Register November 2022 No. 803
Chapter A-E 6
PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR LICENSURE
A-E 6.01 Authority and purpose.
A-E 6.02 Licensure requirements for professional land surveyors.
A-E 6.03 Land surveying experience.
A-E 6.04 Educational requirements for professional land surveyors.
A-E 6.06 Application for licensure as a professional land surveyor.
A-E 6.07 Application for reciprocity.
A-E 6.01
A-E 6.01
Authority and purpose. The rules in this chapter are adopted under authority in ss.
15.08 (5) (b),
227.11,
443.01 (6s), and
443.06, Stats. The purpose of rules in this chapter is to interpret basic education, experience and examination requirements for licensure as a professional land surveyor as specified in s.
443.06, Stats.
A-E 6.01 History
History: Cr.
Register, February, 1987, No. 374, eff. 3-1-87; correction in (intro.) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register May 2015 No. 713;
CR 15-036: am.
Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16.
A-E 6.02
A-E 6.02
Licensure requirements for professional land surveyors. A-E 6.02(1)(1)
Except as provided in s.
A-E 2.06 (2), an applicant for professional land surveyor licensure, in accordance with s.
443.06 (2), Stats., shall complete all of the following:
A-E 6.02(1)(a)
(a) Meet at least one of the following education and experience requirements:
A-E 6.02(1)(a)1.
1. Completion of a bachelor's degree in a course in the practice of professional land surveying or a related field that is approved by the professional land surveying section and the completion of at least 2 years of approved practice in professional land surveying.
A-E 6.02(1)(a)2.
2. Completion of an associate degree of not less than 2 years duration in a course in the practice of professional land surveying or a related field of study that is approved by the professional land surveying section and the completion of at least 4 years of approved practice in professional land surveying.
A-E 6.02(1)(b)
(b) Receive a passing score on the fundamentals of land surveying examination.
A-E 6.02(1)(c)
(c) Receive a passing score on the principles and practice of land surveying examination.
A-E 6.02(1)(d)
(d) Receive a passing score on the state jurisdictional examination of this state.
A-E 6.02(2)
(2) An applicant who files an application but who does not comply with a request for information related to the application within one year from the date of the request shall file a new application and fee.
A-E 6.02 Note
Note: Applications are available on the website at dsps.wi.gov or by calling (608) 266 - 2112.
A-E 6.02 History
History: Cr.
Register, February, 1987, No. 374, eff. 3-1-87; am.
Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 2-1-99;
CR 15-036: am. (title)
Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16;
CR 15-040: r. and recr.
Register May 2016 No. 725, eff. 6-1-16;
CR 20-009: r. and recr. (1)
Register May 2021 No. 785, eff. 6-1-21;
CR 21-020: am. (1) (intro.) Register November 2022 No. 803, eff. 12-1-22.
A-E 6.03
A-E 6.03
Land surveying experience. A-E 6.03(1)(1)
To qualify as “practice in professional land surveying work of a satisfactory character which indicates that the applicant is competent to be placed in responsible charge of such work” under s.
443.06, Stats., the experience of an applicant must satisfy all of the following:
A-E 6.03(1)(a)
(a) At least two-thirds of an applicant's experience shall be acquired in all of the following:
A-E 6.03(1)(a)1.
1. Locating land boundaries and land boundary corners including all of the following services:
A-E 6.03(1)(a)1.a.
a. Researching public and private records and interpreting legal descriptions, deeds, and survey maps.
A-E 6.03(1)(a)1.b.
b. Locating lost and obliterated corners and United States public land survey system corners and reestablishing or perpetuating monuments of the corners.
A-E 6.03(1)(a)1.e.
e. Establishing or retracing property lines to determine length and bearing.
A-E 6.03(1)(a)1.g.
g. Preparing descriptions of real property from data acquired by field measurements and other evidence of property location.
A-E 6.03(1)(a)2.
2. Preparing at least one map from each of the following categories:
A-E 6.03(1)(a)2.a.
a. Maps of sections or portions of sections or townships as established by the original public land survey and subdivisions of those sections in accordance with the statutes of the United States and the rules and regulations made by the secretary of the interior in conformity thereto.
A-E 6.03(1)(a)2.b.
b. Subdivision plats prepared in accordance with the Wisconsin statutes or local ordinances.
