7. Performing cartographic, construction or geodetic surveying in connection
with any of the practices described in the above items.
8. Providing consultation services related to any of the practices described in
the above items.
The bill also prohibits, with certain exceptions, a person from engaging in the
practice of professional land surveying or representing that he or she is a
professional land surveyor unless the person is issued a license or permit by the
section. In addition, the bill changes the name of the section to the professional land
surveyor section and changes the name of the board to the examining board of
architects, landscape architects, professional engineers, designers and professional
land surveyors. Finally, the bill replaces various references under current law to
"registered land surveyor" with "licensed professional land surveyor".

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB687, s. 1 1Section 1. 15.405 (2) (intro.), (a) and (b) of the statutes are amended to read:
AB687,3,122 15.405 (2) Examining board of architects, landscape architects,
3professional engineers, designers and
professional land surveyors. (intro.) There
4is created an examining board of architects, landscape architects, professional
5engineers, designers and professional land surveyors in the department of
6regulation and licensing. Any professional member appointed to the examining
7board shall be registered or licensed to practice architecture, landscape architecture,
8professional engineering, the design of engineering systems or professional land
9surveying under ch. 443. The examining board shall consist of the following
10members appointed for 4-year terms: 3 architects, 3 landscape architects, 3
11professional engineers, 3 designers, 3 professional land surveyors and 10 public
12members.
AB687,3,1813 (a) In operation, the examining board shall be divided into an architect section,
14a landscape architect section, an engineer section, a designer section and a
15professional land surveyor section. Each section shall consist of the 3 members of
16the named profession appointed to the examining board and 2 public members
17appointed to the section. The examining board shall elect its own officers, and shall
18meet at least twice annually.
AB687,4,219 (b) All matters pertaining to passing upon the qualifications of applicants for
20and the granting or revocation of registration or licensure, and all other matters of
21interest to either the architect, landscape architect, engineer, designer or

1professional land surveyor section shall be acted upon solely by the interested
2section.
AB687, s. 2 3Section 2. 30.11 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,4,154 30.11 (3) How established. Whenever any municipality proposes to establish
5a bulkhead line or to reestablish an existing bulkhead line, the municipality shall
6indicate both the existing shore and the proposed bulkhead line upon a map and shall
7file with the department for its approval 6 copies of the map and 6 copies of the
8ordinance establishing the bulkhead line. The map shall use a scale of not less than
9100 feet to an inch or any other scale required by the department. The map and a
10metes and bounds description of the bulkhead line shall be prepared by a licensed
11professional
land surveyor registered licensed in this state. The department may
12require the installation of permanent reference markers to the bulkhead line. Upon
13approval by the department, the municipality shall deliver the map, description and
14ordinance to the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the bulkhead
15line lies, to be recorded by the register of deeds.
AB687, s. 3 16Section 3. 30.13 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,4,2417 30.13 (3) (a) Any municipality authorized by s. 30.11 to establish a bulkhead
18line may also establish a pierhead line in the same manner as it is authorized to
19establish a bulkhead line, except that a metes and bounds legal description is not
20required nor is the map required to be prepared by a registered licensed professional
21land surveyor and except that if the municipality has created a board of harbor
22commissioners the municipality must obtain the approval of the board concerning
23the establishment of the pierhead line in addition to obtaining the approval of the
24department.
AB687, s. 4 25Section 4. 59.20 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,5,20
159.20 (2) County officers; terms. A county clerk, treasurer, sheriff, coroner,
2clerk of circuit court, register of deeds and surveyor, who shall be a registered
3licensed professional land surveyor, shall be elected in each county for full terms at
4the general election held in each even-numbered year. The regular term of office of
5each such officer shall commence on the first Monday of January next succeeding his
6or her election and shall continue 2 years and until his or her successor qualifies.
7In lieu of electing a surveyor in any county, the board may, by resolution, designate
8that the duties under ss. 59.45 (1) and 59.74 (2) be performed by any registered
9licensed professional land surveyor employed by the county. In any county
10containing one town only, the county board may, by resolution, designate any county
11office a part-time position, combine 2 or more county offices, and, if concurred in by
12the town board, combine the offices of county clerk and town clerk and any other
13county and town offices, provided that the offices combined are not incompatible and
14the combination is not expressly forbidden by law. If the town board so concurs, the
15election may be for the combined office and no separate election for the town office
16shall be held until after the county board has by resolution decided to abandon the
17combination and the town board has concurred by resolution. In counties having a
18population of 500,000 or more, no county coroner or county surveyor may be elected.
19In any county in which a medical examiner system is instituted, no coroner may be
20elected.
AB687, s. 5 21Section 5. 59.43 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,6,622 59.43 (8) Required signature and seal on survey document for filing or
23recording.
It is unlawful for the register of deeds of any county or any proper public
24authority to file or record a map, plat, survey or other document within the definition
25of the practice of professional land surveying under s. 443.01 (6s), which does not

