Colorado § 12-120-313 - Qualifications for professional land surveyor.

§ 12-120-313. Qualifications for professional land surveyor.

(1) (a) An applicant may qualify for licensing as a professional land surveyor by endorsement and examination if the applicant passes the appropriate examination as adopted by the board in accordance with section 12-120-104 (3)(b) and the examination pertaining to Colorado law.

(b) To be admitted to an examination pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section, an applicant must be licensed in good standing in another jurisdiction requiring qualifications substantially equivalent to those currently required of applicants under this part 3 or, at the time of initial licensure in the other jurisdiction, must have met the requirements for licensure then in existence under Colorado law.

(c) Upon passing the appropriate examinations, an applicant qualified for licensing by endorsement and examination pursuant to this subsection (1) shall be licensed as a professional land surveyor if the applicant is otherwise qualified pursuant to section 12-120-312.

(2) (a) An applicant may qualify for licensing as a professional land surveyor by education, experience, and examination if the applicant passes the appropriate examination as adopted by the board in accordance with section 12-120-104 (2)(b) and the examination pertaining to Colorado law.

(b) To be admitted to an examination pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section, the applicant shall meet the requirements stated in at least one of the following:

(I) (A) Have graduated from a board-approved surveying curriculum of four or more years; and

(B) Have two years of progressive land surveying experience under the supervision of a professional land surveyor or an exempted federal employee described in section 12-120-303 (1)(b); and

(C) Have been enrolled as a land surveyor-intern in this state; or

(II) (A) Have graduated from a non-board-approved surveying curriculum of four or more years; and

(B) Have four years of progressive land surveying experience of which at least two must be under the supervision of a professional land surveyor or an exempted federal employee as described in section 12-120-303 (1)(b); and

(C) Have been enrolled as a land surveyor-intern in this state; or

(III) (A) Have graduated from a board-approved two-year surveying curriculum or from a four-year engineering curriculum that included surveying course work as specified by the board by rule; and

(B) Have six years of progressive land surveying experience of which four years shall have been under the supervision of a professional land surveyor or an exempt federal employee as described under section 12-120-303 (1)(b); and

(C) Have been enrolled as a land surveyor-intern in this state; or

(IV) (A) Have obtained a bachelor's degree in a nonsurveying curriculum;

(B) Have completed surveying and other related course work, as specified by the board by rule;

(C) Have six years of progressive land surveying experience, of which four years shall have been under the supervision of a professional land surveyor or an exempted federal employee as described in section 12-120-303 (1)(b); and

(D) Have been enrolled as a land surveyor-intern in this state.

(c) Upon passing the examinations and the submission of evidence of experience satisfactory to the board, the applicant shall be licensed as a professional land surveyor if the applicant is otherwise qualified pursuant to section 12-120-312.

(3) The board may allow an applicant to substitute for one year of experience the satisfactory completion of one academic year in a curriculum approved by the board. The substitution of education for experience shall not exceed three years.

(4) Repealed.

(5) (a) A professional land surveyor who has been duly licensed to practice professional land surveying in this state and who is over sixty-five years of age, upon application, may be classified as a retired professional land surveyor. Individuals who are so classified shall lose their licensure, shall not practice professional land surveying, and shall pay a fee to retain retired professional land surveyor status.

(b) (I) A retired professional land surveyor shall be reinstated to the status of a professional land surveyor upon payment of the renewal fee. No other fee shall be assessed against the retired professional land surveyor as a penalty.

(II) For any professional land surveyor who has been retired for two or more years, the board may require reexamination unless the board is satisfied of the retired professional land surveyor's continued competence.

Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 901, § 1, effective October 1. L. 2020: (1) amended, (HB 20-1326), ch. 126, p. 534, § 15, effective June 25. L. 2024: (1) repealed and (2)(a) amended, (HB 24-1329), ch. 342, p. 2314, § 11, effective August 7. L. 2026: (1) RC&RE, (HB 26-1324), ch. 328, p. 1914, § 29, effective August 12.

Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 12-25-214 as it existed prior to 2019.

(2) Subsection (4)(e) of this section provided for the repeal of subsection (4), effective July 1, 2020. (See L. 2010, p. 324.)

Cross references: For the short title ("Red Tape Reduction Act") and the legislative declaration in HB 20-1326, see sections 1 and 2 of chapter 126, Session Laws of Colorado 2020.