TN Land Surveyor—A Concise Guide
Explore the requirements for securing a TN land surveyor license. Discover how Harbor Compliance's services can streamline your firm's licensure process.
TN Land Surveyor—Licensure Requirements and Process
To ensure that land surveying is conducted within the legal and ethical standards of the profession, entities wishing to practice in Tennessee must have the legal authority to do so. This permit, earned through the Professional Land Surveying license, gives practitioners the right to sign and seal surveying documents and take charge of a firm's surveying operations.
The Tennessee Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors is responsible for overseeing the entire licensure process, ensuring that only qualified entities are granted the privilege to practice. Additionally, all firms aiming to offer surveying services in the state must have an individual with a Professional Land Surveying license, highlighting the importance of obtaining this credential.
This article provides an extensive overview of the Tennessee land surveyor license requirements and the steps for applying for and renewing the license. We will also introduce Harbor Compliance, a reliable partner whose services aim to make the licensure process as seamless as possible for your company.
Tennessee Land Surveyor License Requirements
A Professional Land Surveying license is a stamp of approval granted to individuals who have met the requirements to practice land surveying in the state. Holding this license signifies that the surveyor will be held accountable for their work and will ensure that their projects adhere to ethical and professional standards.
Although land surveying firms in Tennesee are not required to obtain a separate firm license, they must employ a licensed professional land surveyor. This surveyor's information must be included on the firm's disclosure form submitted to the Tennessee Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors.
Given its significance, individuals must meet specific requirements to be granted this license, which include:
- Education
- Examination
- Experience
- References
- Surveying plats
Education
To be eligible for a Tennessee land surveying license, individuals must have received formal education in the field. This educational requirement can be met by obtaining one of the following degrees:
- A bachelor's degree from a four-year or longer surveying or surveying technology curriculum approved by the board.
- A bachelor's degree from a four-year or longer science, engineering, or technology curriculum related to the practice of land surveying, with at least 24 semester hours of surveying science coursework approved by the board.
- A bachelor's degree from a board-approved non-surveying curriculum of four years or longer, plus an additional 36 semester hours of board-approved coursework in surveying sciences.
- An associate degree in surveying technology or a related field, such as science, engineering, or technology, approved by the board, with a minimum of 30 semester hours of board-approved surveying sciences coursework.
- A high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma with a record of ten years of progressive work experience, six of which must be under the direct supervision of a licensed land surveyor.
Examination
To be eligible for licensure, candidates must pass three key exams:
- The Fundamentals of Surveying (FS)
- The Principles and Practices of Land Surveying (PS)
- The Tennessee Specifics of Land Surveying (TS)
Although you can register for the FS exam without notifying the board, you must obtain the board's approval to take the PS and TS exams.
Experience
The years of experience required for licensure vary depending on your degree. Typically, you'll need to accumulate between two and ten years of progressive work experience, with the majority of these years spent under the charge of a licensed and practicing professional land surveyor.
References
Applicants require five character references to attest to their land surveying experience. Three of these references must come from licensed professional land surveyors or individuals whom the board considers qualified to vouch for your experience.
Surveying Plats
All applicants are expected to prepare two boundary survey plats that adhere to the state's standards of practice, each accompanied by a detailed property description.
Applying for a Tennessee Land Surveyor License
Once you've satisfied the licensure requirements, you can apply with the board and provide the necessary documents and filing fees. Your submission should include:
- References
- Educational transcripts
- Experience verification forms
- Survey plats
- Firm disclosure form
The firm disclosure form is essential for businesses wishing to practice in Tennessee. This document must state the name of the firm, list the title and address of the firm's officers and principals, and identify the full-time licensee responsible—also known as the “professional-in-responsible-charge”—for overseeing the firm's operations.
If the professional-in-responsible-charge allows their license to expire, the company license does, too. To avoid disruption, surveying firms must track both firm licenses and individual ones from all employees. This way, they can notice if the license held by the professional-in-responsible-charge is about to lapse and prevent that from occurring or quickly find a replacement if needed.
Renewing a Tennessee Land Surveyor License
The only document businesses need to submit to practice in Tennessee is the firm disclosure form. There's no need to renew this form unless changes are made to the information provided in it. In the event of changes, the firm is expected to notify the board within 60 days.
On the other hand, professional land surveyors are expected to renew their licenses by December 31 of odd-numbered years to continue practicing. All professionals are expected to meet the continuing education requirement of 30 Professional Development Hours (PDH) to be eligible for a license renewal.