1have impressed thereon, and affixed thereto, the personal signature and seal of a
2registered licensed professional land surveyor under whose responsible charge the
3map, plat, survey or other document was prepared. This subsection does not apply
4to any deed, contract or other recordable document prepared by an attorney, or to a
5transportation project plat that conforms to s. 84.095 and that is prepared by a state
6agency.
AB687, s. 6 7Section 6. 59.45 (1) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,6,198 59.45 (1) (a) 2. Make, personally or by a deputy, a record, in books or on
9drawings and plats that are kept for that purpose, of all corners that are set and the
10manner of fixing the corners and of all bearings and the distances of all courses run,
11of each survey made personally, by deputies or by other licensed professional land
12surveyors and arrange or index the record so it is an easy to use reference and file
13and preserve in the office the original field notes and calculation thereof. Within 60
14days after completing any survey, the county surveyor shall make a true and correct
15copy of the foregoing record, in record books or on reproducible papers to be furnished
16by the county and kept in files in the office of the county surveyor to be provided by
17the county. In a county with a population of 500,000 or more where there is no county
18surveyor, a copy of the record shall also be filed in the office of the regional planning
19commission which acts in the capacity of county surveyor for the county.
AB687, s. 7 20Section 7. 59.45 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,7,221 59.45 (1) (b) Surveys for individuals or corporations may be performed by any
22licensed professional land surveyor who is employed by the parties requiring the
23services, providing that within 60 days after completing any survey the land
24surveyor files a true and correct copy of the survey in the office of the county surveyor.
25In counties with a population of 500,000 or more the copy shall be filed in the office

1of the register of deeds and in the office of the regional planning commission which
2acts in the capacity of county surveyor for the county.
AB687, s. 8 3Section 8. 59.45 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,7,64 59.45 (3) Surveyor; fees. In addition to the regular fees of licensed professional
5land surveyors that are received from the parties employing the county surveyor, the
6county surveyor may receive a salary from the county.
AB687, s. 9 7Section 9. 59.46 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,7,11 859.46 Penalty for nonfeasance. Any county surveyor, any city, village or
9town engineer, or any licensed professional land surveyor who fails or refuses to
10perform any duty required of that person by law shall forfeit not less than $25 nor
11more than $50 for each such failure or refusal.
AB687, s. 10 12Section 10. 59.74 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,8,413 59.74 (2) (b) 1. Whenever it becomes necessary to destroy, remove or cover up
14in such a way that will make it inaccessible for use, any landmark, monument of
15survey, or corner post within the meaning of this subsection, the person including
16employes of governmental agencies who intend to commit such act shall serve
17written notice at least 30 days prior to the act upon the county surveyor of the county
18within which the landmark is located. Notice shall also be served upon the
19municipality's engineer if the landmark is located within the corporate limits of a
20municipality. The notice shall include a description of the landmark, monument of
21survey or corner post and the reason for removing or covering it. In this paragraph,
22removal of a landmark includes the removal of railroad track by the owner of the
23track. In a county having a population of less than 500,000 where there is no county
24surveyor, notice shall be served upon the clerk. In a county with a population of
25500,000 or more where there is no county surveyor, notice shall be served upon the

1executive director of the regional planning commission which acts in the capacity of
2county surveyor for the county. Notwithstanding par. (c), upon receipt of the notice
3the clerk shall appoint a registered licensed professional land surveyor to perform
4the duties of a county surveyor under subd. 2.
AB687, s. 11 5Section 11. 59.74 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,8,126 59.74 (2) (c) In those counties where there are no county surveyors a petition
7can be made to the board by any resident of this state requesting the board to appoint
8a licensed professional land surveyor to act in the capacity of the county surveyor.
9The board, upon receipt of this petition, shall appoint a licensed professional land
10surveyor to act in the capacity of the county surveyor. In counties with a population
11of 500,000 or more, the board may appoint a governmental agency to act in the
12capacity of county surveyor.
AB687, s. 12 13Section 12. 59.74 (2) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,8,1614 59.74 (2) (g) Every licensed professional land surveyor and every officer of the
15department of natural resources and the district attorney shall enforce this
16subsection.
AB687, s. 13 17Section 13. 59.74 (2) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,9,818 59.74 (2) (h) Any registered licensed professional land surveyor employed by
19the department of transportation or by a county highway department, may, incident
20to employment as such, assume and perform the duties and act in the capacity of the
21county surveyor under this subsection with respect to preservation and perpetuation
22of landmarks, witness monuments and corner posts upon and along state trunk,
23county trunk and town highways. Upon completing a survey and perpetuating
24landmarks and witness monuments under par. (b) 2., a licensed professional land
25surveyor employed by the state shall file the field notes and records in the district

