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Witness Corner · No. 2
Thermal Drones Now Carry a 100% Tariff, Whatever They Weigh
Tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones took effect this month, and thermal imaging triggers the top rate at any weight. Washington decoupled its licensure exam from the experience requirement, and NGS set a hard deadline for geodetic project submissions even though the adoption date still isn't set.
Section 232 Tariffs Took Effect September 3
Section 232 tariffs on imported drones took effect September 3. The 100% rate covers aircraft over 25 kilograms, docking stations, and certain components, but it also covers any drone with thermal imaging regardless of weight, down to the 250-gram class. Smaller drones without thermal draw 25%. Allied-country imports cap at 15%, or 10% from the UK.
Why it matters: Thermal payloads are standard on utility and inspection work, so the capability that wins you those jobs is the one that doubles the price of the aircraft.
Washington Lets You Sit for the PS Before the Years Are In
Washington’s amended surveyor licensing rules took effect August 1. The board decoupled the experience requirement from the NCEES principles and practice exam, so applicants can sit for it before finishing the required years. Washington still requires eight years of experience, and it still has to be met before the state exam and before licensure.
Why it matters: A narrower move than Florida’s, and a useful comparison. Washington shifted when you can take the exam without shifting the gate itself.
Washington State Register 26-11-035 →
NGS Sets a Hard Deadline for Project Submissions
NGS will stop accepting new geodetic survey project data on January 13, 2027, as part of the move to the modernized NSRS, and may decline proposals unlikely to be finished by then. OPUS Projects 5 stays available through the transition, but OPUS 6 will not be ready when the new system is officially adopted, and OPUS-RS won’t be supported.
Why it matters: The adoption date still isn’t set. This deadline is. Anything you want processed and published under the current system has to be in before mid-January.
Vacant Land Is Still the Favorite Target for Deed Fraud
The National Association of Realtors’ deed and title fraud survey found 63% of responding associations aware of such fraud in their markets in the previous 12 months, rising to 92% in the Northeast. Vacant parcels are the usual target: nobody living there to notice, no lender watching the title, and a seller happy to keep everything remote.
Why it matters: On a vacant lot the surveyor is often the only professional who actually goes out there, which makes you a plausible first person to notice something is wrong.
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