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Surveyor Intern (SI) & Professional Surveyor (PS) – Qualifications

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Surveyor Intern (SI) & Professional Surveyor (PS) – Qualifications

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The Board issues and maintains licenses for Surveyor Interns (SI) and Professional Surveyors (PS).  All PS – and some SI – applications require Board Member review and the licensure decision to be made during the next Board meeting.  Meetings are held in January, March, May, July, September, and November.  

What follows is general information on how to obtain each type of surveying license.  The Board has VERY precise education/experience requirements which are outlined in Article 8 D./E.  Please review these carefully.   For more information, visit Article 8 of the AR State Laws & Rules of the Board on our Rules/Laws/Standards webpage.

Surveyor Intern (SI)


Qualifications (Article 8.D. of the Rules) – Apply for a License ONLINE, an applicant shall submit:

  • a $50 application fee; AND
  • Proof of passing the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam. Board authorization is not required to take the FS exam.  Please visit the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) website at www.NCEES.org for additional informationAND

  • Proof of graduation from one of the following programs:

    • A Bachelor of Science degree in Surveying, Geomatics, Geomatics Engineering, or Spatial Information Systems with a minor or emphasis in Surveying, from a program accredited by ABET or approved by the Board; or
    • An Associate of Science or Associate of Applied Science degree in Surveying or Surveying Technology from a program approved by the Board; or
    • A baccalaureate degree from a curriculum of four (4) years – and at least thirty (30) hours of surveying or surveying-related courses. One or more of the courses shall emphasize U.S. Public Land Survey System aspects and principles, and one or more of the courses shall emphasize Law and Professionalism in Geomatics or Surveying. 

Once the Board verifies this information, a Surveyor Intern license may be issued. 

For more information about the licensure process, including how to apply, fees, cutoff dates, & approval process, please visit Surveyor Intern (SI) – Licensure Overview.

Professional Surveyor (PS)


Qualifications – The licensure you’re seeking determines your application type. The application types are Original, Comity, or Reinstatement.

Original licensure (Article 8.E.1.) – You’re seeking your first PS license and you take both the Principles & Practice of Surveying (PS) and AR State Specific Exams.  There are specific education and experience requirements in the Rules, please read carefully. Apply for a License ONLINE, an applicant shall submit:

  • A $75.00 application fee; AND
  • Proof of graduation from one of the following programs:

    1. A Bachelor of Science degree in Surveying, Geomatics, Geomatics Engineering, Spatial Information Systems with a minor or emphasis in Surveying, from a program accredited by ABET or approved by the Board; or
    2. An Associate of Science or Associate of Applied Science degree in Surveying or Surveying Technology from a program approved by the Board; or
    3. A baccalaureate degree from a curriculum of four (4) years or more and at least thirty (30) hours of surveying or surveying-related courses. One or more of the courses shall emphasize Public Land Survey System aspects and principles, and one or more of the courses shall emphasize Law and Professionalism in Geomatics or Surveying.

  • Proof of acceptable experience – based on which degree program you graduated from

    • If your degree is an AS or AAS in Surveying (number “2.” above) – 6 years is required.
    • If your degree is number “1.” or “3.” above – then three (3) years is required.

  • Proof of passing the FS exam;
  • Be admitted to, or previously have passed, the Principles of Surveying (PS) exam;
  • Pass the AR State Specific Exam.

The NCEES PS exam is administered year-round, the State Specific, in April and October. The cutoff dates for the State Specific Exam is January 1 for the April exam, and July 1 for the October exam.  Applicants should take note that all documentation must be received by the cutoff date.  Applications completed after this date will be held for the next exam administration.

Approved applicants will receive PS and State Specific exam fee payment instructions.  For the PS exam, you will be directed to www.NCEES.org where you will register, log-in, sign-up and pay.  For the State Specific, you’ll receive “payment due-to-the-Board” instructions. 

Exam grading takes about 6 – 8 weeks and results will be sent via emails from NCEES (PS exam) and the Board (AR State Specific).  An examinee who passes both exams will be given a license number.   

Reciprocity (Comity) licensure (Article 8.E.2 of the Rules) – You’re seeking licensure based upon a license in another jurisdiction.   Apply for a License ONLINE, pay your $200.00 application fee, then meet the qualifications :

  1. Supply proof that you are a PS in good standing in another state or jurisdiction; and
  2. Meet the requirements for original PS licensure in Arkansas which were in effect at the time you received your initial PS license.  A summary of Comity Professional Surveyor’s Rules – 1967 to present is located on the Rules/Laws/Standards link at the top of the page; and
  3. Pass the FS exam; and
  4. Pass the PS exam; and
  5. Pass the Arkansas State Specific Exam.

There are allowances regarding when you took the PS exam and when you earned your experience and also about waiving the FS exam.

If approved the State Specific Exam may be taken in the Boards’ office, at a time which is convenient to both you and Board Staff.  Exam results take about 6 – 8 weeks and will be emailed to you.  An applicant that passes the exam will be given a license number.   

  • Reinstatement – Contact the Board

For more information about the licensure process, including how to apply, fees, cutoff dates, coordinating your NCEES Council Record with our application, & approval process, please visit Professional Surveyor (PS) – Licensure Overview.

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