Examinations, prerequisites.

(1) A person desiring to be licensed as a surveyor and mapper shall apply to the department for licensure.

(2) An applicant shall be entitled to take the licensure examination to practice in this state as a surveyor and mapper if the applicant is of good moral character and has satisfied one of the following requirements:

(a) The applicant has received a bachelor’s degree, its equivalent, or higher in surveying and mapping or a similarly titled program, including, but not limited to, geomatics, geomatics engineering, and land surveying, from a college or university recognized by the board and has a specific experience record of 4 or more years as a subordinate to a professional surveyor and mapper in the active practice of surveying and mapping, which experience is of a nature indicating that the applicant was in responsible charge of the accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping work performed. Work experience acquired as a part of the education requirement may not be construed as experience in responsible charge.

(b) The applicant has received a bachelor’s degree, its equivalent, or higher in a course of study, other than in surveying and mapping, at an accredited college or university and has a specific experience record of 6 or more years as a subordinate to a registered surveyor and mapper in the active practice of surveying and mapping, 5 years of which shall be of a nature indicating that the applicant was in responsible charge of the accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping work performed. The applicant must have completed a minimum of 25 semester hours from a college or university approved by the board in surveying and mapping subjects or in any combination of courses in civil engineering, surveying, mapping, mathematics, photogrammetry, forestry, or land law and the physical sciences. Any of the required 25 semester hours of study completed not as a part of the bachelor’s degree, its equivalent, or higher may be approved at the discretion of the board. Work experience acquired as a part of the education requirement may not be construed as experience in responsible charge.

(3) A person shall be entitled to take an examination for the purpose of determining whether he or she is qualified as a surveyor and mapper intern if:

(a) The person is in good standing in, or is a graduate of, a bachelor degree program, its equivalent or higher, at an accredited college or university and has obtained a minimum of 25 semester hours in surveying, mapping, mathematics, photogrammetry, forestry, civil engineering, or land law and the physical sciences, or any combination thereof; or

(b) The person has obtained, from an accredited college or university, a minimum of 15 semester hours in surveying, mapping, mathematics, photogrammetry, forestry, civil engineering, or land law and the physical sciences, or any combination thereof, and has a specific surveying and mapping experience record of 2 or more years as a subordinate to a registered surveyor and mapper.

This subsection may not be construed as a substitute for the degree requirement to take the exams for licensure as outlined in subsection (2).

(4) The board shall adopt rules providing for the review and approval of schools and colleges and the courses of study in surveying and mapping in such schools and colleges. The rules shall be based on the educational requirements for surveying and mapping as defined in s. 472.005. The board may adopt rules providing for the acceptance of the approval and accreditation of schools and courses of study by a nationally accepted accreditation organization.

(5)(a) Good moral character means a personal history of honesty, fairness, and respect for the rights of others and for the laws of this state and nation.

(b) The board may refuse to certify an applicant for failure to satisfy this requirement only if:

1. There is a substantial connection between the lack of good moral character of the applicant and the professional responsibilities of a registered surveyor and mapper; and

2. The finding by the board of lack of good moral character is supported by clear and convincing evidence.

(c) When an applicant is found to be unqualified for a license because of a lack of good moral character, the board shall furnish the applicant a statement containing the findings of the board, a complete record of the evidence upon which the determination was based, and a notice of the rights of the applicant to a rehearing and appeal.