To meet the Colorado land surveyor license requirements, you must complete a qualifying education, enroll as a land surveyor-intern, pass the Fundamentals of Surveying exam, accumulate progressive supervised experience, and then pass both the Principles and Practice of Surveying exam and the Colorado state-specific exam before the State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers, and Professional Land Surveyors will issue a professional land surveyor (PLS) license. Most candidates spend six to ten years working through this sequence, depending on which education pathway they choose. The governing law sits in Title 12, Article 120, Part 3 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.
The Four Education and Experience Pathways
Colorado recognizes four routes to qualify for the PLS exams. Each pairs a different level of education with a different amount of supervised experience, and every one of them routes through land surveyor-intern enrollment first.
- 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 of those under a licensed surveyor’s supervision.
- 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 required experience with satisfactory completion of academic years in an approved curriculum, which can shorten the clock for candidates who keep going to school.1Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-313 – Qualifications for Professional Land Surveyor
Enrolling as a Land Surveyor-Intern
Before you can sit for the professional-level exams, Colorado requires enrollment as a land surveyor-intern (LSI). This is a statutory prerequisite, not a formality, and every licensing pathway runs through it. The LSI stage is where you take your first national exam and begin logging the supervised experience that will count toward licensure.
Two routes lead into LSI enrollment. On the graduation route, you graduate from (or reach senior status in) a board-approved four-year surveying or surveying technology program, then pass the Fundamentals of Surveying exam. On the experience route, you hold a high school diploma and accumulate four years of progressive surveying experience, with up to one year of educational credit allowed as a substitute. A board-approved two-year surveying program plus two years of experience also qualifies. Either way, you must pass the FS exam.2Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-311 – Qualifications for Land Surveyor-Interns
That second route matters. A four-year degree is not an absolute requirement in Colorado; a high school graduate who works long enough under a licensed surveyor can still reach licensure, though the total experience obligation runs longer.
The Three Exams
Colorado requires three separate exams for full licensure: two administered nationally by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and one administered by the state.
Fundamentals of Surveying (FS)
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 nearing the end of an undergraduate surveying degree. Passing it is required for LSI enrollment and is typically the first licensing milestone you’ll hit.3NCEES. Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Exam
Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS)
After logging the required experience as an LSI, you take the PS exam. It’s a more advanced computer-based test built for surveyors with at least four years of professional experience and tests your ability to practice competently. The exam fee is $375, paid directly to NCEES.4NCEES. PS Exam
Colorado Professional Land Surveyor Exam (COPLS)
The state exam is a 1.5-hour closed-book test given by computer at proctored test sites. It covers Colorado surveying law, the public land survey system as applied in Colorado, and the state-specific requirements the national exams don’t address. 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 and the COPLS to qualify for licensure, having already passed the FS during the LSI phase.1Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-313 – Qualifications for Professional Land Surveyor
Submitting Your License Application
Once the education, experience, and examination requirements are satisfied, you file a formal application with the State Board through the Division of Professions and Occupations. Application forms live on the Division’s website, and you’ll need to provide 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 amounts are set administratively rather than fixed in the statute, and the current fee schedule accompanies the application forms on the Division’s website.7Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-315 – Fees – Disposition
Accuracy matters more than speed. Incomplete applications or missing documentation will stall review, and the board can deny applications containing fraudulent information. Confirm that your transcripts, experience verification, and exam results line up before you submit.
If You’re Already Licensed in Another State
Colorado offers a licensure-by-endorsement path for surveyors who already hold an active license elsewhere. You must be in good standing with the 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’ll need to either reactivate it or provide verification from a second state where you currently hold an active license.
An NCEES Record can streamline this. The Records program stores your transcripts, exam results, employment verifications, and professional references in one place and transmits them electronically to Colorado on your behalf. The first transmittal for comity licensure costs $175, with subsequent transmittals at $100 each. There’s no charge to establish the Record itself and 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 Colorado licensure. You may still need to pass the COPLS state-specific exam and pay Colorado’s application fees regardless of your credentials elsewhere.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Colorado land surveyor licenses expire on October 31 of odd-numbered years. Renewal requires at least 30 Continuing Education Hours (CEH) during each two-year reporting period. Any hours over 30 can carry forward, up to a cap of 15 hours, 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 available 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 requirements until after your first renewal. Keep thorough records regardless. The board audits submissions, and missing documentation can delay renewal even when the coursework was completed.
Penalties for Practicing Without a License
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 On top of the criminal penalty, 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 in full.11Justia. Colorado Code 12-120-305 – Unlawful Practice – Penalties – Enforcement
Once licensed, surveyors remain subject to the board’s disciplinary authority for falsifying records, gross negligence, and other violations of Colorado’s surveying statutes. Sanctions range from letters of admonition and probation to administrative fines, suspension, or revocation.12Justia. Colorado Code 12-20-404 – Disciplinary Authority