The law requires eight years of experience in land surveying work of a character satisfactory to the board. The eight years may be a combination of education and practical work experience. The following criteria will be used in evaluating an applicant's experience.
(1) Work experience. Work experience will be based on a demonstration of broad based, progressive field, and office experience in surveying work under the direct supervision of a licensed professional land surveyor.
(a) Under the direct supervision of a professional land surveyor, the applicant must be in a position of making independent judgments and decisions in the following experience areas:
(i) Applying state, federal, and case law;
(ii) Exercising sound judgment when making independent decisions regarding complex boundary, topographic, horizontal and vertical, and mapping issues;
(iii) Field identification and evaluation of boundary evidence, including monumentation, and the ability to use that evidence for boundary determination;
(iv) Conducting research;
(v) Preparing and analyzing complex property descriptions; and
(vi) Interacting with clients and the public in conformance with chapter 196-27A WAC.
(b) Land surveying teaching at the college level may be considered satisfactory experience up to a maximum of two years at the discretion of the board.
(2) Education as experience. Education may be counted towards a portion of the eight years of required experience. All transcripts must be official and uploaded to the applicant's NCEES profile for verification by NCEES. Education may be approved as experience based on the following:
(a) A baccalaureate degree in land surveying in a program accredited by the accreditation board for engineering and technology (ABET) is equivalent to four years of required experience. Satisfactory completion of each year of such an approved program is equivalent to one year of experience.
(b) An associate degree in land surveying from an approved program may be equivalent to two years of experience.
(c) Experience may be granted for postgraduate land surveying courses, at the discretion of the board.
(d) Any other education will be taken into account and evaluated on its merits by the board.
(e) At the discretion of the board, work experience gained while enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate land surveying program may be considered satisfactory experience if it otherwise meets the requirements for work experience listed herein. No more than one year of experience will be granted for one calendar year.
(3) A registered professional engineer who applies to become registered as a professional land surveyor must meet the requirements stated within this section.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.43.035. WSR 26-14-075, s 196-16-010, filed 6/29/26, effective 8/1/26. Statutory Authority: Chapters 18.43 and 18.235 RCW. WSR 04-04-001, § 196-16-010, filed 1/21/04, effective 2/21/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.43.035. WSR 96-11-086, § 196-16-010, filed 5/14/96, effective 7/1/96; WSR 87-13-005 (Order PM 606), § 196-16-010, filed 6/4/87; WSR 84-04-027 (Order PL 454), § 196-16-010, filed 1/25/84; WSR 82-01-064 (Order 81-10), § 196-16-010, filed 12/18/81; Order PL-115, § 196-16-010, filed 11/24/71; Rule IIIB, filed 11/15/65; Rule IIIB, filed 8/4/64; Rule IIA, filed 12/26/62.]