Of the 30 PDH:
- A maximum of 15 can be completed online, while the remaining 15 must be completed in person.
- One PDH must cover surveying ethics.
- One PDH should focus on Tennessee Standards of Practice unless the individual is licensed in other states. In that case, you can complete any Standards of Practice PDH course.
Streamlining the Tennessee Land Surveyor Licensure Process With Harbor Compliance
Keeping track of state regulations is essential for individuals and firms who wish to retain their rights to practice land surveying in Tennessee.
Although businesses are only required to file a firm disclosure form that currently doesn't require renewal, it's important to note that regulations can evolve. Additionally, firms must ensure their professional land surveyors maintain an active license status to keep the firm in good standing.
While it's possible to handle every step of the licensure journey independently, it's easier and more effective to delegate the tasks involved to professionals.
Harbor Compliance provides the professional assistance you need to navigate the complexities of the licensure process. This is accomplished by providing access to a team of licensing experts and leveraging our proprietary software solution that provides information on requirements and regulations across all states in the U.S.
Our Architecture & Engineering Compliance Solutions are designed to help professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries obtain crucial licenses, including:
- Engineering Firm
- Geoscience Firm
- Land Surveying Firm
Advantages of Using Harbor Compliance Architecture & Engineering Compliance Solutions
Entrusting your land surveying licensure process to Harbor Compliance allows you to enjoy several benefits, including the following:
- You'll gain access to a team of licensing professionals with experience navigating the complexities of the licensure process and fulfilling state requirements.
- Our support and expert guidance will alleviate the hassle of managing the licensing process independently, allowing you to focus on running your firm and offering your services.
- You can customize our services to fit your firm's specific needs and decide how much of the licensing process you want to outsource.
- Compliance Core™, the algorithm that powers our Software Suite, provides comprehensive details of the licensing requirements in every state across the U.S.
The Process of Ordering Harbor Compliance's Architecture & Engineering Compliance Solutions
At Harbor Compliance, we understand that each client has different needs. We offer our customers the opportunity to customize our services through our three service options. The breakdown of these services is outlined below:
- Fully managed—Here, you'll entrust your firm's licensing workload to our specialists, and we'll handle your various licensing tasks, from filing applications to tracking renewal dates. This service option applies only to company licenses.
- Self-managed—This option provides a hands-on approach by granting you access to our licensing software solutions. You can then independently manage the licensing process while benefiting from our tools.
- Hybrid—With this option, you can manage parts of your licensing process independently using our software solution and outsource the rest to our team of experts.
Having decided what your specific licensing needs are and the service option that works best for you, you can order our services using the steps below:
- Head to the solution page.
- Hit the “Contact Us” button.
- Enter your details.
- Verify that everything is correct.
- Click “Let’s talk.”
Additional Services Harbor Compliance Offers
Beyond helping professionals and firms secure land surveying licenses, Harbor Compliance also offers services to ensure businesses remain in good standing with various state requirements, namely:
Category | Services |
---|---|
Entity lifecycle management | |
Document filing and retrieval | |
Registered agent service | |
Business licensing support | |
Beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting | |
Tax services | |
Nonprofit formation |
Tennessee Land Surveyor FAQs
This section will discuss some frequently asked questions about the Tennessee land surveyor license. For more information, visit Harbor Compliance's information center.
Yes. Professionals who hold licenses in other states can apply for licensure in Tennessee by reciprocity.
You can renew your license up to 60 days before its expiration date, which is December 31 of odd-numbered years.
To qualify for a land surveyor license in Tennessee, you need to take and pass three key exams—the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS), the Principles and Practices of Land Surveying (PS), and the Tennessee Specifics of Land Surveying (TS).
Entrusting Harbor Compliance With Your Tennessee Land Surveyor Licensing Process
While gaining a legal permit to practice in Tennessee allows you to offer land surveying services to the public, staying informed about requirements is essential to maintaining your right to practice. Order our Architecture & Engineering Compliance Solutions and enjoy peace of mind.
You can also use our free Harbor Compliance Score™ at any time to check your compliance status and note areas that can prevent you from being in good standing with state requirements.
If you'd like to outsource your licensing process to us, you can book a demo session to learn about our services and how they can benefit you. Afterward, you can order the service option that best suits your needs.
Finally, you can explore our collection of other licenses and state-specific requirements throughout the U.S. listed in the table below: