Current State Requirements for a Land Surveyor in the State of Louisiana

Current State Requirements for a Land Surveyor in the State of Louisiana:

15 PDH minimum biennially based upon the year of initial licensure

The Lousiana Board does not have a formal pre-approval process for continuing education materials, but they do pre-approve sponsors. During each biennial registration renewal period, each land surveying registrant is required to obtain 15 PDHs in land surveying related activities. At least 1 PDH shall be in professional ethics. A minimum of 4 PDHs shall be earned in Minimum Technical Standards for Property Boundary Surveys in Louisiana during any 2 consecutive biennial periods.

Dual License: During each biennial registration renewal period, each dual registrant shall obtain 30 PDHs; however, at least one-third (10) of the PDHs shall be obtained separately for each profession. At least 1 PDH shall be in professional ethics. A minimum of 4 PDHs shall be earned in the Minimum Standards for Property Boundary Surveys in Louisiana during any two consecutive biennial periods. A minimum of eight PDHs shall be earned in Life Safety Code, building codes and/or Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines by every engineering registrant who designs buildings and/or building systems.

Renewal Date:

Renewal occurs March 31 and September 30 biennially. You are invoiced for renewal on the first of February or August according to your assigned billing cycle.

Statute: Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 46, Part LXI, Chapter 20

Stipulations

Registrants will be required to verify compliance with the CPD requirements at the end of their first full biennial registration renewal period following January 1, 1999 and at the end of each subsequent biennial registration renewal period. Carryover for ethics, code, and minimum standards shall not exceed the minimum biennial requirement for each category, i.e., 1 PDH (ethics), 8 PDH (code), 4 PDH (minimum standards). For example, if you earned 4 PDH in professional ethics, you apply 1 PDH in ethics to satisfy your current biennial requirement. You could carry over only 1 ethics PDH (the minimum requirement) into the next period’s ethics category. The remaining 2 excess PDH in ethics could be applied in the general category of PLS. CPD Reinstatement: To become reinstated, an Expired, Inactive, or Retired registrant must show proof of having obtained all delinquent PDHs. However, the maximum number required will be the number of PDHs required for one biennial registration renewal period.

Applicable Course of Study

PDHs may be earned for the following Acceptable Activities:
(1) Successful completion of college courses, correspondence courses, continuing education courses, seminars, tutorials, short courses and/or by teaching/instructing these items;
(2) Attending or presenting qualifying seminars; in-house courses sponsored by corporations, agencies or other organizations; workshops; or professional/technical presentations made at meetings, conventions, or conferences;
(3) Obtaining teaching credit for teaching/instructing or presenting; to obtain teaching credit for teaching/instructing or presenting, registrants must be able to document that research and preparation were necessary, such as in the case of a first-time teaching;
(4) Membership in land surveying professional associations or technical societies;
(5) Authoring and publishing articles in land surveying journals;
(6) Obtaining patents.

PDHs may not be earned through informal, non-structured activities such as reading technical journals.

PDH credit for acceptable college or correspondence courses may be based upon course credit established by the college or school.

Conversion from other units of continuing education to PDHs is as follows:
(a) One college or unit semester hour = 45 PDHs
(b) One college or unit quarter hour = 30 PDHs
(c ) One Continuing Education Unit = 10 PDHs

PDH credit will be awarded as follows:
(1) 50 contact minutes of instruction or attendance at an activity = 1 PDH.
(2) Membership in land surveying professional associations or technical societies = 1 PDH per biennial registration renewal period for each professional or technical association or society. A maximum of 3 PDHs will be allowed per biennial registration renewal period.
(3) Credit for teaching or making presentations may be earned at twice the PDHs allowed for attending a course, but shall not exceed 30 PDHs in any biennial registration renewal period.
(4) Authoring and publishing peer reviewed (refereed) articles/papers in land surveying journals = 10 PDH
(5) Authoring and publishing non-peer reviewed (non-refereed) articles/papers in land surveying journals = 5 PDH
(6) Each patent = 10 PDH

The conversion of other units of credit to PDH is as follows:
(1) 1 college or unit semester hour = 45 PDH
(2) 1 college or unit quarter hour = 30 PDH
(3) 1 continuing education unit = 10 PDH

PDHs may not be earned through informal, non-structured activities such as reading technical journals.

Proof of Compliance

All renewal applications will require the completion of a board-approved renewal form. This form will contain an affirmation of eligibility certifying that the registrant has met all requirements for registration renewal, including CPD requirements.

In addition, the registrant will be required to maintain and document a worksheet form specified by the board outlining PDHs claimed. The registrant must:
(1) supply sufficient detail on the form to permit audit verification;
(2) certify and sign the form; and
(3) submit the form to the board upon request.

Maintaining records to be used to support PDHs claimed is the responsibility of the registrant. These records must be maintained for at least three consecutive biennial registration renewal periods (six years) and copies may be requested by the board at any time. The board may request, at any time, that a registrant provide proof of compliance with all CPD requirements. Additionally, the board will require that all registrants against whom formal disciplinary charges are pending in Louisiana provide proof of compliance with all CPD requirements. Should the registrant fail to provide proof of compliance, or if discrepancies or deficiencies are discovered as the result of any of the reviews provided for during and audit and review of records, the registrant will be deemed not in compliance.

Non-Compliance

When a registrant is deemed not in compliance with the CPD requirements of the board, the registrant will be so notified and given 120 days to satisfy the board requirements. The registrant must provide documented evidence of compliance accompanied by the registrant's affidavit attesting to such compliance and payment of an
administrative fee of $200. Failure to comply will subject the registrant to disciplinary action as provided in L.R.S.37:698.

Disallowed Credits

The board has final authority with respect to the acceptability of courses, PDH credit, PDH value for courses, and other methods of earning credit.

Carryover Hours Allowed

15 PDH per renewal period

Exceptions

A registrant may be exempt from the continuing professional development requirements for any one or more of the following reasons:
(1) New registrants shall be exempt at their first renewal. Compliance with the CPD requirements must be certified upon the registrant's second renewal and thereafter.
(2) A registrant serving on active duty in the armed forces of the United States for a period of time exceeding 120 consecutive days in a biennial registration renewal period shall be exempt from obtaining the PDHs required during that biennial registration renewal period.
(3) Registrants experiencing physical disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstances as reviewed and approved by the board may be exempt. Supporting documentation must be furnished to the board.
(4) Registrants who certify their status as Inactive on the board-approved renewal form and who further certify that they are no longer offering or practicing professional land surveying in Louisiana shall be exempt. Inactive registrants can present themselves to the public as a P.L.S. Inactive but cannot otherwise offer to provide any professional land surveying services. In the event such a person elects to return to the active practice of professional land surveying, the registrant must meet the requirements for CPD reinstatement.
(5) Registrants who certify their status as Retired on the board-approved renewal form and who further certify that they are no longer offering or practicing professional land surveying in Louisiana shall be exempt. Retired must be at least 70 years of age or have been a registrant of the board for at least 35 years. The renewal fee for the retired status shall be one-half of the current renewal fee for the active status. Retired registrants can represent themselves to the public as a P.L.S. Retired but cannot otherwise offer to provide professional land surveying services. In the event such a person elects to return to the active practice of professional land surveying, the registrant must meet the requirements for CPD reinstatement.

For More Info:

This information provided by the State Board Statutes and Rules.