Professional Land Surveyor Renewal Guide
Alabama Surveyor PDH Requirements
A source-based summary of continuing professional competency requirements for Alabama-licensed professional land surveyors.
Alabama Renewal Requirements
The following items are expressly stated in Alabama statutes, administrative rules, or current Board guidance unless marked as an interpretation.
Renewal cycle and total hours
- Renewal cycle Biennial, expiring December 31 of the specified renewal year.
- Required hours 30 PDH during the biennial renewal period.
- Carryover Up to 15 PDH may be carried into the next renewal period.
- Completion timing The required PDH must be completed before renewal.
Mandatory subjects
- Alabama standards At least 4 PDH on the Standards of Practice for Surveying in the State of Alabama every two years.
- Ethics 1 PDH every year.
- Interpretation For a normal two-year renewal period, the annual ethics rule ordinarily means 2 total ethics PDH, one attributable to each year.
- Included in total Mandatory-subject hours count toward the 30-PDH total and do not increase it.
Online Study and Approval Rules
Online and distance education
Verified requirement. Alabama permits correspondence, video, audio, and online courses when the participant must show evidence of completion. Internet courses are also listed among acceptable continuing professional competency activities.
Not accepted. The Board does not accept self-study. The Board’s wording distinguishes a structured course with completion evidence from independent, undocumented reading or study.
Practical interpretation. A structured online course that includes participant registration, organized instruction, a completion control, and a certificate is materially different from prohibited unverified self-study. Final credit authority remains with the Board.
Provider and course approval
Verified requirement. The Alabama Board does not preapprove or endorse continuing professional competency activities. Each licensee is responsible for determining whether claimed credit satisfies Rule 330-X-13-.02.
Qualifying activity must be relevant to engineering or land surveying and may contain technical, ethical, or managerial content. The rule also requires a clear educational objective, organized sequential content, advance planning, qualified presenters, and participant registration adequate for recordkeeping.
No blanket provider guarantee. Because Alabama does not preapprove providers or courses, acceptance depends on the activity and the supporting record, with the Board retaining final authority over credit.
Records, Reporting, and Audit
Record retention
The licensee must retain sponsoring-organization documentation showing completion or presentation, or completion certificates showing the PDH earned, for four years.
The governing rule says records should not accompany the renewal application unless requested. Current Board renewal guidance explains that a licensee generally reports the number of completed PDH and enters course information when selected for audit.
Audit procedure
The Board conducts random audits. A selected licensee must provide supporting documents and should respond within 30 days of notification. The Board may disallow a claimed activity and require the licensee to substantiate the claim or earn replacement credit.
Licensees may use the continuing education log in their My BELS account to retain course information and certificates, but the legal responsibility for adequate records remains with the licensee.
Exemptions and New Licensees
New licensees. A new licensee receives 30 PDH toward the first renewal. A newly licensed professional land surveyor must nevertheless complete the 4-PDH Alabama standards requirement within two years of initial licensure and the 1-PDH ethics requirement within one year.
Inactive status. A licensee who identifies as inactive and certifies that the licensee is not practicing engineering or land surveying is exempt from the PDH requirement while inactive. Alabama Board guidance states that inactive status does not eliminate the renewal fee.
Other rule-based exemptions. The rule provides relief for qualifying active-duty military service exceeding 120 days in a renewal period, qualifying employment assignments outside the United States exceeding 120 consecutive days, and serious illness or injury supported by documentation. These provisions should be confirmed with the Board for the licensee’s particular facts.
No age exemption. Current Board guidance expressly states that Alabama does not provide an age-based exemption. Meeting another state’s continuing education requirement does not by itself satisfy Alabama’s 30-PDH and subject-specific requirements.
Primary Alabama Sources
Board rules control if a summary conflicts with an official requirement. Licensees should verify their own renewal date and current instructions through My BELS.
Alabama Administrative Code Rule 330-X-13-.02
Official continuing professional competency rule covering hours, acceptable activities, online learning, exemptions, records, and audits.
Alabama Law and Administrative Code
The Board’s compiled law and rules, including Code of Alabama Sections 34-11-6 and 34-11-8.
Alabama Board Frequently Asked Questions
Current Board explanations concerning renewal, online courses, self-study, carryover, audits, and exemptions.
Alabama Board Renewals
Current online renewal process and links to the professional land surveyor renewal instructions.
Visit the SurveyorCE homepage to review how the program works, see the one-time $135 membership option, and continue to the payment page when you are ready.
Important Notice
This page is an educational summary, not legal advice or a determination that any particular course will be accepted. Requirements, Board interpretations, and renewal procedures can change. The Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors is the controlling authority.