Alabama
Alabama licenses land surveyors through the Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BELS). Becoming a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) requires a combination of education, supervised experience, and passing three exams — the FS, PS, and a state-specific exam on Alabama laws and procedures.
Everything on one card.
The fields most candidates ask us about, pulled directly from the board's published requirements.
Step-by-step to PLS.
A linear view of the typical path — from education to license. Some steps overlap in practice.
- 01
Meet Education Requirements
Alabama offers several paths. The most common is a bachelor's degree in surveying or surveying engineering with at least 30 semester hours of surveying courses from a BELS-approved program. A related 4-year degree with additional experience is also accepted, as is an associate's degree in surveying with 2 years of experience.
- 02
Pass the FS Exam
Available nowThe NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying exam is computer-based, offered year-round at Pearson VUE testing centers. 110 questions, 6 hours. Passing the FS qualifies you to become a Land Surveyor Intern (LSI).
- 03
Earn LSI Certification
Apply to BELS with your education documentation and FS exam results. LSI certification allows you to begin logging supervised experience hours toward full licensure.
- 04
Gain Supervised Experience
Accumulate a minimum of 4 years of combined office and field experience in land surveying under the supervision of a licensed Professional Land Surveyor. The experience must be progressive and of a grade satisfactory to the board.
- 05
Pass the PS Exam
Available nowThe NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying exam is computer-based, offered year-round. 100 questions, 7 hours. You must have completed the required experience before sitting for this exam.
- 06
Pass the Alabama State Exam
Prep coming soonA 2-hour written examination covering Alabama-specific laws, procedures, and practices pertaining to land surveying. This exam tests your knowledge of Alabama statutes, administrative code, and standards of practice.
- 07
Receive PLS License
After passing all three exams with approved education and experience, BELS issues your Professional Land Surveyor license. You can now practice land surveying in Alabama under your own authority.
After you're licensed.
What this state requires to keep your license active.
- Total Hours
- 15 PDH per year (30 per biennial renewal period)
- Ethics Requirement
- 1 hour minimum per year
- Carryover
- Up to 15 PDH from previous period
- Self-Study
- Allowed — board does not pre-approve courses
- Renewal Period
- Biennial (every 2 years)
- Pre-Approval Required?
- No — self-administered program. Board sets criteria but does not pre-approve courses.
- Audit
- Licensees must maintain records to support PDH claims. Subject to audit.
Coming in from another state?
Licensed in another state? Alabama accepts comity applications. You must hold a valid PLS license from another U.S. jurisdiction with education, experience, and examination qualifications that meet Alabama's standards. Comity applicants must pass the 2-hour Alabama state-specific exam on laws, procedures, and practices. Apply through BELS with your NCEES Record or equivalent documentation.
Verify everything yourself.
Every detail above is sourced from these documents. If the board updates, we update — usually within a week.
Alabama's prep, when it's ready.
We'll email you when the state-specific exam prep launches — no waitlist tricks, no spam, no obligation.