Professional Land Surveyor Renewal Guide
Rhode Island Surveyor PDH Requirements
A source-based summary of continuing education requirements for Rhode Island-registered professional land surveyors.
Rhode Island Renewal Requirements
The following items are expressly stated in Rhode Island statutes, Board rules, or current Board guidance unless marked as an interpretation.
Renewal cycle and total hours
- Renewal cycle Registration renews annually, but continuing education is measured over a two-year biennium running July 1 to June 30.
- Required hours A registrant must obtain 20 PDHs during the biennium immediately preceding the renewal, as a prerequisite to active renewal.
- Carryover A maximum of 10 PDHs may be carried over with full credit to the next biennium.
- Separate surveyor board Rhode Island regulates land surveyors through a dedicated Board of Registration for Professional Land Surveyors within the Division of Design Professionals.
In-person minimum and subjects
- In-person minimum At least 10 of the 20 PDHs must come from activities that do not include correspondence courses, internet courses, or courses available from online sources.
- Online balance The remaining 10 PDHs may be earned online, so a surveyor can meet no more than half the requirement through online study.
- No fixed subject minimums Rhode Island does not mandate a set number of ethics hours or a state-specific statutes course for surveyors; content must relate to the practice of land surveying.
- Repeat-course limit No credit is granted for a course repeated within two years unless the content substantially changed.
Online Study and Approval Rules
Online and in-person study
Verified limit. Since July 1, 2017, a registrant must obtain a minimum of 10 PDHs during the biennium from activities that do not include correspondence courses, internet courses, or online sources. This is a hard in-person floor, not merely an online cap.
Practical interpretation. A Rhode Island surveyor may complete up to 10 of the 20 PDHs online, but the other 10 must be earned in person, such as at live seminars, conferences, or classroom courses. Online-only study cannot satisfy the full requirement.
One PDH equals 50 minutes of in-class instruction or of participation in other approved forms of continuing education.
Provider and course approval
Verified process. The Board approves continuing education activities and may pre-approve or post-approve a course on written application. A request for pre-approval must be submitted at least 60 days before the course; a post-approval request within 90 days after. If the Board does not act within 90 days of receipt, the course is deemed approved.
Acceptable activities include college and university courses directly related to land surveying completed with a grade of C or better, and the surveying-related portions of technical meetings, seminars, tutorials, short courses, and correspondence courses, subject to the Board’s criteria.
Sponsors. A sponsor offering an organized program must keep a record of attendees and furnish the Board a copy within 90 days of the program’s conclusion.
Records, Reporting, and Audit
Record retention and reporting
At the time of renewal, each registrant reports the continuing education activities undertaken during the preceding biennium on a Board form, with supporting documents concerning attendance or participation.
Registrants must maintain a file of continuing education records, including dates, subjects, program durations, printed schedules, registration receipts or other proof of participation, for four years after the date of the program or activity.
Audit and noncompliance
The Board may audit continuing education activities and participation at its discretion. If deficiencies are found, a registrant has 6 months to correct them, except where the audit reveals fraudulent misrepresentation.
Unless inactive status is requested, a registrant who fails to furnish the required, properly completed continuing education form will not be granted renewal and loses the right to practice land surveying upon expiration.
Exemptions, Reciprocity, and Status
New registrants. A new registrant is not required to satisfy the continuing education requirement until the renewal occurring on the three-year anniversary of the date of initial registration.
Reciprocity. The Board deems the requirement met if the registrant resides in another state or territory recognized by the Board as having equivalent continuing education requirements and certifies current compliance with that state’s requirements. Otherwise, the registrant must satisfy Rhode Island’s rule.
Hardship. The Board may exempt a registrant from all or part of the requirement for physical disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstances, or for a non-career military registrant on active duty for 120 consecutive days in a calendar year, with supporting documentation.
Inactive status and reinstatement. A registrant may request inactive status and retain the certificate without meeting continuing education, but may not practice. Reinstating after one year or more requires completing one-half of the biennial PDH requirement per year of inactive status, up to 45 PDHs, or passing the NCEES Principles and Practice examination within the prior year.
Primary Rhode Island Sources
Board rules control if a summary conflicts with an official requirement. Registrants should verify their own renewal date and current instructions through the Board.
435-RICR-00-00-1, § 1.7
The Board’s continuing education rule, covering the 20-PDH biennial requirement, the 10-PDH in-person minimum, carryover, the new-registrant exemption, reciprocity, and records.
Continuing Education for Land Surveyors
The Division of Design Professionals’ official continuing education page for land surveyors, referencing Rules and Regulations Section 1.7.
R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-8.1
The Land Surveyors statute establishing the Board and its authority over registration, renewal, and continuing education.
Renew a Land Surveyor Registration
The Division of Design Professionals’ page to renew an individual Rhode Island land surveyor registration.
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. Rhode Island requires at least half of the continuing education to be earned in person, and requirements can change. The Rhode Island Board of Registration for Professional Land Surveyors, within the Division of Design Professionals, is the controlling authority.