How many retired surveyors keep their license active?

I will be "officially retired" on January 1, 2020. By "officially" I mean that I will have ZERO current licenses. I let my Wyoming expire years ago, my Utah earlier this year, and my Nevada next week. ?ÿ

Although this will limit my options in the coming years, I don't really care. Plus, I was tired of all of the "continuing education" crap, and the related expenses.

Loyal

If you aren't making money with it, the renewal and CEU costs will be painful, but the possibility you might want to use it again lingers.

Fortunately, Iowa has an Inactive status so the license doesn't expire and make you start over. That renewal costs $40 every 2 years. To reactivate you need the CEU credits and normal fee.

My PE license has been inactive for a long time, and I have to admit it is only for bragging rights I pay the $40.

I hope FL has a similar option.

The other consideration ie insurance. Do you have to keep paying to be covered for past actions?

I let my Tennessee license lapse 10 years ago.?ÿ My Georgia LS and PE licenses are still active until 12-31-2020.?ÿ The only (well almost) reason I have kept them active is that I worked long and hard to get them and don't want to just give them up.?ÿ?ÿ I may just let mine go after 2020.

Andy

Will probably keep it up until they bury me unless I live a heck of a lot longer than anticipated.?ÿ Like Andy, I worked long and hard to get them and don't want to just give them up.

My dad let his go years ago and does not miss the CE crap for one minute.

Posted by: @bill93

Do you have to keep paying to be covered for past actions?

Yes, it's called "tail" insurance. Statute of limitations for responsibility (read lawsuit) is two years from the time of discovery. That means as long as I am alive and possibly my "estate" after I croak the bucket. Still have to discuss that issue with my attorney as well as other liabilities associated with selling a business. I'll be glad when it's over. ?????ÿ

Plainly stated I believe you should only keep your license current if you're going to survey.?ÿ

I keep mine current because I still survey and still sign stuff.?ÿ Once that stops I will be the first one to put an end to the hundreds of dollars a year for CEUs and licensing fees for myself and my business.

Posted by: @paden-cash

Plainly stated I believe you should only keep your license current if you're going to survey.?ÿ

I keep mine current because I still survey and still sign stuff.?ÿ Once that stops I will be the first one to put an end to the hundreds of dollars a year for CEUs and licensing fees for myself and my business.

CEUs run me over $1000 dollars a year.

One day to get there, couple/three days there, One day to get back.

800 to 1000 miles round trip, convention fees, hotel/motel, food, booze, etc.

And usually another day to settle my nerves when I get home!

Not missing those adventures one iota, although I always enjoyed seeing old friends at these things.

Loyal

I have had so many conversations with my peers about this subject and the only reasons we can come up with on why a retired person keeps it current is pride and ego AND in the case of small time surveyors their refusal to charge the fees required to make a decent living and set back some money so they have to work till they die.

Run on sentence.

One day of billing should cover all CE fees required in a two year period.?ÿ Maybe two days depending on the state and their BS policies on CE.

Need to read up on the specifics but I sort of think retirees can put the license as inactive and avoid CE requirements unless they decide to reactivate the license and start working for themselves again.

@loyal

I put my Wyoming & Idaho licenses on Inactive Status about 5½ years ago. When I started filling out the documentation for Wyoming, I found that they had changed the form and dropped one credit item, so I lacked 5 hours in meeting the required units. There wasn't enough time to get these hours so I put Wyoming's on Inactive. Idaho's renewal came up the next year, so I put it on Inactive. I decided to just keep them that way as the CE farce was getting to the point where the courses were not worth taking or were more or less a variation repeat of some that I had already took in the past. I guess maybe I could have signed up for a Word Perfect course in there at some point, but that wouldn't have been any benefit as I use Word 6, Word 97, Word 2003 & Word 2007. One thing nice about Idaho was, that I didn't have to do separate documentation of my log forms for them, as they apparently got copies of those I submitted to Wyoming.

I do not expect to ever retire.?ÿ I will cut down my hours, take longer vacations, and be much more selective about what kind of jobs I take. But not retire.

Posted by: @just-a-surveyor

AND in the case of small time surveyors their refusal to charge the fees required to make a decent living

Believe me, I'm a small time surveyor (15 people) and the entire time in business I have turned down literally hundreds of "job's" because of price. I work mainly with developers and production home builders and my price is always higher than my competitors. Some of my 25 year clients have switched because of price but have always returned and paid my "exorbitant" fees when they can't get the type of service they are used to from us. Yes I'm bragging but the only problem I'll have in retirement is who to leave money to. ?????ÿ

New Jersey requires 25 years of licensure in order to 'retire' it and must be 62 years of age.

After you reach the age of 65 in Washington, you can put your license in "retired status" and you don't have to pay any fee or accumulate education units; but you also can't practice.?ÿ I did that for my peer when he had stroke and I took over.?ÿ It allowed us to keep his certificate on the wall as a salute to his status.?ÿ

I pay for a retired friends adjoining state license renewal every year in case the need arises.

?ÿ

If I am reading everything correctly, there are two options in Kansas.?ÿ One is to simply put your license on "inactive" status for whatever period suits you, then file a form to switch from "inactive" back to "active" when desired.?ÿ Switching back to active does carry the need to be able to prove you have accumulated 30 pdh of surveyor CE within the previous two year period.?ÿ But, if you have been on inactive longer than that you still only need to prove the 30 pdh.

The other option for those over 60 who wish to be inactive is to file for "Emeritus" status.?ÿ There are no fees or CE requirements, but you can still sign things as, John Q. Doe, Emeritus Land Surveyor.?ÿ But, you must not do any kind of consulting in surveying.

In California you can go to retired status if you have 20 years as licensed anywhere in the U.S. and minimum of 5 in California. You can't practice after that. It allows you to use the title with retired. It's pretty easy to stay licensed in California so I can't see taking advantage of that for now even if I retire from my job.

Being an expert witness doesn't require a license if you aren't doing the Surveying so it might be good for that.

In my place, you have to keep on earning CPE points to renew your license. If I am retired, I would not be going to those courses to earn those points to renew my license.