To meet Colorado land surveyor license requirements, you need to combine qualifying education with supervised surveying experience, enroll as a land surveyor-intern, and pass three exams before the State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers, and Professional Land Surveyors will issue a professional land surveyor (PLS) license. The governing law sits in Title 12, Article 120, Part 3 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Most candidates reach full licensure six to ten years after their first surveying course, depending on which education pathway they take.
Education and Experience Pathways
Colorado recognizes four combinations of schooling and supervised work. Every one of them still requires you to enroll as a land surveyor-intern before sitting for the advanced exams.1Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-313 – Qualifications for Professional Land Surveyor
- Graduate from a board-approved surveying curriculum of four or more years, then complete two years of progressive surveying experience under a licensed professional land surveyor or an exempted federal employee.
- Graduate from a four-year surveying curriculum that is not board-approved, then complete four years of progressive experience, with at least two of those years under direct supervision of a licensed surveyor.
- Graduate from a board-approved two-year surveying program, or from a four-year engineering program with surveying coursework specified by the board, then complete six years of progressive experience, with at least four years supervised by a licensed surveyor.
- Hold any bachelor’s degree, complete board-specified surveying coursework, then accumulate six years of progressive experience with at least four years supervised by a licensed surveyor.
The board may substitute up to three years of experience with satisfactory completion of academic years in an approved curriculum, so additional schooling can shorten the timeline.
Enrolling as a Land Surveyor-Intern
Land surveyor-intern (LSI) enrollment is a statutory prerequisite, not a formality. It is where you pass your first national exam and begin logging the supervised experience that counts toward the PLS license.
There are two ways in. The graduation route requires you to graduate from, or reach senior status in, a board-approved four-year surveying or surveying technology program and pass the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam. The experience route requires a high school diploma plus four years of progressive surveying experience (with up to one year of educational credit substituted), or graduation from a board-approved two-year surveying program plus two years of experience, then the FS exam.2Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-311 – Qualifications for Land Surveyor-Interns
The experience route matters because it means a four-year degree is not strictly required to become licensed in Colorado. Total time in the profession before licensure is longer without one, but the door is open.
The Three Exams
Colorado requires two national exams from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) plus one Colorado-specific exam.
Fundamentals of Surveying
The FS is a computer-based exam covering surveying processes and methods, mapping, boundary law, survey computations, and applied mathematics. NCEES designed it for recent graduates and students near the end of an undergraduate surveying degree. You must pass it to enroll as an LSI, so this is typically your first licensing milestone.3NCEES. Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam
Principles and Practice of Surveying
After you have logged the experience your pathway requires, you take the PS exam. It is a computer-based test designed for surveyors with at least four years of professional experience and tests whether you can practice competently. NCEES charges a $375 fee for the PS exam.4NCEES. PS Exam
Colorado Professional Land Surveyor Exam
The COPLS is a 1.5-hour closed-book exam given by computer at proctored test sites. It focuses on Colorado surveying law, the public land survey system as applied in Colorado, and other state-specific material the national exams do not cover. The Division of Professions and Occupations publishes a candidate handbook with a test outline and study resources.5Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations. Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors – Exam Information
You must pass both the PS exam and the COPLS to qualify for licensure. The FS must already be behind you from the LSI stage.1Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-313 – Qualifications for Professional Land Surveyor
Submitting Your Application
Once education, experience, and exams are complete, you file a formal application with the State Board through the Division of Professions and Occupations. Forms sit on the Division’s website. You will need official transcripts, verification of your supervised experience, and professional references.6Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations. Colorado Architect, Engineer and Land Surveyor Applications and Forms
Colorado law authorizes the board to charge fees for application processing, exam administration, license issuance, and renewal. Specific dollar amounts are set administratively rather than fixed in statute, and the current fee schedule accompanies the application forms.7Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-315 – Fees – Disposition
Check that transcripts, experience verifications, and exam results all align before you submit. Incomplete files slow the process, and the board can deny applications that contain fraudulent information.
Getting Licensed by Endorsement From Another State
If you already hold an active land surveyor license in another state, Colorado offers licensure by endorsement. You must be in good standing with your original licensing state, and the Colorado Board must receive written verification of how you qualified for that license along with your disciplinary history. If your original license has lapsed, you either reactivate it or provide verification from a second state where you currently hold an active license.
An NCEES Record can move things along. The program stores your transcripts, exam results, employment verifications, and references and transmits them electronically to the Colorado Board. The first transmittal for comity licensure is $175, and subsequent transmittals are $100 each. Establishing the Record itself is free, and there is no annual renewal fee. Military members and their spouses can transmit at no charge when orders require a move.8NCEES. Records Program
An NCEES Record does not guarantee licensure in Colorado. You may still need to pass the COPLS and pay Colorado’s application fees regardless of your credentials elsewhere.
Keeping the License Active
Colorado land surveyor licenses expire on October 31 of odd-numbered years. To renew, you complete at least 30 Continuing Education Hours (CEH) during each two-year reporting period. Hours beyond 30 carry forward, up to 15, into the next cycle.9Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations. Colorado AES CE
All CEH must cover land surveying subjects: boundary law, description writing, the public land survey system, surveying sciences (including construction staking, hydrographic surveying, photogrammetry, and LiDAR), or other topics directly tied to the statutory definition of professional land surveying. One CEH equals 50 to 60 minutes of continuous instruction, with additional credit in quarter-hour increments above the first hour.9Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations. Colorado AES CE
If you receive your initial Colorado license during the current license period, you are exempt from continuing education until after your first renewal. Keep thorough records either way. The board audits submissions, and missing documentation can hold up a renewal even when the coursework was completed.
Practicing Without a License
Skipping the licensing process and offering surveying services anyway carries real penalties. Practicing or offering to practice professional land surveying without an active Colorado license is a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 120 days in jail, a fine of up to $750, or both.10Justia. Colorado Code 12-20-407 – Penalties The board can assess a separate civil fine of $50 to $5,000 for each violation. Anyone who performs surveying work without a license also forfeits the right to collect compensation for that work, and any payment already received must be refunded.11Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-305 – Unlawful Practice – Penalties – Enforcement