A-E 6.03(1)(a)2.c.
c. Certified survey maps prepared in accordance with the Wisconsin statutes or local ordinances.
A-E 6.03(1)(a)3.
3. Other experience which, in the opinion of the professional land surveyor section, provides the applicant with knowledge of the practice of land surveying at least equivalent to that which is generally acquired by experience in the areas listed in this paragraph.
A-E 6.03(1)(b)
(b) Not more than one-third of an applicant's experience may be acquired in:
A-E 6.03(1)(b)2.
2. Construction staking for highways, roads, streets or similar projects within the boundaries of established rights-of-way.
A-E 6.03(1)(b)4.
4. Developing control networks for aerial photography unless property lines are used for control.
A-E 6.03(1)(b)8.
8. Other experience which, in the opinion of the professional land surveyor section, provides the applicant with knowledge of the practice of land surveying at least equivalent to that which is generally acquired by experience in the areas listed in this paragraph.
A-E 6.03(2)
(2) Not more than one year of satisfactory experience credit may be granted for any calendar year.
A-E 6.03(3)
(3) Academic coursework or teaching and having responsible charge over academic coursework related to the practice of professional land surveying that provides the applicant with knowledge and skills in some areas of practice under sub.
(1) may, subject to s.
443.06 (1) (b), Stats., be claimed as equivalent experience.
A-E 6.03 History
History: Cr.
Register, February, 1987, No. 374, eff. 3-1-87; am. (1) (a) (intro.) to 1. h., 2. (intro.) to c. and (b) 1. to 4.,
Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 2-1-99;
CR 06-057: am. (1) (a) 1. a., b., c., and g., and 2. e., r. (1) (a) 1. i. and 2. d., cr. (1) (b) 6. and 7.,
Register May 2007 No. 617, eff. 6-1-07;
CR 09-030: am. (1) (a) 2. e. and (b) 7.
Register December 2009 No. 648, eff. 1-1-10;
CR 15-036: am. (1) (intro.)
Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16;
CR 20-009: am. (1) (intro.), (a) 2. (intro.), e., cr. (1) (a) 3., (b) 8., (3)
Register May 2021 No. 785, eff. 6-1-21.
A-E 6.04
A-E 6.04
Educational requirements for professional land surveyors. A-E 6.04(1)
(1) To meet the educational requirements of s.
443.06 (2) (bm), Stats., an applicant for licensure as a land surveyor shall have satisfactorily completed at least 60 semester credits in land surveying curriculum or in a related field as approved by the professional land surveyor section including no less than 12 semester credits in land surveying which shall be in the following categories of study:
A-E 6.04(1)(a)
(a) No less than 8 of the 12 credits may be in courses concentrating on the legal principles of professional land surveying and the technical aspects of professional land surveying. These courses shall include areas of study such as research of public and private records, principles of evidence and the interpretation of written documents used in boundary determination, the study of the legal elements of professional land surveying including those involving resurveys, boundary disputes, defective descriptions, riparian rights and adverse possession, the study of the professional and judicial functions of a professional land surveyor, the study of surveying methods for measuring distance and angular values, note keeping, computation and writing descriptions and the study of the Wisconsin Statutes and local ordinances relating to the preparation of subdivision maps and plats.
A-E 6.04(1)(b)
(b) No more than 4 credits may be in courses related to professional land surveying such as “engineering surveying," “municipal surveying," “route surveying," “highway surveying," “topographic surveying," “geodetic surveying," “photogrammetry," “cartography," “construction surveying," “air photo interpretation," “artillery surveying," “geographic information systems," “land information systems" and “remote sensing systems."
A-E 6.04(2)
(2) To meet the educational requirements of s.
443.06 (2) (am), Stats., an applicant for licensure as a professional land surveyor shall have done either of the following:
A-E 6.04(2)(a)
(a) Received a bachelor's degree in a course of study in professional land surveying from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency approved by the state where the college or university is located.
