Licensing Requirements

The procedure to obtain a license to practice land surveying in the State of California is governed by the Department of Consumer Affairs. The exam is a two-tiered procedure. The first examination is a national exam resulting in the issuance of a Land Surveyor in Training (LSIT) license. Once the appropriate eligibility requirements are met, an LSIT can sit for the Licensed Land Surveyor exam.

The requirements for a LSIT are as follows:

• Certification as an LSIT is the first step required under California law towards becoming licensed as a professional land surveyor.

• Each applicant must file the application, pay the stated filing fee, and sit for the assigned 8-hour written examination. Persons who pass the written examination will be issued a certificate as either an Engineer-in-Training or a Land Surveyor-in-Training, whichever is appropriate.

• Neither U.S. Citizenship nor California residency is required. However, you must provide your social security number or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), or your application will NOT be processed. Disclosure of your social security number is mandatory. U.S. Citizens, if you do not have a social security number you may contact your local United States Social Security Office at 1-800-722-1213 or http://www.ssa.gov/online/forms.html. Non-U.S. citizens without a social security number may request an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the Department of Treasury (Internal Revenue Service) at (215) 516-4846 or http://www.irs.gov.

For more information regarding the requirements to submit either a social security number or individual taxpayer identification number, please read the Information Collection, Access, and Disclosure Policy.

2. EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

• LSIT applicants must have completed:
Two years of postsecondary education in a Board-approved land surveying program ot two years or more of work-related experience in land surveying or a combination of one year of postsecondary education and one year of work-related experience in land surveying and never have been convicted of a crime substantially related to the practice of land surveying.

3. EXAMINATION SCOPE

• The LSIT examination covers material related to the fundamentals of land surveying. The examination administered and recognized by the Board is the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FLS) examination. The exam has a four-hour morning and a four-hour afternoon session. In each session all examinees answer 85 questions and all are required. The total number of possible points for the morning and afternoon sessions is 170.

• The LSIT examination is a closed-book examinations. NO REFERENCE MATERIALS OF ANY KIND ARE ALLOWED. Calculators are acceptable as long as they are authorized by the NCEES Calculator Policy.

4. EXAMINATION DATES

The examinations are scheduled twice each year. Refer to the Examination Schedule - Engineering Examinations for the examination dates and final filing dates for the EIT examination and to the Examination Schedule - Land Surveying Examinations for the examination dates and final filing dates for the LSIT examination.

5. EXAMINATION SITES/LOCATIONS

The Board administers the LSIT examination at several locations across the state. Locations are limited-usually to the Central Valley, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco Bay areas. Candidates will be assigned to the site offering LSIT based on the site preference selected on the application form. If a candidate does not indicate a site preference on the application form, then the candidate will be assigned to the site that is located nearest to his or her address of record as listed on the application form.

6. PHOTO ID

In order to gain entrance into the examination, a photo ID is required and you will not be admitted without one. Identification will ONLY BE ACCEPTED IF IT MEETS ALL of the following criteria:

1. Issued by a state or federal governmental agency (including other U.S. states and foreign countries) [Student identification cards or employee identification cards will NOT be accepted]

2. Contains your photograph

3. Contains your visible signature

4. Contains your printed (typed) name. If you do not have identification which meets all of the above criteria, you will not be allowed to sit for the examination. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS.

7. SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

NOTICE: Effective July 23, 2004, the Board is no longer handling requests for special accommodations. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) will be overseeing this procedure. If you have a need for special testing due to religious beliefs or for reasons falling within the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you must complete the appropriate form and mail it, along with the required documentation, to the address on the form. Do not send the form or the documentation to the Board; this will delay the processing of your request. All requests must be received by NCEES at least 60 days prior to the date of the examination. If you have any questions regarding these forms, contact NCEES via e-mail at: ncol@mindspring.com.

Special Accommodations under the ADA: If you require special testing accommodations for reasons falling within the ADA, you must complete the Questionnaire for Applicants Requesting Special Accommodations. In order to receive special accommodations, this form must be completed and returned, along with the required supporting documentation, to NCEES at the address listed on the form at least sixty (60) days prior to the examination date for which you are applying. Do not submit this form or the supporting documentation to the Board.
Religious Accommodations: If you are unable to attend the examination on the set date due to your religious beliefs, you must complete the Religious Accommodations Request Form. In order to receive accommodations, this form must be completed and returned, along with the required supporting documentation, to NCEES at the address listed on the form at least sixty (60) days prior to the examination date for which you are applying. Do not submit this form or the supporting documentation to the Board.

8. HOW TO APPLY

Submit a completed and signed application form to the Board office in Sacramento, together with a check or money order in the amount of $100 made payable to the "Department of Consumer Affairs". If you wish to be notified that your application has been received, please include a self addressed, stamped postcard with your application.

