20-semester hrs: Survey Courses)		+	5
High School Diploma or Equivalent  & Apprenticeship (See temporary rules above)		+	7
High School Diploma or Equivalent		+	9

In addition to the above educational & experience requirements, you must successfully take and pass the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam. Once you pass the FS Exam, you must successfully take and pass either the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) Exam OR the Mapping Sciences (MS) Exam in order to obtain your license to practice surveying in North Carolina.

SURVEYING EXAMS
Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam	Online Exam (8 hrs)
Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) Exam prerequisite = successfully passing FS	Part 1 Online Exam (6 hrs)	Submit a Printed Map for Review	Part 2 - Written (2 hrs) North Carolina Specific
Mapping Sciences (MS) Exam prerequisite = successfully passing FS	Part 1 Online Exam (6 hrs)	Submit a Printed Map for Review	Part 2 - Written (2 hrs) North Carolina Specific

You may take the FS and Part 1 of either the PS or MS before meeting the required number of years of supervised experience. Part 2 may only be taken after the required supervised experience is obtained. In addition, you may apply to be certified as a Surveyor Intern (SI) after taking the FS.  
For additional information visit the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers & Surveyors

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