Becoming a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) in Washington State
We have received quite a few questions regarding the overall requirements to obtain a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) in Washington State by those new to the profession or thinking about entering the profession. Often these questions come from those looking to go to a 2-year or 4-year college program and want to make sure their school will count towards any requirements.
The following are the four main requirements when applying for licensure:
Must pass the Land Surveyor-In-Training (LSIT) exam. In order to sit for this exam you need to have either 4-years of board approved work experience, a combination of approved work experience and 2-year associates degree OR be a senior in or graduated from a 4-year ABET accredited Surveying program. A 2-year Surveying program may be counted towards the 4-year work experience requirement. (see Washinton Administrative Code (WAC) 196-21 )
Must pass the Professional Land Surveyor, Principles and Practices of Land Surveying exam.
Must pass the Washington State specific Land Surveyor's exam.
Must have a total of at least 8-years of professional-level experience, which must be completed under the direct supervision of a licensed Land Surveyor. and ABET-accredited program may count for up to 4 years of the experience and obtaining a Certified Federal Surveyor (CFedS) program may count for 3-months. (See WAC 196-16 )
Currently, Washington State doesn't have an educational requirement, but that doesn't mean that school won’t help. There are a few 2-year programs in the state and there are some good 4-year degree programs across the United States, but none in Washington that we are aware of.
If you don’t want to go the college route, you can definitely be successful in the profession by traditional on-the-job training. Many companies are struggling to find people that are willing to learn and be motivated to progress. One thing you will need to decide is if you want to work in the office or out in the field. Historically the best path is to start in the field as a chainman and progress to a party chief, before ultimately transitioning into the office so that you have a strong understanding of field practices and what the field crews are up against. You can start in the office, but it is usually a slower path to licensure, unless you are very motivated and have a great mentor. I would recommend bringing up your end goal with any prospective employers upfront, so they can help guide/mentor your progression and provide advice.
When it comes time for you to apply for the LSIT or PLS exams, you will need to have all your employers that you are claiming experience from fill out a form which certifies the experience you are claiming is true and that they recommend you for licensure. There are no requirements that they need to certify your experience if they don't feel what you did is sufficient. This is one reason why it’s important to make sure you are discussing this along the way with your licensed supervisors, so there are no surprises, and so they can make sure to you get progressive experience that satisfies all the sections when the time comes.
Lastly, you will need 4 professional references who can certify to your professional integrity and your ability & fitness to receive a license. These references can be a combination of Land Surveyors and Professional Land Surveyors, but at least two of them need to be Professional Land Surveyors. Immediate disqualifications would include conviction of a serious felony or be convicted of a financial crime classified as a felony.
It takes a long time, motivation and a lot of experience to get a license, but the profession pays very well even before you get a license, and we need more Surveyors in Washington State. There are many people retiring and not enough coming in to replace them all while the demand for Surveyors continues to grow.