How To Become A Land Surveyor in NYC

Land Surveying General Requirements

To become a NYC land surveyor, you must have a land surveying license. Licensure is fairly straightforward, but you have to fill out some forms establishing that you have met all of the requirements. The specific requirements are all outlined in New York's Education Law: Title 8, Article 145, Section 7206-a as well as the Commissioner's Regulations Part 68. It is also recommended, but not required that you read the general licensing information that applies to all professions in New York. An overview of the requirements is as follows:



Must be 21 years of age or older

Meet education requirements

Meet examination requirements

Meet experience requirements

Be of good moral character


The Application for Licensure form and other forms must be filed along with sending an application fee to the Office of the Professions. The fees must be paid at the time of application in the form of a personal check or money order made payable to the New York State Education Department. You may need to follow-up some of the forms with additional materials depending on your situation. If fees are increased retroactively, you will be billed for the difference. If you withdraw your application before licensure is complete, you may be eligible for a partial refund.

After submitting your initial application and appropriate fees, you will receive an examination eligibility letter with instructions on how to proceed to the next step of the process.

About the Examination

Before taking the examination for land surveying in NY, the Department must determine that you are eligible based on the initial forms submitted with your application. There are three separate parts to the examination, which cover different parts of the profession. You may not be eligible to take all three at once, but all three must be taken and passed before you receive your license.

Part 1 of the examination is the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS). Part 2 is the Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS). The final part, Part 3, is the New York State Specific Land Surveying examination, which only applies to the state of New York.

The fees paid when applying for licensure as a    NYC land surveyor also cover the evaluation of your examination, as well as your three-year license registration. Your license is valid for three years from the date that it is issued.

About the Education and Experience Requirements

The education requirements and experience requirements to become a NY land surveyor can be interchangeable. These requirements vary in different situations. You need a combination of education and experience that adds up to at least eight years beyond high school. Applicants receive credit for their post-high school education, which determines how many years of experience are then required. For example, with a 4-year college degree, an applicant would need four years of relevant work experience.

Your education experience needs to be within approved and accredited programs. They can be baccalaureate and associate degrees as well as master's programs and title certification programs. All surveying-related titles received must be accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology or ABET. Degrees and programs can be in many survey-related fields such as surveying, engineering for surveying, or survey engineering technology.

Depending upon the course content of other unlisted degree programs, you may be awarded other education credits toward your land surveying in NY education requirements. All transcripts must be turned in with your initial Application for Licensure form.

Required experience, as mentioned before, is based on your education experience. All experience is evaluated by the State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying. For an experience to be accredited it must meet some its requirements:



50% must be spent in charge of work relating to boundary line determination and property conveyance

Demonstrate proficiency in technical aspects of surveying

Demonstrate proficiency in office aspects

Demonstrate adequate experience in the legal aspects

Demonstrate direct supervision of experience by an already-licensed land surveyor

Include two years of work on projects that require knowledge and use of surveying codes


Surveys known as "stake-out" and "line and grade" surveys do not provide adequate training in and of themselves unless they also include "right-of-way" surveys. The two former types of surveys do not have to be performed under a licensed surveyor. You should be able to use all current surveying equipment and be able to measure structures, space, water, and land to determine correct elevations, areas, boundaries, locations, and alignments. You must be able to analyze field data, be able to appropriately research public as well as private land records. Supervision of field and office personnel is also extremely important.

All experience for land surveying in NY must be evaluated, and you must include it on the Report of Professional experience, which is one of the forms included in your application. Be specific about your duties and the complexity of the work you performed.

Learn more about Land Surveying in NYC by visiting EmpireStateLayout.com


 By Dennis McCaffery


Article Source: How To Become A Land Surveyor in NYC