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HB0879 • 2026

Professional Licensure Reciprocity for the Practice of Surveying and Mapping

Professional Licensure Reciprocity for the Practice of Surveying and Mapping

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Boyles
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
House - Died in Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on what happens to applicants who do not meet the criteria or how many out-of-state surveyors and mappers will apply under these changes.

Professional Licensure Reciprocity for Surveyors and Mappers

This bill amends the requirements for surveyors and mappers from other states to obtain a license in Florida by endorsement.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands eligibility criteria for licensure by endorsement to include applicants licensed outside of Florida, provided their licensing criteria are substantially equivalent to those in Florida at the time of issuance.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Surveyors and mappers who want to work in Florida but are licensed in another state.
  • The Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers, which will have more authority to review applications from out-of-state applicants.

Terms To Know

endorsement
A way for someone already licensed in one place to get a license in another place without taking the full licensing exam there.
substantially equivalent
Means that something is almost exactly the same as another thing, even if not exactly identical.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens to applicants who do not meet the new requirements.
  • It's unclear how many surveyors and mappers from other states will apply for Florida licenses under these changes.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 House

    • Died in Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee

  2. 2026-01-15 House

    • Reported out of Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee • Now in Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee

  3. 2026-01-14 House

    • Favorable by Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee

  4. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  5. 2026-01-12 House

    • Added to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee agenda

  6. 2026-01-05 House

    • Referred to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee • Referred to Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee • Referred to Commerce Committee • Now in Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee

  7. 2025-12-23 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Professional Licensure Reciprocity for the Practice of Surveying and Mapping; Revises requirements for applicants eligible to be qualified for licensure by endorsement by Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers to include applicants from outside of state who meet certain requirements; authorizes board to require & independently evaluate certain documents and information; authorizes board to adopt certain rules.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB 879 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb879-00
Page 1 of 3
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to professional licensure reciprocity 2
for the practice of surveying and mapping; amending s. 3
472.015, F.S.; expanding the requirements for 4
applicants eligible to be qualified for licensure by 5
endorsement by the Board of Professional Surveyors and 6
Mappers to include applicants from outside of the 7
state who meet certain requirements; authorizing the 8
board to require and independently evaluate certain 9
documents and information; authorizing the board to 10
adopt certain rules; providing an effective date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
14
Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 472.015, Florida 15
Statutes, is amended to read: 16
472.015 Licensure.— 17
(5)(a) The board shall certify as qualified for a license 18
by endorsement an applicant who, at the time of application: 19
1. Holds a valid license to practice surveying and mapping 20
issued before July 1, 1999, by another state or territory of the 21
United States; has passed a national, regional, state, or 22
territorial licensing examination that is substantially 23
equivalent to the examination required by s. 472.013; and has a 24
specific experience record of at least 8 years as a subordinate 25

HB 879 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb879-00
Page 2 of 3
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

to a registered surveyor and mapper in the active practice of 26
surveying and mapping, 6 years of which must be of a nature 27
indicating that the applicant was in responsible charge of the 28
accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping work 29
performed; or 30
2. Holds a valid license to practice surveying and mapping 31
issued by another state or territory of the United States if the 32
criteria for issuance of the license were substantially the same 33
as the licensure criteria that existed in Florida at the time 34
the license was issued; or 35
3. Holds a valid license to practice surveying and mapping 36
issued by another state or territory of the United States, is 37
currently in good standing with such licensing authority, and 38
has a specific experience record of at least 5 years as a 39
registered surveyor and mapper in the active practice of 40
surveying and mapping, which must be of a nature indicating that 41
the applicant was in responsible charge of the accuracy and 42
correctness of the surveying and mapping work performed. 43
(b) All applicants for licensure by endorsement must pass 44
the Florida law and rules portion of the examination prior to 45
licensure. 46
(c) For purposes of determining whether an applicant is in 47
good standing under subparagraph (a)3., the board may require 48
documentation, verification, or certification from the issuing 49
authority, and may independently evaluate disciplinary, 50

HB 879 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb879-00
Page 3 of 3
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

regulatory, or competency records maintained by such authority 51
or other reliable sources. The board may adopt rules to 52
implement this section in a manner consistent with s. 472.008. 53
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 54