1office or main office of the department of transportation, and a licensed professional
2land surveyor employed by a county shall file the field notes and records in the office
3of the county highway commissioner, open to inspection by the public, and in either
4case a true and correct copy of the field notes and records shall be filed with the
5county surveyor. In a county with a population of 500,000 or more where there is no
6county surveyor, a copy of the field notes and records shall also be filed in the office
7of the regional planning commission which acts in the capacity of county surveyor
8for the county.
AB687, s. 14 9Section 14. 59.74 (2) (j) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,9,1210 59.74 (2) (j) The county surveyor may employ other licensed professional land
11surveyors to assist in this work and may accept reference checks for these corners
12from any licensed professional land surveyor.
AB687, s. 15 13Section 15. 59.75 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,9,21 1459.75 Certificates and records as evidence. The certificate and also the
15official record of the county surveyor when produced by the legal custodian thereof,
16or any of the county surveyor's deputies, when duly signed by the county surveyor
17in his or her official capacity, shall be admitted as evidence in any court within the
18state, but the same may be explained or rebutted by other evidence. If any county
19surveyor or any of his or her deputies are interested in any tract of land a survey of
20which becomes necessary, such survey may be executed by any licensed professional
21land surveyor appointed by the board.
AB687, s. 16 22Section 16. 60.84 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,9,2423 60.84 (1) Survey, contract for. The town board may contract with the county
24surveyor or any registered licensed professional land surveyor to survey all or some

