Professional Surveyor Renewal Guide
Mississippi Surveyor PDH Requirements
A source-based summary of continuing professional competency requirements for Mississippi-licensed professional surveyors.
Mississippi Renewal Requirements
The following items are expressly stated in Mississippi statutes, Board rules, or current Board guidance unless marked as an interpretation.
Renewal cycle and total hours
- Renewal period The renewal period year runs January 1 to December 31, and continuing professional competency (CPC) is measured annually.
- Required hours Every professional surveyor must obtain 12 PDH units during the renewal period year.
- Dual licensees A person licensed as both engineer and surveyor must obtain 18 PDH, at least one-third earned in each profession.
- Carryover A surveyor who exceeds the annual requirement may carry forward a maximum of 12 PDH, except that ethics and Standards of Practice hours cannot be carried forward.
Mandatory subjects
- Ethics Every licensee must obtain 1 PDH unit of ethics training every two years; excess ethics PDH may not be carried forward.
- Mississippi Standards of Practice Surveyors licensed 5 years or less must obtain 1 PDH in Mississippi Standards of Practice annually; those licensed more than 5 years must obtain 1 PDH biennially.
- State-specific and non-substitutable Surveying standards courses from other states may not be used to meet the Mississippi Standards requirement, though they may count toward remaining PDH.
- No carryforward of standards Excess Mississippi Standards PDH may not be carried forward.
Online Study and Approval Rules
Online and distance education
Verified status. Correspondence, televised, videotaped, electronic, and qualifying short courses and tutorials are expressly recognized. Mississippi does not cap the number of PDH earned online for surveyors.
Practical interpretation. A surveyor may earn the annual 12 PDH, including ethics, through qualifying online coursework. The Mississippi Standards of Practice hour must specifically cover Mississippi standards, so a national standards course cannot substitute for it, though national courses can fill the remaining hours.
Each activity must have a clear purpose and objective that maintains, improves, or expands skills and knowledge relevant to the licensee’s field of practice.
Provider and course approval
Verified process. The Board does not pre-approve providers or specific courses, and retains final authority over approval of courses, credit, and PDH value. Each licensee determines whether an activity meets the Board’s requirements.
Qualifying activities include college courses, continuing education courses, correspondence and electronic courses, seminars and workshops, teaching or instructing, authoring published works, and active participation in professional or technical societies (1 PDH per organization, maximum 3 PDH).
Conversions. One CEU equals 10 PDH; one semester hour equals 15 PDH; one quarter hour equals 10 PDH; a published paper, article, or book equals 10 PDH.
Records, Reporting, and Audit
Record retention
The licensee is responsible for maintaining records supporting claimed credits, including a log showing the activity type, sponsoring organization, location, duration, instructor or speaker, and PDH earned, together with completion certificates or NCEES CPC or NSPE registry records.
These records must be maintained for three years, and copies may be requested by the Board for audit verification. Every renewal application requires the licensee to certify that the CPC requirement for that year has been met.
Audit and reinstatement
Each licensee’s CPC records are subject to audit by the Board or its authorized representative. A licensee selected for audit must produce documentation supporting the claimed hours.
To bring a lapsed license to active status, a licensee must obtain the PDH required for one renewal period, including 1 PDH of ethics; if reinstating a surveyor license, 1 PDH of Standards of Practice is also required. All reinstatement PDH must have been earned within the most recent 12 months.
Exemptions and Status Options
New licensees. A licensee newly licensed by examination or comity is exempt from the CPC requirement until the beginning of the next renewal period.
Active-duty military. A licensee on temporary active duty in the armed forces for more than 120 consecutive days in a year is exempt from the PDH required during that year, with supporting documentation furnished to the Board.
Disability or hardship. A licensee experiencing physical disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstances may be exempt, subject to Board review and documentation.
Age and experience. A professional surveyor 60 years of age with 20 years of aggregate practice is exempt from the general requirement but must still obtain at least 1 PDH of Mississippi Standards of Surveying biennially. This is a narrower exemption than the one for engineers, who are fully exempt at the same threshold.
Comity residents. A non-resident who certifies licensure in and compliance with the mandatory CPC requirements of their home state is treated as satisfying Mississippi’s requirement.
Primary Mississippi Sources
Board rules control if a summary conflicts with an official requirement. Licensees should verify their own renewal date and current instructions through the Board.
30 Miss. Code R. Part 901, Chapter 23
The Board’s continuing professional competency rule, covering the 12-PDH surveyor requirement, ethics, Mississippi Standards of Practice, carryover, exemptions, and audit.
PEPLS Continuing Education
The Board’s continuing education page, explaining the CPC requirement and how to record PDH in the licensing portal.
Board of Licensure for PEs and Surveyors
The Mississippi board that licenses and regulates professional engineers and professional surveyors under Title 73, Chapter 13.
PEPLS Licensure Renewals
The Board’s renewal page and licensing portal, where Mississippi surveyors renew and enter continuing education PDH.
SurveyorCE offers a growing library of surveyor-focused PDH courses through a simple one-time $135 membership. Visit the homepage to see how the program works and decide whether it fits your renewal needs.
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 Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors is the controlling authority.