California Land Surveyor CE (PDH) Requirements (2026): No Mandatory CE Hours
Requirements Overview
California is one of the states with no continuing education requirement for land surveyors. The Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) renews Licensed Land Surveyor (LS) licenses on a two-year cycle by fee payment alone — there are no PDH hours, mandatory topics, or approved providers to track.
Separate from continuing education, starting July 1, 2026 every licensee whose license expires and renews after June 30, 2026 must complete a mandatory online Renewal Assessment within 60 days of the expiration date. It is a short compliance module (designed to take under an hour) covering state law, board rules, and the board's top administrative violations — explicitly not continuing education or PDH, and carrying no extra fee, though failure to complete it may result in disciplinary action.
The assessment is taken once every two years, per license discipline; for surveyors its 'Changes to Practice Acts' module covers the Professional Land Surveyors' Act. Land Surveyors also get a 30-day grace period on the renewal fee.
California CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to California that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- California does not impose any Continuing Education (CE) or Professional Development Hours (PDH) requirement for Licensed Land Surveyor (LS) renewal. Renewal is accomplished by paying the standard renewal fee; licenses are valid for two (2) years from the assigned renewal date.
- Separate from CE/PDH: Starting July 1, 2026, all licensees whose licenses expire and renew after June 30, 2026 must complete a mandatory online 'Renewal Assessment' within 60 days of the license expiration date. It is a short compliance/knowledge program (designed to take under an hour) covering state law, board rules, and the board's top administrative/procedural violations — it is NOT continuing education credit or PDH. There is no additional fee for it, but failure to complete it within the 60-day period may result in disciplinary action.
- The Renewal Assessment must be completed once every two years, per license discipline. For land surveyors, the assessment's 'Changes to Practice Acts' module covers the Professional Land Surveyors' Act (Business and Professions Code sections 8700–8805) and Board Rules (Title 16, California Code of Regulations sections 400–476). A licensee who also holds a Professional Engineer license must complete a separate assessment for each discipline.
- Land Surveyors have a 30-day grace period for renewal fee payment; a delinquent penalty fee equal to half the current renewal fee applies after expiration. A license delinquent for five (5) years or more cannot be renewed and requires a new application. No CE/PDH is required in any case.
Tips for California PLSs
- No CE or PDH is required in California — budget only for the standard renewal fee on your two-year cycle, and note the 30-day grace period (with a delinquent penalty equal to half the fee) if you miss the deadline.
- Starting July 1, 2026, complete the mandatory online Renewal Assessment within 60 days of your license expiration; it is a short compliance module, not CE, and carries no extra fee — but skipping it can trigger discipline.
- The surveyor assessment's 'Changes to Practice Acts' module covers the Professional Land Surveyors' Act (B&P Code sections 8700-8805) and Board Rules (Title 16 CCR sections 400-476), so review those areas before taking it.
- If you also hold a California PE license, you must take a separate Renewal Assessment for each discipline — one assessment does not cover both.
- If you are licensed in other states, remember those boards may still require PDH even though California does not — verify each state's rules separately with that board.
Sources
Each figure on this page is taken directly from the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists's official rules and continuing-education sources and recorded with the exact source excerpt. Last verified Jul 2026. Read how we compile and verify this data.