In context of California statutes defining the Practice of Surveying
Navigating the boundaries between land surveyors, engineers, professional geologists, and geospatial (GIS) professionals is crucial for maintaining the integrity of each field. Although land surveying and geospatial work complement each other, they differ significantly in scope and focus. In California, surveyors are licensed by the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (the Board) and the activities exclusively reserved for Professional Land Surveyors (PLS) are defined by the Professional Land Surveyors’ Act.
In order to help raise awareness and protect the California geospatial community, a cross-organizational committee consisting of members from the California Geographic Information Association (CGIA) and the California Chapter of the Geospatial Professional Network (GPN) was convened, along with other non-affiliated individuals.
This committee thoroughly researched the laws surrounding surveying in California and in April 2025 prepared a document for geospatial professionals, which is published below.
Read more about CGIA at cgia.org and GPN at thegpn.org.