A-E 6.04(2)(b)
(b) Received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency approved by the state where the college or university is located. The curriculum shall include no less than 16 of 24 semester credits in courses concentrating on the legal principles of professional land surveying and the technical aspects of professional land surveying. These courses shall include areas of study such as research of public and private records, principles of evidence and the interpretation of written documents used in boundary determination, the study of the legal elements of professional land surveying including those involving resurveys, boundary disputes, defective descriptions, riparian rights and adverse possession, the study of the professional and judicial functions of a professional land surveyor, the study of surveying methods for measuring distance and angular values, note keeping, computation and writing descriptions and the study of the Wisconsin statutes and local ordinances relating to the preparation of subdivision maps and plats, other land divisions and real property creation. The applicant may be allowed to receive up to 8 credits in certain other courses relating to surveying. These courses may include “engineering surveying,” “municipal surveying,” “route surveying,” “
highway surveying,” “topographic surveying,” “geodetic surveying,” “photogrammetry,” “cartography,” “construction surveying,” “air photo interpretation,” “artillery surveying,” “
geographic information systems,” “land information systems” and “remote sensing systems.”
A-E 6.04 History
History: Cr.
Register, February, 1987, No. 374, eff. 3-1-87; am. (intro.),
Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 2-1-99; renum. (intro.), (1) and (2) to be (1) (intro.), (a) and (b) and am. (1) (intro.), cr. (2),
Register, November, 2000, No. 539, eff. 12-1-00;
CR 01-092: am. (2) (b)
Register June 2002 No. 558, eff. 7-1-03;
CR 06-057: am. (1) (b) and (2) (b),
Register May 2007 No. 617, eff. 6-1-07; correction in (1) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register May 2015 No. 713;
CR 15-036: am. (title), (1) (intro.), (a), (b), (2) (a), (b)
Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16; Correction under s.
35.17, Stats., in (1) (b)
Register January 2016 No. 721;
CR 15-040: am. (1)
Register May 2016 No. 725, eff. 6-1-16;
CR 20-009: am. (2) (a), (b)
Register May 2021 No. 785, eff. 6-1-21.
A-E 6.05(1)(1)
Land surveyor examination required. Applicants for licensure as a professional land surveyor shall take and pass 3 examinations. The examinations include the national fundamentals of surveying examination, the national principles and practice of surveying examination, and the state jurisdictional examination, which is relative to specific practice in this state. Each of the 3 required examinations is scored separately.
A-E 6.05(2)(a)
(a) The fundamentals of land surveying examination requires an understanding of mathematics, physics, surveying methods for measuring horizontal, vertical and angular values, topographic and photogrammetric mapping, notekeeping, property surveys, computations, descriptions and plats.
A-E 6.05(2)(b)
(b) The national principles and practice examination and the state jurisdictional examination require an ability to apply principles and judgment to problems involving the U.S. system of public land surveys, Wisconsin plane coordinate surveys, the relocation of lost and obliterated corners, the legal essentials of resurveys, disputed boundaries, defective deed descriptions, riparian rights, adverse possession, the Wisconsin statutes relating to land surveying including the preparation and filing of plats, the writing and interpreting of land descriptions, the technical essentials of professional land surveying and subdivision of lands including practical problems requiring a knowledge of the basic theory and fundamental concepts of field astronomy, geometry of curves, topography and photogrammetry.
A-E 6.05(3)
(3)
Time period for examination. Applicants for licensure as a land surveyor must take and pass the fundamentals of surveying examination, the national principles and practice surveying examination
, and the state jurisdictional examination within 4 years of applying for licensure.
A-E 6.05(6)
(6)
Examination and refund fees. The fee for land surveyor examinations and requirements for refund of fees are specified in s.
440.05, Stats., and ch.
SPS 4.
A-E 6.05(7)
(7)
Examination grading. The passing scores set by the professional land surveyor section represent the minimum competency required to protect public health and safety. Experience rating may not be weighed as part of the examination grade.
A-E 6.05(8)
(8)
Reexamination procedure. An applicant for a land surveyor examination who fails an examination, or any part of an examination may retake any part of the examination failed at a regularly-scheduled administration of the examination. If an applicant fails to pass on reexamination of the parts failed, or the current examination parts equivalent to the parts failed, within 4 years from the date of receipt of the results of the first failure of the examination or any part of the examination, the applicant is required to take and pass the entire examination. If the applicant retakes the entire examination, the applicant shall pay the original examination fee under s.
440.05 (1), Stats. The professional land surveyor section shall determine which parts of a current examination are equivalent to the examination parts failed by an applicant.
A-E 6.05 Note
Note: Examination fees are available on the website at dsps.wi.gov or by calling (608) 266-2112.
