Professional Surveyor Renewal Guide
Michigan Surveyor PDH Requirements
A source-based summary of continuing education requirements for Michigan-licensed professional surveyors.
Michigan Renewal Requirements
The following items are expressly stated in Michigan statutes, Board rules, or current Board guidance unless marked as an interpretation.
Renewal cycle and total hours
- Renewal cycle Biennial. Professional surveyor licenses renew on a two-year cycle, and renewal is completed online through the state’s licensing system.
- Required hours 30 hours of continuing education during the two-year period immediately preceding the license expiration date, averaging 15 hours per year.
- Relevance Continuing education must be relevant to the practice of professional surveying.
- Late lapse A license that expires for more than a defined period requires relicensure; a license lapsed less than three years may qualify for relicensure under the Board’s rules.
Mandatory subjects and structure
- Ethics 2 of the 30 hours must be in an activity focused on professional ethics related to surveying.
- First renewal A licensee who has held the license 12 to 24 months at the first renewal obtains 15 hours; a licensee holding it 24 months or more obtains the full 30 hours.
- No fixed state-law course Beyond the ethics requirement, Michigan does not mandate a separate state-specific statutes course for surveyors.
- Out-of-jurisdiction credit Continuing education hours may be acquired in another jurisdiction if relevant to the occupation.
Online Study and Approval Rules
Online and distance education
Verified status. Distance learning courses are expressly recognized. Michigan does not impose a stated cap on the number of continuing education hours earned through distance learning for surveyors.
Practical interpretation. A Michigan surveyor may satisfy the requirement, including the 2-hour ethics component, through qualifying online coursework, provided each activity is relevant to the profession and properly documented.
Acceptable formats also include college courses, continuing education courses, seminars, workshops, in-house courses, and technical presentations at meetings or conferences.
Provider and course approval
Verified process. Michigan does not require pre-approval of providers or specific courses for surveyors. The licensee determines whether an activity is relevant to the occupation and meets the rule’s requirements.
Qualifying activities defined by rule include completing college, continuing education, or distance learning courses; presenting or attending seminars, workshops, in-house courses, or technical presentations; teaching or instructing; authoring; and similar structured professional activities.
Documentation of ethics. Because 2 hours must focus on surveying ethics, the licensee should retain records that clearly identify the ethics activity.
Records, Reporting, and Audit
Record retention
Documentation of completed continuing education is not submitted with the renewal. The licensee certifies compliance at renewal and must retain records for four years from the renewal application in case of audit.
A licensee should not submit a renewal application unless all continuing education requirements have been met at the time of submission.
Audit
The Department conducts audits of continuing education compliance. A licensee selected for audit must provide documentation supporting the hours certified at renewal.
Because the requirement applies to the two-year period immediately preceding expiration, audit review focuses on that period, and hours must have been earned within it.
First Renewal, Relicensure, and Status
First renewal proration. A licensee who holds the license more than 12 months but less than 24 months from initial licensure obtains 15 hours for the first renewal period. A licensee who holds the license 24 months or more obtains the full 30 hours.
Relicensure after lapse. A license that has lapsed for less than three years after the expiration date may be eligible for relicensure under the Board’s rules. A license expired beyond the allowed period requires application for relicensure to reactivate.
Out-of-jurisdiction hours. Continuing education completed in another jurisdiction may be counted toward the Michigan requirement if it is relevant to the practice of surveying, which is helpful for surveyors licensed in multiple states.
Combined engineer and surveyor board context. Michigan licenses professional surveyors through the Bureau of Professional Licensing. A dual licensee should confirm that each profession’s continuing education requirement is separately satisfied.
Primary Michigan Sources
Board rules control if a summary conflicts with an official requirement. Licensees should verify their own renewal date and current instructions through LARA.
Professional Surveyors General Rules
The administrative rules (R 339.17501 through R 339.17509) governing continuing education for Michigan professional surveyors, including the 30-hour requirement and the ethics component.
LARA Surveyor Continuing Education Brochure
The Bureau of Professional Licensing brochure explaining the continuing education requirements and renewal process for surveyors.
Michigan Board of Professional Surveyors
The board within LARA’s Bureau of Professional Licensing that licenses and regulates Michigan professional surveyors.
MiPLUS Online Renewal
Michigan’s online licensing system, where professional surveyors renew and certify continuing education compliance.
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 Michigan Board of Professional Surveyors, within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, is the controlling authority.