1of the sections in the town and to erect monuments under this section as directed by
2the board.
AB687, s. 17 3Section 17. 157.07 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,10,114 157.07 (1) A cemetery authority shall cause to be surveyed and platted by a
5professional land surveyor registered licensed in this state those portions of the
6lands that are from time to time required for burial, into cemetery lots, drives and
7walks, and record a plat or map of the land in the office of the register of deeds. The
8plat or map may not be recorded unless laid out and platted to the satisfaction of the
9county board of the county, and the town board of the town in which the land is
10situated, or, if the land is situated within a 1st class city, then only by the common
11council of that city.
AB687, s. 18 12Section 18. 236.15 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,10,1613 236.15 (2) Accuracy of survey. The survey shall be performed by a
14professional land surveyor registered licensed in this state and if the error in the
15latitude and departure closure of the survey or any part thereof is greater than the
16ratio of one in 3,000, the plat may be rejected.
AB687, s. 19 17Section 19. 236.34 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,10,2018 236.34 (1) (a) The survey shall be performed and the map prepared by a
19professional land surveyor registered licensed in this state. The error in the latitude
20and departure closure of the survey may not exceed the ratio of one in 3,000.
AB687, s. 20 21Section 20. 440.08 (2) (a) 39. of the statutes, as affected by 1999 Wisconsin Act
229
, is amended to read:
AB687,10,2423 440.08 (2) (a) 39. Land surveyor, professional: February 1 of each
24even-numbered year; $75.
AB687, s. 21 25Section 21. Chapter 443 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,11,1
1CHAPTER 443
AB687,11,62 EXAMINING BOARD OF ARCHITECTS,
3 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS,
4 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS,
5 DESIGNERS AND professional
6LAND SURVEYORS
AB687, s. 22 7Section 22. 443.01 (1g) of the statutes is created to read:
AB687,11,118 443.01 (1g) "Cartographic surveying" means collecting topographic,
9hydrographic, aerial, anthropologic, forensic, architectural or mining data that
10depicts areas and physical features on, below or above the surface of the earth and
11compiling maps.
AB687, s. 23 12Section 23. 443.01 (1r) of the statutes is created to read:
AB687,11,1613 443.01 (1r) "Construction surveying" means surveying or mapping in support
14of infrastructure design, improvements related to private and public boundary lines,
15construction layout or historic preservation, and establishing any postconstruction
16documentation related to such surveying or mapping.
AB687, s. 24 17Section 24. 443.01 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,11,2018 443.01 (3) "Examining board" means the examining board of architects,
19landscape architects, professional engineers, designers and professional land
20surveyors.
AB687, s. 25 21Section 25. 443.01 (3b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB687,11,2322 443.01 (3b) "Geodetic surveying" means surveying to determine the size and
23shape of the earth or the precise positions of points on the surface of the earth.
AB687, s. 26 24Section 26. 443.01 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 443.01 (6s) (intro.) and
25amended to read:
AB687,12,2
1443.01 (6s) (intro.) "Land Practice of professional land surveying" means any
2service comprising the determination of the location of the following:
AB687,12,4 3(c) Establishing, restoring or perpetuating private or public land boundaries
4and land boundary corners; the preparation of.
AB687,12,5 5(d) Preparing maps showing the that depict any of the following:
AB687,12,8 61. The shape and area of tracts of land and their subdivisions into smaller
7tracts; the preparation of maps showing the or the subdivision or consolidation of
8tracts of land.
AB687,12,10 92. The layout and rights-of way of roads, or streets and rights-of-way of same
10to give access to smaller tracts; and the preparation of
.
AB687,12,11 11(e) Preparing assessors' or official plats, or maps, of land in this state.
AB687, s. 27 12Section 27. 443.01 (6s) (a) and (b) of the statutes are created to read:
AB687,12,1413 443.01 (6s) (a) Measuring and analyzing a tract of land to determine its
14boundaries or to describe the tract for the purpose of conveyance.
AB687,12,1615 (b) Designing or coordinating designs for the purpose of platting or subdividing
16land into smaller tracts.
AB687, s. 28 17Section 28. 443.01 (6s) (d) 3. and 4. of the statutes are created to read:
AB687,12,1818 443.01 (6s) (d) 3. Air, water or property rights.
AB687,12,1919 4. Public or private easements.
AB687, s. 29 20Section 29. 443.01 (6s) (f) to (h) of the statutes are created to read:
AB687,12,2421 443.01 (6s) (f) Applying knowledge or experience about land surveying to assist
22in the development, use or management of geographic or land information systems
23that collect, organize or disseminate data regarding land ownership or land
24resources.
AB687,13,2
1(g) Performing cartographic, construction or geodetic surveying in connection
2with any of the practices specified in pars. (a) to (e).
AB687,13,43 (h) Providing consultation services related to any of the practices specified in
4this subsection.
AB687, s. 30 5Section 30. 443.01 (7m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB687,13,96 443.01 (7m) "Professional land surveyor" means a person who, by reason of his
7or her knowledge of law, mathematics, physical sciences and measurement
8techniques, acquired by education and practical experience, is granted a license or
9permit to engage in the practice of professional land surveying under this chapter.
AB687, s. 31 10Section 31. 443.02 (4) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 443.02 (4) and
11amended to read:
AB687,13,1612 443.02 (4) No person may engage or offer to engage in the practice of
13professional
land surveying in this state or use or advertise any title or description
14tending to convey the impression that the person is a professional land surveyor
15unless the person has been issued a certificate of registration or granted a license or
16permit to practice under this chapter.
AB687, s. 32 17Section 32. 443.06 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,13,19 18443.06 (title) Registration Licensure requirements for professional
19land surveyors.
AB687, s. 33 20Section 33. 443.06 (1) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,13,2121 443.06 (1) (title) Registration Licensure, application, qualifying experience.
AB687, s. 34 22Section 34. 443.06 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,14,623 443.06 (1) (a) Application for registration licensure as a professional land
24surveyor or a permit to practice shall be made to the section under oath, on forms
25provided by the department, which shall require the applicant to submit such

1information as the section deems necessary. The section may require applicants to
2pass written or oral examinations or both. Applicants who do not have an arrest or
3conviction record, subject to ss. 111.321, 111.322 and 111.335, shall be entitled to be
4registered or issued a granted a license or permit to practice as professional land
5surveyors when satisfactory evidence is submitted that the applicant has met one or
6more of the requirements of sub. (2).
AB687, s. 35 7Section 35. 443.06 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB687,14,148 443.06 (1) (b) Each year, but not more than 4 years, of work or training
9completed in a curriculum in land surveying approved by the professional land
10surveyor section, or responsible charge of land surveying teaching may be considered
11as equivalent to one year of qualifying experience in land surveying work, and each
12year, but not more than 4 years completed in a curriculum other than land surveying
13approved by the land surveyor section, may be considered as equivalent to one-half
14year of qualifying experience.
AB687, s. 36 15Section 36. 443.06 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
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