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

 15 PDH minimum annually

Renewal Date: Renewal occurs December 31 annually.

Statute: Rules of Board of Examiners for Land Surveyors Chapter 0820-5

Stipulations

Comity. The board will deem a registrant to have met the continuing education requirements provided herein if such registrant, when making annual renewal of Tennessee registration, certifies in writing the following:
(1) The registrant resides in another state or territory which has recognized by the Tennessee board as having continuing education requirements acceptable to the Tennessee board; and
(2) The registrant has satisfied all continuing education and registration requirements of that state or territory.

A registered land surveyor may request in writing to be placed on the board’s inactive roll, thereby obtaining inactive status. An inactive registrant will be permitted to retain that registrant’s original certificate of registration by paying the annual renewal fee for registration without submitting proof of complying with the continuing education requirements prescribed herein. An inactive registrant may not engage in the practice of land surveying in the state of Tennessee. Any practice or offer to practice of land surveying in the state of Tennessee by an inactive registrant shall constitute misconduct for the purpose of Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 62-18-116(a)(1)(B) (grounds for suspension of certificate by the board.)

An inactive registrant seeking to reinstate an inactive registration of less than one (1) year must meet the annual PDH requirement.

An inactive registrant seeking to reinstate an inactive registration of one (1) year or more must submit a request in writing to the board with a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) and must satisfy one (1) of the following requirements:
(1) Satisfaction of the annual PDH requirement multiplied by the number of years of inactive status up to a maximum of thirty (30) PDH’s; or
(2) Successful completion of the Principles of Land Surveying examination within one (1) year immediately prior to application for reinstatement.

Applicable Course of Study

Conversion from other units of continuing education to PDH's is as follows:
(a) 1 hour of acceptable professional activity = 1 PDH
(b) 1 semester hour of acceptable university credit = 15 PDH
(c) 1 quarter hour of acceptable university credit = 10 PDH
(d) 1 CEU (continuing education unit) = 10 PDH

Continuing education activities for which credit may be given by the board include college and university courses which are awarded continuing education units (CEU's), and those portions of technical meetings, seminars, tutorials, short courses and correspondence courses that are related to the practice of land surveying.

The Board will grant credit for only such continuing education activities that satisfy the following criteria:
(1) There is clear purpose and objectivity for each activity;
(2) The content of each presentation is well organized and presented in a sequential manner;
(3) There is evidence of pre-planning which should include the opportunity for input by the target group to be served;
(4) The presentation will be made by persons who are well qualified by reason of education or experience; and
(5) There is provision for individual participant registration which will include information required for record keeping and reporting;

Other activities which may be used to satisfy continuing education requirements are:
(1) Approved programs conducted by corporations, government agencies or other organizations;
(2) Authorship of published papers, articles or books; and
(3) First-time preparation for and presentation of technical meetings, short courses or seminars.

Proof of Compliance

At the time of application for registration renewal, each registrant shall report, on a form provided by the board, the continuing education activities undertaken during the preceding year.

The registrant shall maintain a file in which records of the activities are kept, including dates, subjects, duration of programs, printed program schedules, registration receipts or other proof of participation, and other appropriate documentation, for a period of three (3) years after the date of the program or activity.

The board may conduct random audits of continuing education activities and registrant’s participation therein. Should deficiencies be discovered, registrants will be notified and have six (6) months to satisfy the deficiencies, except where such audits reveal fraudulent misrepresentations to have been made by a registrant.

Non-Compliance

Unless a request for inactive status is made, any registrant failing to furnish the required continuing education form, properly completed and signed, shall not be granted renewal of registration by the board and shall lose the right to practice land surveying in the state of Tennessee upon the December 31 expiration of registration.

Disallowed Credits

All activities submitted to the board for continuing education credit are subject to approval by the Board. The Board will grant no credit to a registrant for a course, technical meeting, seminar or tutorial repeated by that registrant within three (3) years (if credit was originally granted), unless, in the Board's opinion, there is a substantial change in the content of such course, technical meeting, seminar or tutorial or the complexity of the subject matter warrants award of additional credit.

Carryover Hours Allowed

15 per renewal period

Exceptions

A new registrant is not required to satisfy the continuing education prescribed in this chapter as a prerequisite for initial annual renewal of active registration.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Chapter to the contrary, the board may exempt a registrant from complying with all or part of the continuing education requirements for a given year in the following cases:
(1) A registrant affected by physical disability, illness, or extenuating circumstances as reviewed and approved by the board; provided that adequate supporting documentation is furnished to the board; or
(2) A non-career military registrant serving on active duty in the armed forces of the United States for a period of one hundred twenty (120) consecutive days in a calendar year; provided that the adequate supporting documentation is furnished to the board.

For More Info:

This information provided by the State Board Statutes and Rules.