Professional Land Surveyor Renewal Guide
Missouri Surveyor PDH Requirements
A source-based summary of continuing education requirements for Missouri-licensed professional land surveyors, whose credits are measured in professional development units (PDUs).
Missouri Renewal Requirements
The following items are expressly stated in Missouri statutes, Board rules, or current Board guidance unless marked as an interpretation.
Renewal cycle and total units
- Renewal cycle Biennial. Professional land surveyor licenses renew December 31, with the two-year cycle keyed to the year of initial licensure.
- Required units A minimum of 20 professional development units (PDUs) during the two-year period immediately preceding renewal. Missouri uses the term PDU for surveyors, equivalent to a contact hour.
- Carryover A surveyor who completes more than 20 PDUs in a cycle may carry forward up to 10 PDUs into the next two-year period.
- Online cap Not more than 12 of the 20 PDUs may be earned in nonpersonal-contact activities.
Mandatory subject
- Surveying Standards At least 2 of the 20 PDUs must be in Surveying Standards, referencing Missouri rules at 20 CSR 2030 Chapters 16 and 17 and Chapters 60 and 327 RSMo.
- State-specific by design Because this component addresses Missouri surveying standards and statutes, it generally cannot be met with a generic national course.
- Effective date The 2-PDU Surveying Standards requirement has applied since the March 30, 2016 rule amendment.
- No separate ethics minimum Missouri does not impose a separate ethics-unit minimum for surveyors, though ethics content may count toward the total.
Online Study and Approval Rules
Online and nonpersonal-contact study
Verified limit. Nonpersonal-contact activities, which include correspondence courses, video and televised courses, and internet and email courses where the presenter is not in physical proximity to the attendee, are capped at 12 of the 20 PDUs.
Practical interpretation. A Missouri surveyor may earn up to 12 PDUs online, but at least 8 PDUs must come from personal-contact activities such as live seminars or in-person courses. The rule’s earlier contact-hour requirement was removed, but the 12-unit nonpersonal-contact cap remains the governing limit.
The Surveying Standards units may be earned within these limits, provided the content addresses Missouri standards.
Provider and course approval
Verified process. Missouri operates a course pre-approval framework for land surveyors. The Board maintains a current list of pre-approved courses for PDUs, and sponsors may apply for pre-approval of land surveyor professional development activities using the Board’s procedure and form.
This is a distinctive feature: unlike the engineer rule, the surveyor rule is supported by an official pre-approved-course list, which helps licensees confirm that an activity, including the Surveying Standards component, will be accepted.
Out-of-state credit. Continuing education earned in other states may count toward the remaining PDUs if the content meets Missouri’s requirements, but the Surveying Standards units must address Missouri standards.
Records, Reporting, and Audit
Record retention
Each licensee completes the Board’s PDU form, furnishing the details of PDUs earned and certifying completion with a signature and date. This form must be retained as part of the licensee’s records for four years.
The Board’s renewal process requires the licensee to submit or certify completion of at least 20 PDUs during the preceding two calendar years unless otherwise exempted.
Audit and status
The Board conducts continuing education audits during the renewal cycle. A licensee selected for audit must produce the completed PDU form and supporting documentation for each activity claimed.
A licensee who attests to being retired or not in active practice may place the license in inactive status; an inactive licensee may keep the “PLS” title but may not practice, and must re-establish proficiency to reactivate.
Exemptions and Reactivation
Good cause and hardship. The rule provides exceptions to the 20-PDU requirement where the licensee can show good cause, such as documented health or hardship circumstances, subject to Board review.
Inactive status and reactivation. A professional land surveyor who places a license in inactive status may not practice but retains the title. To reenter practice, the surveyor must pay the required fee and establish proficiency by completing the PDU requirements of 20 CSR 2030-8.020 or by passing the Missouri-specific examination.
APEPLSPLA combined board. Missouri regulates architects, professional engineers, professional land surveyors, and professional landscape architects through one board, with a distinct continuing education rule for each profession. Surveyors follow the PDU rule, engineers a separate 30-PDH rule.
Standards content is evolving. The Board has amended surveyor education rules, including increasing certain boundary-law and Missouri surveying-law hour requirements in related rules effective January 1, 2024, so surveyors should confirm current Surveying Standards content.
Primary Missouri 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.
20 CSR 2030-8.020
The Board’s rule on professional land surveyor professional development units, covering the 20-PDU requirement, the Surveying Standards component, the nonpersonal-contact cap, and carryover.
APEPLSPLA Continuing Education
The Board’s continuing education page, with the surveyor PDU rule, the pre-approved course list, the sponsor pre-approval procedure, and the PDU summary log.
APEPLSPLA Board
The Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors and Professional Landscape Architects.
MOPRO Online Licensing
Missouri’s online licensing system for renewing and managing a professional land surveyor license.
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 Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors and Professional Landscape Architects is the controlling authority.