Professional Land Surveyor Renewal Guide
Delaware Surveyor PDH Requirements
A source-based summary of continuing education requirements for Delaware-licensed professional land surveyors.
Delaware Renewal Requirements
The following items are expressly stated in Delaware statutes, Board rules, or current Board guidance unless marked as an interpretation.
Renewal cycle and total hours
- Renewal cycle Biennial, tied to the license expiration date set by the Division.
- Required hours 24 hours of professional development within the preceding biennium.
- Online cap No more than 8 of the 24 required PDHs may be obtained through online courses.
- No carryover Hours completed in excess of 24 may not be applied to the next biennium.
Mandatory subjects
- Land surveying content Courses must cover land surveying topics and directly relate to the practice, contributing to protection of the public interest.
- No fixed ethics minimum Ethics and professionalism is a listed acceptable topic, but the rules do not impose a required number of ethics hours for surveyors.
- Broad accepted topics Acceptable subjects include boundary law, ALTA/ACSM surveys, GPS and GIS, case law, easements and rights of way, photogrammetry, survey standards, and liability, among many others.
- Seal attestation At renewal, licensees also attest to information about their Land Surveyor seal, which may be reviewed at audit.
Online Study and Approval Rules
Online and distance education
Verified limit. Delaware caps online coursework at 8 of the 24 required PDHs for a standard renewal. Retired licensees on the reduced requirement may obtain a maximum of 4 online PDHs each biennium.
Practical interpretation. A Delaware surveyor cannot satisfy the full requirement through online study alone; at least 16 hours must come from other formats such as in-person workshops, seminars, teaching, or qualifying coursework.
Both live and online courses and their instructors must be approved by the Board, except that courses sponsored or offered by surveying societies in any U.S. state or territory receive automatic approval without Board review.
Provider and course approval
Verified requirement. Both licensees and CE course providers may request Board approval of a course. Courses offered by recognized surveying societies are automatically approved; other courses require Board review, with instructor resumes submitted for verification.
Credit conventions include 1 PDH per classroom hour for workshops and seminars, 2 PDHs per hour of teaching a workshop or seminar (one presentation per biennium, up to 18 PDHs), 8 PDHs per year for college-level teaching (up to 16 per period), 40 PDHs per college credit hour, and 10 PDHs for a professional paper or publication (up to 20 per biennium).
Board authority. The Board takes program content and instructor qualifications into account and retains final authority over PDH approval.
Records, Reporting, and Audit
Record retention
Licensees attest to satisfying the continuing education requirement at renewal through the DELPROS online portal and should retain PDH files and records for at least five years.
Documentation should not be uploaded at renewal unless the licensee is notified of selection for audit. If audited, the licensee uploads certificates of attendance or completion, supporting course materials, and an embossed Land Surveyor seal, and signs and seals the verification documentation.
Audit procedure
Each biennium the Division randomly selects a percentage of renewed licensees for audit, and the Board may also audit based on complaints. Selected licensees must supplement their attestation with attendance verification.
If the Board initially finds the requirement unmet, the licensee is notified and a hearing may be held. Unjustified noncompliance is treated as misconduct in the practice of land surveying, carrying a minimum penalty of a letter of reprimand and a $250 fine.
Reduced Hours, Exemptions, and Extensions
New licensees (pro-rated). A licensee holding the license less than one year at renewal owes no continuing education. Between one and two years, the requirement is 12 PDHs, with up to 4 online. At two or more years, the full 24 PDHs apply, with up to 8 online.
Retired licensees. Licensees who are 62 or older at renewal and retired, meaning working less than 20 hours weekly, need only 12 PDHs each subsequent biennium, with up to 4 online. The same reduction applies to retired licensees under 62 who have been deemed disabled by the state or federal government.
Multiple-state licensees. A non-resident licensed in another state that has a comparable continuing education requirement satisfies Delaware’s requirement by meeting the home state’s, treated as a minimum. Questions on compliance are resolved by the Board.
Military service. A member of the active-duty military, National Guard, or reserve who is assigned to a duty station or deployed is deemed to have completed one PDH for each month of active-duty service.
Extensions. The Board may grant up to an additional 12 months to complete outstanding PDHs for good cause, such as extensive travel outside the United States, military service, extended illness of the licensee or immediate family, or a death in the immediate family. The written request must be received and reviewed before the licensee renews.
Primary Delaware Sources
Board rules control if a summary conflicts with an official requirement. Licensees should verify their own renewal date and current instructions through DELPROS.
24 Del. Admin. Code 2700, Section 10.0
The Board’s continuing education rule, covering required hours, the online cap, reduced-hour categories, records, audit, and penalties.
Continuing Education and Audit Information
The Division of Professional Regulation’s official CE page detailing course approval, the DELPROS CE Tracker, and audit procedures.
License Renewal Information
The Board’s official renewal page covering the PDH attestation, the Land Surveyor seal verification, and post-renewal audit.
Delaware Code, Title 24, Chapter 27
The governing statute for professional land surveyors, including biennial renewal and continuing education authority.
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 Delaware Board of Professional Land Surveyors, within the Division of Professional Regulation, is the controlling authority.