• Holiday Hours

     TBPLS will be closed Monday, May 27, 2013, in observance of Memorial Day.  Normal business hours will resume Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

  • State of Texas Licensing System Unavailable

     The State of Texas Licensing System will be unavailable for approximately four hours beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Friday,The state May 24, 2013. We apologize for any inconvenience.on Friday, May 24, 2013. We apologize for any inconvenience.

  • New NCEES Dates

     NCEES has released new dead lines for the October exam: Registration for the October, 2013 exams will open June 17 and close at 11:59pm ET on September 5. Check this page on the NCEES website for more information: http://ncees.org/exams/state-pages/texas-surveying-exam-registration/

  • Next Board Meeting

     The next meeting of the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying will be held June 14, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.  The meeting will be held in Building A, Room 172 in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Directions…

  • Renewals for 2013

     The deadline has passed for renewal of license for 2013. All payments sent to renew a license must include the late fee and appropriate paperwork. Links to the paperwork are bellow.  ***NOTE: Late renewal payments cannot be made through…

Welcome to the TBPLS Website

Continuing Education

As some of you know, TBPLS is in the midst of a continuing education audit. It has become apparent that there is confusion about required education that must be obtained every year and carry-over hours.

For historical purposes, the Board required licensees to obtain eight-hours of continuing education in Board approved professional development courses or programs per calendar year.  In 2011, the number of hours increased from eight-hours to “at least 12-hours” and a stipulation was added as well:  a minimum of three hours have to be on the Act, Rules, and/or ethics.

Each year, a licensee must take a Board developed or Board approved course either in the Board’s Act and Rules or in ethics.  The Board suggests that if you take a course in ethics this year, next year you should take a course in the Board’s Act and Rules.  By rotating these topics each year, it helps to keep you current.

Sometimes we hear licensees are confused about the required hours in the area of Board Act and Rules or ethics.  I cannot say why “three” was chosen since most courses are in blocks of four hours, but remember that our rule states “a minimum of three hours”.  So what happens if the course you took was four hours?  It simply means you need at least eight more hours to meet the continuing education requirements. If you earn more than 12-hours, you may be able to carry-over some of the hours to the next calendar year.

The other area we receive questions concerns carry-over hours.  Our rules state you are required to have “a minimum” of 12-hours in Board-approved professional development.  We have established that a minimum of three of the 12 hours have to be in the Board’s Act and Rules or in ethics.  Depending on the courses you choose and the credit hours you earn for those courses, you may very well exceed the minimum number of hours you are required to earn each calendar year.  Our rules allow you to carry over up to eight of the excess hours you may have earned in a previous calendar year. However, if any of the excess hours are from a course in the Board’s Act and Rules or in ethics, those specific hours cannot be carried over. Remember, hours earned from courses in the Board’s Act and Rules or in ethics must be from the current calendar year.

As always, you are welcome to contact the Board’s office if you have any questions regarding continuing education.

Marcelino A. Estrada
Executive Director
 

STATEWIDE GOAL

The priority goal will be to ensure that Texas consumers are effectively and efficiently served by high quality professionals and businesses by setting clear standards, maintaining compliance and seeking market-based solutions.

THE MISSION

The mission of the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying is to protect the residents of Texas by regulating, licensing and renewing the licenses of only competent surveyors; surveyors able to provide accurate surveys which will result in the orderly use of our physical environment.

THE PHILOSOPHY

The Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying will license only competent surveyors and will regulate the practice of surveying. We will manage our resources as efficiently and effectively as possible with a commitment to excellence.