Professional Land Surveyor Renewal Guide
Colorado Surveyor PDH Requirements
A source-based summary of continuing education requirements for Colorado-licensed professional land surveyors, newly required beginning with the 2027 renewal cycle.
Colorado Renewal Requirements
The following items are expressly stated in Colorado statutes, Board rules, or current Board guidance unless marked as an interpretation.
Renewal cycle and total hours
- New requirement Under House Bill 24-1329, professional land surveyors must complete continuing education to renew, first applying to the renewal cycle that follows the current period.
- Required hours At least 30 Continuing Education Hours (CEH) during each two-year reporting period.
- Renewal cycle Biennial. Licenses expire October 31 in odd-numbered years, and the reporting period is based on calendar years.
- Carryover Up to 15 CEH earned in excess of the requirement may be carried forward into the next reporting period.
Mandatory subjects
- Land surveying subjects CE must be in land surveying subjects: basic surveying, boundary law, description writing, the public land survey system, and the surveying sciences.
- Surveying sciences These include construction staking, hydrographic surveying, photogrammetry, topography, laser scanning, and LiDAR, among others.
- Ethics cap Ethics for land surveyors qualifies, but no more than 2 CEH per license period may be earned in ethics.
- No PE requirement Professional engineers are not required to complete CE to maintain or renew a Colorado license; the requirement applies to surveyors and architects.
Activities, Online Study, and Approval Rules
Online and structured study
Verified status. CEH may be acquired at any location and need not be earned in Colorado. Structured self-study delivered in print or online qualifies, provided the activity is a structured educational effort with clear objectives and evidence of pre-planning.
One CEH equals 50 to 60 minutes of continuous instruction. Above the first hour, additional 15-minute increments count as 0.25 CEH each. There is generally no limit on hours earned through the standard activity categories.
Distinction that matters. Activities that issue certificates of completion and are offered or accredited by a nationally recognized organization or academic institution are treated as regular structured activities, not as self-study, even when self-paced. A Board-approved CE Structured Report is used to document true self-study.
Provider and course approval
Verified requirement. The Board does not pre-approve CE activities, courses, or programs. Each licensee is responsible for ensuring that a course complies with the Board’s requirements.
Acceptable activity categories include academic coursework, formal certification programs such as CFedS or Certified Floodplain Manager, in-house training, teaching or presenting, publishing, board or committee service, an ethics course, and structured self-study. Each category carries its own credit conversion and documentation rules.
Not acceptable. Equipment or software vendor presentations, rendering pro bono services, and attendance at licensing-board or other board and committee meetings do not qualify.
Records, Reporting, and Audit
Record retention
Documentation of completed activities must be retained for at least six years. Acceptable proof is a certificate of completion, a Board-approved transcript, or a Board-approved CE Structured Report, though structured reports cannot substitute for proof of attendance in the academic-coursework, formal-certification, in-house, or ethics-course categories.
Records must show the licensee’s name, activity dates, activity title and a description of content and objectives, the sponsoring provider’s name and contact information, any instructor or facilitator, and the number of CEH earned. Documentation should not be submitted to the Board unless specifically requested.
Audit procedure
The Board conducts audits of compliance after each renewal reporting period. If the Board disallows CEH during an audit, the licensee is allowed 60 days to provide documentation that the hours meet the criteria, evidence of additional qualifying CEH earned during the period, or another remedy.
Reporting is by attestation at renewal, with supporting records retained by the licensee and produced only on request.
Exemptions and Status Options
New licensees. A land surveyor who receives an initial Colorado license by examination during the current license period is exempt from CE until after the first renewal of the license.
Military. A licensee may request a military exemption from licensing fees and CE requirements through DPO’s military license renewal program.
Inactive status. A land surveyor holding an inactive license is exempt from CE for renewal. A license in inactive or expired status does not permit practicing or holding out as a land surveyor, so a licensee should weigh that restriction before choosing inactive status to avoid CE.
Hardship. The Board may grant an exception for individual hardship, including health or other good cause, at its sole discretion. A written request with supporting evidence, and healthcare-provider documentation for health-based requests, must be submitted to the Board. A licensee is not eligible under this provision for two consecutive license periods except in the case of military service.
Primary Colorado Sources
Board rules control if a summary conflicts with an official requirement. Licensees should verify their own renewal date and current instructions through DPO Online Services.
AES Continuing Education Requirements
The Board’s official CE page detailing the 30-CEH surveyor requirement, acceptable activities, documentation, audits, and exceptions.
Board Bylaws and Rules
The rules of the State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors, including the continuing education provisions.
House Bill 24-1329
The 2024 legislation directing the Board to establish a continuing education requirement for professional land surveyors.
DPO Online Services
The state licensing portal where Colorado surveyors renew, view expiration dates, and manage license status.
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, and the surveyor CE requirement is newly implemented. The Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors is the controlling authority.