Professional Land Surveyor in Training

A certification as a PLSIT is not a license to practice; rather, it is a special designation that allows you to perform land surveying duties while still under the direct supervision of a licensed professional land surveyor. Your supervisor remains responsible for all work performed while you gain the progressive practical experience necessary to complete your licensure requirements.

All progressive experience is now under the direct supervision of a Professional Land Surveyor. Experience can be accrued before taking the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam.

A Land Surveyor in Training (PLSIT) certificate is a prerequisite to Land Surveyor licensure. The experience obtained as a Land Surveyor in Training (PLSIT) can be applied toward the total experience required for the Land Surveyor license. Applicants with an active license in at least one other state or jurisdiction may apply by Comity without first acquiring the Land Surveyor in Training (PLSIT) certificate.

Step 1: Examination

Applicants must pass the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam administered through the National Council of Examiners for Engineers & Surveyors (NCEES) prior to applying for the PLSIT.

The FS exam is currently offered year-round via computer-based testing at approved Pearson Vue testing centers throughout the state. No prior approval is needed. A list of locations is available at https://ncees.org, and an exam fee will be paid directly at the testing center.

If an applicant did not take the FS in Tennessee, they will need to provide a verification from the state where they took it.
 

Step 2: Application

Once the applicant has passed the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam, they can begin the application process below.  

Applicants are required to indicate the pathway in which they are seeking licensure in accordance with current requirements; each pathway is listed below.

1. Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a surveying or surveying technology curriculum of four (4) or more years, approved by the Board.

2. Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a surveying-related field (science, engineering, or technology) of four (4) or more years, with a minimum of twenty-four (24) semester hours of survey-specific coursework, both approved by the Board.

3. Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a curriculum unrelated to the surveying of four (4) or more years, plus an additional thirty-six (36) semester hours of survey-specific coursework, both approved by the Board.

4. Obtain an associate degree in surveying technology or a related science, engineering, or similar technical field, with a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours of survey-specific coursework, as well as four (4) years of progressive practical experience, which shall have been under the direct supervision of a practicing professional land surveyor, all approved by the Board.

5. Obtain a high school education diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED) with a record satisfactory to the Board of six (6) years of progressive practical experience, which shall have been under the direct supervision of a practicing professional land surveyor.

A pre-approved course list can be found here: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/commerce/documents/regboards/surveyors/forms/QE-Course-Listing.pdf
 

Application Steps

1. Submit the “Initial Land Surveyor in Training Application” online at core.tn.gov.

2. Provide three (3) references. One (1) must be a Professional Land Surveyor. The reference form can be found on the Forms and Downloads page.

3. Provide official transcripts. Transcripts should be sent to the Board directly by the university or the transcript service via email to land.surveyors@tn.gov.

4. Required Attachments

a. Applicants applying via pathways 2 through 4 above must provide the Course Reporting form found on the Forms and Downloads page.

b. Applicants applying via pathways 4 and 5 above must provide the Experience Verification form found on the Forms and Downloads page.

c. Proof of passage of the Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam.

5. Fee, $25

Once all documents are received, applications are transmitted to the Board for their review. Once transmitted, the review process takes approximately 4 weeks to complete.