South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 49 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION- SOUTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF REGISTRATION FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND LAND SURVEYORS
Article 2 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 49-201 - Professional Land Surveyor Licensure Requirements
Universal Citation: SC Code Regs 49-201
Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 12, December 22, 2023
A. Qualifying Experience and Documentation.
(1) Experience must be obtained under the
supervision of a registered professional surveyor and must be of a character
satisfactory to the Board.
(2)
Qualifying experience approved by the Board is experience beyond elementary
surveying duties such as rodman and and other unskilled tasks. In order for
work to be considered as qualifying experience, an advanced level of
responsibility must have been placed on the applicant. Responsibility should
involve mature judgment and expertise gained in such job assignments as
instrument man, assistant crew chief or crew chief. Work claimed as qualifying
experience should demonstrate a sound working knowledge of surveying with
respect to research (records and field), instrumentation, note-keeping and data
management, calculations and mapping.
(3) An experience record in boundary and
route surveying, topographical surveying, construction surveying,
control/geodetic surveying, and rights-of-way surveying is beneficial to the
applicant in the Board's evaluation of the application. Recognizing that
boundary surveys are the types of surveys which more critically affect the
public welfare, experience in boundary surveys should constitute a significant
portion of the applicant's experience record and will be given more weight by
the Board in considering an applicant's qualifications for licensure.
(4) An applicant must submit copies of three
different maps and plats of land surveys on which he has worked. The documents
must be signed by the professional land surveyor who supervised the work and
contain a statement describing that part of the work done by the applicant.
Submitted plats and maps must meet the requirements of the Standards of
Practice Manual for Surveying in South Carolina, Chapter 49, Article 4, of the
Code of Regulations, in effect at the time of licensure.
(5) An applicant must submit five references
as to the applicant's character and quality of work, three or more must be
registered land surveyors having personal knowledge of the applicant's
qualifications.
B. Examination Requirements-Land Boundary Surveyor.
(1) An applicant applying for certification
as land surveyor-in-training must take and pass a written examination on the
Fundamentals of Surveying (FS), prepared and graded by the NCEES.
(2) An applicant applying for licensure as a
TIER A land boundary surveyor must have taken and passed the FS written
examination and must take and pass the Principles and Practice of Surveying
(PS), prepared and graded by the NCEES, and a South Carolina State Specific
Surveying examination.
(3) A person
licensed as a professional land boundary surveyor may practice as a
professional photogrammetric surveyor only by meeting the requirements as
described in the section R.49-201D of this Chapter, and may practice as a
professional GIS surveyor only by meeting the requirements as described in the
section R.49-201E of this Chapter.
C. TIER A Professional Photogrammetric Surveyor.
(1) After June 30, 2004, any person
applying for licensure as a photogrammetric surveyor must meet the following
requirements:
(a) Education
Requirement-Photogrammetric Surveyor.
1.
Education must be evaluated by an Education Consultant and approved by the
Board before an application can be considered for further processing.
2. In addition to one of the following
degrees, an applicant must submit proof of satisfactorily completing not fewer
than 12 semester hours, or the equivalent in quarter hours, of course work
specific to the discipline of photogrammetric surveying, satisfactory to the
Board:
a. Four-year engineering or bachelor of
science degree in a related field from a program accredited by the Related
Accreditation Commission (RAC) or the Accreditation Board for Engineering and
Technology (ABET).
b. Four-year
civil engineering technology degree from a program accredited by the Technology
Accreditation Commission (TAC) of ABET.
c. Four-year related baccalaureate degree, or
equivalent degree, approved by the Board.
(b) Experience Requirement-Photogrammetric
Surveyor.
1. Photogrammetric
Surveyor-in-Training.
a. An applicant applying
for certification as a photogrammetric surveyor-in-training who meets the
four-year education requirements must have one year of progressive practical
experience.
2.
Photogrammetric Surveyor.
a. An applicant
applying for licensure as a photogrammetric surveyor who meets the four-year
education requirements must have four years of progressive practical
experience.
3. Qualifying
Experience and Documentation.
a. Experience
must be obtained under supervision of a licensed photogrammetric surveyor or a
recognized professional in the field of photogrammetry and must be of a
character satisfactory to the Board.
b. Qualifying experience approved by the
Board is experience beyond elementary level activities. In order for work to be
considered as qualifying experience, an advanced level of responsibility must
have been placed on the applicant. Work claimed as qualifying experience should
demonstrate a sound working knowledge of photogrammetry.
c. At least two years of the required
experience must have been at the professional level in responsible charge of
photogrammetric mapping projects meeting ASPRS Accuracy Standards.
d. The applicant must submit proof of
employment in responsible charge of at least one project as a photogrammetrist.
Maps and documents satisfactory to the Board detailing methods, procedures,
amount of applicant's personal involvement must be submitted to document this
project. These maps and documents must be signed by the professional who
supervised the work and contain a statement describing the part or the work
performed by the applicant. The applicant must submit the name, address and
telephone number of references to verify this information.
e. An applicant must submit five references
as to the applicant's character and quality of work, three or more must be
licensed surveyors or practicing professionals in the field of photogrammetry,
having personal knowledge of the applicant's photogrammetric surveying
experience.
(c)
Examination Requirements-Photogrammetric Surveyor.
