Professional Surveyor Renewal Guide
Ohio Surveyor PDH Requirements
A source-based summary of continuing professional development requirements for Ohio-registered professional surveyors.
Ohio Renewal Requirements
The following items are expressly stated in Ohio statutes, Board rules, or current Board guidance unless marked as an interpretation.
Renewal cycle and total hours
- Renewal cycle Biennial. All individual registrations renew by December 31 of odd-numbered years, covering the preceding two-year period.
- Required hours At least 30 continuing professional development (CPD) hours during the two-year period immediately preceding the biennial renewal date.
- Carryover A registrant who completes more than 30 hours may carry forward a maximum of 15 excess hours into the next renewal period.
- Dual PE and PS A person registered as both must complete at least 10 of the 30 hours in engineering-related and at least 10 in surveying-related coursework or activities.
Mandatory subject and content
- Ethics or rules At least 2 of the 30 hours must be on professional ethics or rules relevant to the practice of engineering or surveying, effective for registrations expiring on or after December 31, 2017.
- Acceptable content Coursework must deal with technical, ethical, or managerial topics relevant to the practice of engineering or surveying.
- Ethics carryover Up to 2 excess ethics or rules hours may be carried forward as part of the 15-hour maximum.
- No fixed state-law course Beyond the ethics-or-rules requirement, Ohio does not mandate a separate state-specific statutes course for surveyors.
Online Study and Approval Rules
Online versus correspondence courses
Verified distinction. Ohio draws a sharp line between online courses and correspondence courses. Board policy limits correspondence courses, defined as self-paced text-based courses whose participation is not monitored by the provider, to a maximum of 3 hours per year.
Practical interpretation. Online courses whose participation is monitored, such as a course that requires passing a quiz or examination to receive credit, are treated as online rather than correspondence, and are not subject to the 3-hour correspondence cap. A registrant relying on self-paced, unmonitored reading material should observe the 3-hour annual limit.
Confirming whether a given activity is classified as online or correspondence is important, because the two are counted differently.
Provider and course approval
Verified process. The Board does not pre-approve providers or specific courses. Each registrant determines whether an activity meets the Board’s requirements, and the Board retains authority over acceptance.
Acceptable CPD includes college coursework (one semester hour equals 45 CPD hours; one quarter hour equals 30), continuing education courses, seminars, conferences and workshops, online courses, authoring published works (10 hours each), patents (10 hours each), and service as an officer or active committee member of a professional or technical society (2 hours per year).
Registrant responsibility. Because there is no pre-approval, the registrant confirms that each activity qualifies and retains documentation.
Records, Reporting, and Audit
Record retention
A registrant must maintain records demonstrating completion for four calendar years beyond the year in which completion is certified. The records must include a log specifying the type of coursework or activity, its location and duration, the instructor’s name, and the CPD hours earned, together with certificates of completion or other evidence verifying attendance.
All individual license renewals are completed online. The Board provides a fillable CPD log for licensees to track hours, and recommends separating activities by renewal year.
Audit and deficiencies
The Board may audit the records at any time. If it finds that a registrant failed to complete required coursework, it notifies the registrant, who then has 6 months from the date of the notice to rectify the deficiency and provide evidence of completion.
If the registrant fails to provide evidence within the six-month period, the Board may revoke or suspend the registration after offering an adjudication hearing.
Exemptions and Status Options
First-year exemption. A registrant is exempt from the CPD requirements during the first calendar year of registration.
Military active duty. The Board may, upon request, waive the payment of renewal fees or the completion of CPD requirements for a registrant during a period of active duty in any branch of the armed forces of the United States or a reserve component, including the Ohio National Guard.
Inactive and reinstatement. A registrant may seek inactive status or reinstatement through the Board’s process; an inactive registrant may not practice until active status is restored.
Correspondence-course reminder. Because self-paced, unmonitored correspondence courses are limited to 3 hours per year, a surveyor should confirm the format classification of any self-study activity before relying on it toward the 30 hours.
Primary Ohio 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.
R.C. 4733.151
The statute requiring 30 CPD hours per biennium, the 2-hour ethics or rules requirement, dual-registrant split, carryover, records, and the audit and deficiency process.
PEPS Continuing Education
The Ohio Board’s official continuing education page, with CPD requirements, provider guidelines, and the fillable CPD log.
Correspondence Course Policy
The Board’s advisory explaining the 3-hour-per-year limit on correspondence courses and the distinction from online courses.
Ohio State Board of Registration for PEs and PSs
The Ohio board that registers and regulates professional engineers and professional surveyors.
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 Ohio distinguishes monitored online courses from self-paced correspondence courses. The Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors is the controlling authority.