Professional Land Surveyor Renewal Guide
Oregon Surveyor PDH Requirements
A source-based summary of continuing professional development requirements for Oregon-registered professional land surveyors.
Oregon Renewal Requirements
The following items are expressly stated in Oregon statutes, Board rules, or current Board guidance unless marked as an interpretation.
Renewal cycle and total hours
- Renewal cycle Biennial, with the deadline set by the first letter of the registrant’s last name: A-F December 31 odd years, G-K June 30 odd years, L-R December 31 even years, S-Z June 30 even years.
- Required hours 30 professional development hour (PDH) units during each biennial registration period. Oregon calls this continuing professional development (CPD).
- Carryover A maximum of 15 PDH units may be carried forward into the subsequent biennial renewal period.
- Proration A registrant licensed for part of a registration period of six months or greater obtains a prorated amount of required PDH.
Mandatory subjects and multi-discipline
- No fixed subject minimums Oregon does not mandate a set number of ethics hours or a state-specific statutes course for surveyors; the requirement is 30 qualifying PDH.
- Multiple registrations A person registered as an engineer, land surveyor, and/or photogrammetrist completes a total of 30 PDH per registration period, not a separate 30 for each.
- Out-of-state with lesser requirement A registrant licensed in another state with a lesser or no PDH requirement must still satisfy Oregon’s 30-PDH requirement to renew.
- Activity caps Category limits apply, such as a maximum of 8 PDH for active participation in a professional society and 15 PDH for developing an Oregon-specific examination.
Online Study and Approval Rules
Online and distance education
Verified status. Oregon does not impose a general cap on online coursework for surveyors. Web-based and videotaped courses are expressly identified by the Board as acceptable options for earning PDH, and all 30 PDH may generally be earned this way.
Practical interpretation. A surveyor may satisfy the full requirement through qualifying online coursework relevant to the practice of surveying. Each PDH unit corresponds to a contact hour of qualifying activity.
Courses must be relevant to the practice; courses unrelated to surveying, such as personal self-improvement, do not qualify.
Provider and course approval
Verified process. Oregon does not pre-approve course providers or specific courses. Each registrant determines whether an activity meets the Board’s requirements, and the Board retains authority over acceptance on audit.
Acceptable PDH sources include college coursework, continuing education courses, seminars, conferences and workshops, teaching, authoring, active participation in a professional society (max 8 PDH), mentoring (max 4 PDH), and developing an Oregon-specific examination (max 15 PDH), each with the calculation set by rule.
Registrant responsibility. Because there is no pre-approval, the registrant confirms that each activity qualifies and retains documentation for potential audit.
Records, Reporting, and Audit
Record retention and reporting
Every registrant reports PDH units on the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) form and completes renewal online at MyOSBEELS, including certification of the required PDH. Supporting documentation must be retained for five years.
Supporting documents include conference registration receipts, continuing education certificates, conference programs, workshop receipts, and course catalogs for any course taught.
Random audit
OSBEELS conducts a random audit in January and July. A computerized random number generator selects three percent of registered professional land surveyors, and separately three percent of engineers and of photogrammetrists, for audit each period.
A registrant selected for audit submits the CPD form and supporting documents for the PDH units certified. The audit and any resulting penalties must be resolved before a registrant may retire the license.
Proration, Multi-Discipline, and Status
Proration for partial periods. A registrant licensed for six months or more of a registration period obtains a prorated amount of PDH; the Board can help determine the exact number needed.
Multiple registrations. Holding more than one Oregon registration, such as land surveyor and photogrammetrist, does not increase the total; the requirement remains 30 PDH per registration period across the disciplines held.
Out-of-state registrants. A registrant whose other state of licensure has a lesser PDH requirement, or none, must still meet Oregon’s full 30-PDH requirement to renew the Oregon registration.
Retirement. A registrant may retire the license, but any pending audit and resulting penalties must be completed and paid before retirement is processed.
Primary Oregon 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.
OAR 820-010-0635
The Board’s continuing professional development rule, covering the 30-PDH requirement, carryover, proration, activity categories and caps, and record maintenance.
OSBEELS Continuing Education
The Board’s official continuing education information page, with PDH sources, proration, and renewal instructions.
OSBEELS CPD Audits
The Board’s page explaining the random January and July CPD audit process and required supporting documents.
MyOSBEELS
The Board’s online system where Oregon surveyors renew, pay, and certify continuing professional development.
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 Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying is the controlling authority.