1. An applicant applying for certification as
a photogrammetric surveyor-in-training must take and pass a written examination
on the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS), prepared and graded by the
NCEES.
2. An applicant applying for
licensure as a photogrammetric surveyor must have taken and passed the FS
examination and must take and pass an examination on the principles and
practice of photogrammetry and an examination on the Board's rules and
regulations as referred to in the section R.49-104B(5)
of this Chapter.
(2) A person licensed as a professional
photogrammetric surveyor may practice as a professional land boundary surveyor
only by meeting the requirements of the section R.49-201A of this Chapter, and
may practice as a professional GIS surveyor only by meeting the requirements of
the section R.49-201D of this Chapter.
D. TIER A Professional Geographic Information System (GIS) Surveyor.
(1) Education
Requirement-GIS Surveyor.
(a) Education must
be evaluated by an Education Consultant and approved by the Board before an
application can be considered for further processing.
(b) In addition to one of the following
degrees, an applicant must also submit evidence of completion of discipline
specific courses of not fewer than 12 semester hours or the equivalent in
quarter hours satisfactory to the Board.
1.
Four-year baccalaureate degree in a related field from a program accredited by
the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
2. Four-year civil engineering technology
degree from a program accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission
(TAC) of ABET.
3. Four-year related
baccalaureate degree, or equivalent degree, approved by the Board.
(c) Experience Requirements-GIS
Surveyor.
1. Geographic Information System
Surveyor-in-Training.
a. An applicant applying
for certification as geographic information system surveyor-in-training who
meets the four-year education requirements must have one year of progressive
practical experience.
2.
Geographic Information System Surveyor.
a. An
applicant applying for licensure as a geographic information system surveyor
who meets the four-year education requirements must have four years of
progressive practical experience.
b. An applicant applying for licensure as a
geographic information system surveyor who holds a master's degree in
surveying, geography, or a related field of study approved by the Board must
have three years of practical experience.
3. Qualifying Experience and Documentation.
a. Experience must be obtained under
supervision of a licensed geographic information system surveyor or a
recognized professional in the field of GIS and must be of a character
satisfactory to the Board.
b.
Qualifying experience approved by the Board is experience beyond elementary
level activities. In order for work to be considered as qualifying experience,
an advanced level of responsibility must have been placed on the applicant.
Work claimed as qualifying experience should demonstrate a sound working
knowledge of GIS.
c. At least two
years of the required experience must have been at the professional level in
responsible charge of geographic information system mapping projects.
d. The applicant must submit proof of
employment in responsible charge of at least one project as a GIS Surveyor.
Maps and documents, satisfactory to the Board, detailing methods, procedures,
amount of applicant's personal involvement must be submitted to document this
project. The map and related project information submitted must include the
project information.
e. Maps and
documents must be signed by the professional who supervised the work and
contain a statement describing the part or the work done by the applicant. The
applicant must submit appropriate contact information including the name,
address and telephone number of references to verify this
information.
f. An applicant must
submit five references as to the applicant's character and quality of work;
three or more must be licensed surveyors or practicing professionals in the
field of GIS having personal knowledge of the applicant's GIS surveying
experience.
(d)
Examination Requirements-GIS Surveyor.
1. An
applicant applying for certification as geographic information system
surveyor-in-training must take and pass the written examinations on the
Fundamentals of Surveying (FS), prepared and graded by the NCEES.
2. An applicant applying for licensure as a
geographic information system surveyor must have taken and passed the FS
examination and must take and pass an examination on the principles and
practice of geographic information systems and pass an examination on the
Board's rules and regulations.
F. TIER B Professional Land Surveyor.
(1) An applicant shall be licensed as a TIER
A Land Boundary Surveyor prior to submitting an application for licensure or
registration as a TIER B Land Surveyor.
(2) An applicant must meet the requirements
of education, experience and examinations.
(a)
Education - Tier B Land Surveyor.
An applicant must meet the education requirements in S.C. Code Ann. § 40-22-225(D).
(b) Experience - Tier B Land Surveyor.
1. Applicant must have qualifying experience
acceptable to the Board in the design of storm drainage systems and preparation
of sedimentation and erosion control plans associated with the development of
residential subdivisions.
2. The
experience must be obtained under the supervision of a licensed Tier B surveyor
or a licensed professional engineer.
(c) Examinations-TIER B Land Surveyor.
1. An applicant must have taken and passed
the written examinations required for licensure as a TIER A Land Boundary
Surveyor which include the FS and PS examinations, prepared and graded by the
NCEES, and the State Specific Land Surveying Examination.
2. An applicant must also take and pass a
special written examination pertaining to the practice of TIER B land surveying
in the State which includes the design of storm drainage systems and
preparation of sedimentation and erosion control plans associated with the
development of residential subdivisions.
(3) A TIER B land surveyor may practice as a
professional photogrammetric surveyor only by meeting the requirements of the
section R.49-201C of this Chapter, and may practice as a professional GIS
surveyor only by meeting the requirements of the section R.49-201D of this
Chapter.
Added by State Register Volume 16, Issue No. 4, eff April 24, 1992. Amended by State Register Volume 25, Issue No. 6, eff June 22, 2001; State Register Volume 33, Issue No. 6, eff June 26, 2009; State Register Volume 36, Issue No. 6, eff June 22, 2012; State Register Volume 46, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/27/2022.
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