If you have passed the Fundamentals of Land Surveying (FLS) examination in another state, you are not required to retake the FLS exam to obtain an LSIT certificate in California. We will grant you an LSIT certificate provided that the state in which you took and passed the FLS examination provides verification to substantiate the examination results. It is not required that you transfer your LSIT/FLS certificate to California in order to become licensed as a Professional Land Surveyor in California; however, many California employers may require a California-issued LSIT certificate as an employment qualification. If you have already taken and passed the FLS examination in another state and wish to obtain a California LSIT certificate, you may apply via Comity. You must complete the LSIT application and write "COMITY" across the top. You also must obtain a Verification of Registration form from the State Board(s) where you took and passed the FLS examination.

9. EXAMINATION REFERENCE MATERIALS

Exam Reference Materials

LSIT applicants may purchase Fundamentals of Land Surveying (LSIT) Sample Questions and Solutions directly from NCEES. This book provides detailed exam specifications and 50 sample questions for the LSIT (FLS) examination. Solutions are provided for each question presented. This book and other reference materials can be purchased directly from the NCEES web site or you may contact NCEES at P.O. Box 1686, Clemson, South Carolina 29633-1686, (800) 250-3196, for more information.

10. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION/FINAL FILING DATE

Your application must be postmarked by the final filing date noted in the Examination Schedule - Engineering Examinations or the Examination Schedule - Land Surveying Examinations to be accepted for the next examination. Applications received requiring postage due will not be accepted by our office. Final filing dates will not be extended for those who have their applications returned for insufficient postage.

11. ADMISSION NOTICE/CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Your admission notice will be sent approximately 10 days before the exam to the address indicated on your application. Use the Board's address change affidavit to notify the Board if your address changes after you apply.

12. POSTPONEMENTS

Postponements from the assigned examination are only granted for reasonable cause at the discretion of the Executive Officer. A postponement request to the Board must be made in writing and be accompanied by verification. It may be submitted at any time prior to the examination date, or postmarked up to ten (10) days after the examination date. Failure to appear for an exam as scheduled, without obtaining a postponement, will result in cancellation of your application and the forfeiture of your fee. Examples of reasonable cause which qualify for a postponement are: the applicant's illness or injury; death or serious illness or injury in the immediate family; work assignment outside of the continental U.S.; accident or mechanical breakdown on the morning of the examination, etc. Each of these causes must be verified by a certificate or other appropriate document from a medical doctor, employer, repair provider, or the police, as applicable. FAILURE TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAMINATION IS NOT A VALID CAUSE.

13. APPLICATION FORM

Click the link to obtain a copy of the LSIT application form.

http://www.pels.ca.gov/pubs/forms/10_08_eit_lsit_app.pdf

WARNING: If an applicant is unable to complete or print an online form, he or she is NOT relieved of the requirement to meet the final filing date requirement. WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO COMPLETE ONLINE "TYPING" AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE FINAL FILING DATE. We also recommend that you print one or two extra blank forms in case computer or printer problems force you to use a typewriter to meet the filing deadline. The Board is not responsible for any failure by an applicant to meet filing deadlines.

For further information, contact the State Licensing Board's website at:
http://www.pels.ca.gov/applicants/eit_lsitapp.shtml

2008 LSIT Test Results

438 Tested
157 Passed - Passing Percentage = 35.84%
281 Failed - Failing Percentage = 64.16%

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OBTAINING A LICENSE TO PRACTICE LAND SURVEYING IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

California grants the authority to use the title "Professional Land Surveyor" to licensed land surveyors who successfully complete an examination process. This application is required with evidence of experience and references.

The address you use on the application will be your address of record. Licensees' names and addresses are public records and are published in both electronic and print media, as well as disclosed upon request to the Board. You may choose to use a home address, a post office box, or a business address. If you wish to change your address of record for your civil license, use the Address Change Affidavit.

This information is a summary of some of the important requirements relating to certification to use the title "Professional Land Surveyor." It is not intended to apply to every situation. You are responsible for complying with the current complete requirements in the Professional Land Surveyors' Act and the Board Rules and Regulations.

ELIGIBILITY - Each applicant for authority to use the title "Professional Land Surveyor" must:

Pass the Land Surveyor-in-Training (LSIT) examination, unless eligible for a waiver (see criteria on next page).

Provide evidence showing six years of equivalent full-time experience in land surveying, including other credits, with one year each being responsible field and responsible office training

Pass the six-hour national examination on the principles and practices of land surveying.

Pass the four-hour state-specific examination on land surveying.

Pass the Take Home examination on the California Laws and Board Rules.

Pay the required fee.

Neither U.S. citizenship nor California residence is required. However, disclosure of your social security number or individual taxpayer identification number is mandatory. U.S. citizens who do not have a social security number may contact their local United States Social Security Office at 1-800-722-1213 or http://www.ssa.gov/online/forms.html. Non-U.S. citizens without a social security number may request an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the Department of Treasury (Internal Revenue Service) at (215) 516-4846 or http://www.irs.gov.

For further information, contact the State Licensing Board's website at:
http://www.pels.ca.gov/applicants/lsappinst.shtml

2008 National LS Test Results
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195 Tested
119 Passed - Passing Percentage = 61.03%
76 Failed - Failing Percentage = 38.97%

2008 State Specific LS Test Results
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463 Tested
148 Passed - Passing Percentage = 31.97%
315 Failed - Failing Percentage = 68.03%

Cutscore 221 out of a possible 400.