Wisconsin Land Surveyor CE (PDH) Requirements (2026): 20 Hours Every 2 Years

Requirements Overview

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) and its Examining Board require every professional land surveyor to complete at least 20 professional development hours (PDH) during each biennial registration period, which runs from February 1 of an even year to January 31 of the next even year (Wis. Admin. Code A-E 10.04).

Wisconsin is specific about content. Of the 20 hours, at least 2 must be in Wisconsin statutes and rules that regulate surveyors, at least 2 in professional conduct and ethics, and at least 2 in professional land surveying or related sciences. The remaining hours can be any approved PDH pertinent to surveying practice.

Two practical points stand out. The requirement does not apply to the biennium in which your license is first issued, so new licensees get their first full period free. And there is no carry-over — the 20 hours must be earned within each biennium — so a surveyor who misses the requirement by the renewal date may not practice until the license is renewed with proof of compliance.

Mandatory Topics

Exemptions

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  First Biennium (Newly Issued License) — The continuing education requirement does not apply to the biennium in which a license is first issued.

How You Can Complete Your CE

Wisconsin CE Rules & Limits

Details specific to Wisconsin that generic CE guides tend to miss:

• Every licensee must complete at least 20 PDH pertinent to the practice of professional land surveying during each two-year (biennial) registration period, which runs from February 1 of an even year to January 31 of the next even year (Wis. Admin. Code A-E 10.04).
• Of the 20 hours, at least 2 must be in Wisconsin statutes and rules regulating surveyors, at least 2 in professional conduct and ethics, and at least 2 in professional land surveying or related sciences.
• The CE requirement does not apply to the biennium in which the license is first issued.
• A surveyor who fails to meet the requirement by the renewal date may not practice professional land surveying until the license is renewed with proof of compliance.
• Keep records of completed PDH for at least two bienniums from the date the certificate or statement of attendance is signed. The surveyor requirement (20 PDH) differs from Wisconsin's professional-engineer requirement.

Tips for Wisconsin PLSs

• Front-load the three mandatory categories: lock in 2 hours each on Wisconsin surveying statutes and rules, professional conduct and ethics, and surveying or related sciences. That covers 6 of your 20 hours in required subjects.
• Know your window: the biennium runs February 1 of an even year to January 31 of the next even year. Earn all 20 hours inside that period.
• There is no carry-over in the surveyor rule, so extra hours in one biennium do not reduce the next. Plan each two-year block on its own.
• If you were just licensed, the biennium in which your license was first issued is exempt — but the following full biennium is not.
• Do not let it lapse: failing to meet the 20 hours by the renewal date bars you from practicing until you renew with proof. Keep certificates for at least two bienniums.

Sources

Each figure on this page is taken directly from the Wisconsin Examining Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, Professional Engineers, Designers, Professional Land Surveyors and Registered Interior Designers (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS)'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.

PLS Requirements in Nearby States

Other Professions in Wisconsin