Having a license in state A does not make you eligible for a license in State B.
Many states have multiple requirements:
No degree 12 years experience.
Civil Engineering degree, 10 survey credits, 6 years experience.
One year certificate program, X years experience.
Associates degree, 4 or 6 years experience.
Bachelors degree, 2 or 4 years experience.
Some require the FS before counting experience, others do not.?ÿ
As I said comity means if the requirements you received your PLS under are the same or close enough, that is OK, but it is up to the applicant to prove it.
Stop saying "having a license should be good enough".
The actual date you took the FS is not always the correct date. If one of the requirements is to have an AS or BS you may be eligible to physically take the FS prior to graduation, but your record date would be the date the degree was awarded. I took the FE exam while I was a Senior in college but my record date is the day of my BS CE. I took the PE about 8 years later. I believe I actually took the PLS exam on a Friday and the FS the following day.
Paul in PA
I'll stop saying it when I believe it.?ÿ
If you don't think that it's enough, then you are in fact saying that all the other states aren't up to PA's standards.
Each state has it's own unique rules, and that's why you still have to take the state specific test.?ÿ Not saying that PA should just hand the license out.
?ÿ
I'll stop saying it when I believe it.?ÿ
If you don't think that it's enough, then you are in fact saying that all the other states aren't up to PA's standards.
Each state has it's own unique rules, and that's why you still have to take the state specific test.?ÿ Not saying that PA should just hand the license out.
?ÿ
I agree with Paul, there are 50 states, some are going to have tougher requirements than other states. I had a friend in College the summer after Graduation he took his SIT in Texas, then he moved to a state that had easier requirements to get a License. Became License in that State worked for a few years then moved back to Texas and took his Texas License. He met both States requirements. That's the great thing about having 50 States if you do not like the laws in one State you can move to a State where you like the laws the better.?ÿ ?ÿ?ÿ
If I want to stamp Surveys in another State, I have to follow their requirements, nor do I want someone coming from a State with more relaxed requirements than the State I am in to say hey this State lets me Survey, you should as well. The State will say you are welcome to sit for the exam once you meet the requirements, or go to the board and have them approve you for the exam.
?ÿ
I'll stop saying it when I believe it.?ÿ
If you don't think that it's enough, then you are in fact saying that all the other states aren't up to PA's standards.
Each state has it's own unique rules, and that's why you still have to take the state specific test.?ÿ Not saying that PA should just hand the license out.
?ÿ
Your idea would remove a state's ability to set minimum qualification standards.?ÿ Anyone could get a license in the easiest state and ignore any requirements their state thinks is appropriate.
We are not talking about just technical differences. Some states still treat a?ÿ surveying license as a technical certificate, while others treat it as professional license.
I am all for making it easier to take our skills across state boundaries, but not at the expense of degrading what little quality control we have.?ÿ
The state board and members have the ability to create the tests, and make them as difficult as possible for an out of state person to pass.
I read on here all the time of being treated like and acting like professionals.?ÿ I think that respecting the license earned by a professional in a different, especially neighboring state, as evidence of qualification to sit for another state is not much of a degradation of your quality control.
Again, I really don't care what PA or NJ do, I'm never going to go for my license there.?ÿ Just amazed that I'm the only one who sees the absurdity in asking a licensed LS to detail his work history to see if he's experienced enough to sit for some highfalutin exam.
I sat for the PA exam 23 years ago and as others, took the SIT, PLS and State all in two days. PA does not require a degree. Seems ridiculous that they would give a licensed PLS from a adjoining state a hard time.
Also know of some people who spent 20 years at DOT. retired and got their license. Some of the worst surveyors I have ever seen. Could never figure out how 20 years of route surveying could be accepted by the board as experience in boundary surveying.
I sat for the PA exam 23 years ago and as others, took the SIT, PLS and State all in two days. PA does not require a degree. Seems ridiculous that they would give a licensed PLS from a adjoining state a hard time.
Also know of some people who spent 20 years at DOT. retired and got their license. Some of the worst surveyors I have ever seen. Could never figure out how 20 years of route surveying could be accepted by the board as experience in boundary surveying.
Depends who you know. How far will a friend with a license go as a reference?
I sat for the PA exam 23 years ago and as others, took the SIT, PLS and State all in two days. PA does not require a degree. Seems ridiculous that they would give a licensed PLS from a adjoining state a hard time.
Also know of some people who spent 20 years at DOT. retired and got their license. Some of the worst surveyors I have ever seen. Could never figure out how 20 years of route surveying could be accepted by the board as experience in boundary surveying.
PA does have an emphasis on "boundary line surveying" work and the experience required for a licenses without a degree is considerable. New Jersey requires a degree but the experience required is considerably less than PA. Therefore a recent NJ graduate and licensee would first be looked at as meeting the minimum NJ requirements. That they would request a detailed experience form should not be a surprise to others, but maybe it is. However this is all speculation, as the gentleman in question has only inquired to others prior to making an application. It is now up to him to fill in the blanks and await an answer.
Interesting side story. I had been a PA PE for a number of years when I applied to NJ for a?ÿ license by Comity. I received a reply that NJ law required I sit for a written test, so I thought I would have to wait for a scheduled exam date. Not so, in the reply letter was a page full of questions I had to research and answer. I took a whole day to do it, because I was uncertain how thorough I had to be, but a short time later I was informed of my license number. I thought they had complied with the law in?ÿ a reasonable manner and never thought to insist it should be automatic.
As to PA requiring a highfalutin exam, well in a way they do. PA like a few other states allows surveyors to do minor engineering projects, so one might be tested in drainage and highway grade design, stormwater management and soil erosion and sediment control. Not always covered in other states degree programs even. As a PE my experience in such exceeds my survey experience and I have mentored a number of PA applicants for the exam. Steve is welcome to contact me if he?ÿwishes, as a hint my fee is in a liquid format. Alternatively the PA Surveyors conference always includes a rather long review program.
Paul in PA
Isn't the SIT and PLS portion of the exam the same nation wide? The PA exam was heavy on hydrology, not much boundary. I avoid any "minor engineering" like the plague. When does it become major? Thin line and ambiguous area.?ÿ