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: Gaetz
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: Senate - Died in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Surveying and Mapping License Reciprocity

This bill changes the requirements for surveyors and mappers from other states to get a Florida license.

What This Bill Does

Allows surveyors and mappers with licenses from other U.S. states or territories to apply for a Florida license if their licensing criteria were similar to Florida's at the time they got their original license.
Requires applicants to have at least five years of experience as registered surveyors and mappers in active practice, showing responsibility for accurate work.
Gives the Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers permission to ask for documents or verify information from other states' licensing authorities.

Who It Names or Affects

Surveyors and mappers who want to get a Florida license but are licensed in another state or territory.

Terms To Know

endorsement: A process where the Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers approves an applicant for licensure based on their qualifications from another state.
substantially equivalent: Refers to licensing criteria or exams that are similar enough in standards to be considered equal to Florida's requirements.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass the Appropriations Committee and therefore has not become law.
It is unclear how many surveyors and mappers from other states will apply for a Florida license under these new rules.

Bill History

2026-03-13 Senate
• Died in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government
2026-01-14 Senate
• Now in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government
2026-01-13 Senate
• Favorable by Commerce and Tourism; YEAS 10 NAYS 0 • Introduced
2026-01-08 Senate
• On Committee agenda-- Commerce and Tourism, 01/13/26, 4:00 pm, 110 Senate Building
2025-12-16 Senate
• Referred to Commerce and Tourism; Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; Rules
2025-12-11 Senate
• Filed

Official Summary Text

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

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 874

By
Senator Gaetz

1-01332A-26 2026874__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to professional licensure reciprocity
3 for the practice of surveying and mapping; amending s.
4 472.015, F.S.; revising the requirements for
5 applicants eligible to be qualified for licensure by
6 endorsement by the Board of Professional Surveyors and
7 Mappers to include applicants from outside of the
8 state who meet certain requirements; authorizing the
9 board to require and independently evaluate certain
10 documents and information; authorizing the board to
11 adopt certain rules; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 472.015, Florida
16 Statutes, is amended to read:
17 472.015 Licensure.—
18 (5)(a) The board shall certify as qualified for a license
19 by endorsement an applicant who, at the time of application:
20 1. Holds a valid license to practice surveying and mapping
21 issued before July 1, 1999, by another state or territory of the
22 United States; has passed a national, regional, state, or
23 territorial licensing examination that is substantially
24 equivalent to the examination required by s. 472.013; and has a
25 specific experience record of at least 8 years as a subordinate
26 to a registered surveyor and mapper in the active practice of
27 surveying and mapping, 6 years of which must be of a nature
28 indicating that the applicant was in responsible charge of the
29 accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping work
30 performed;
or

31 2. Holds a valid license to practice surveying and mapping
32 issued by another state or territory of the United States if the
33 criteria for issuance of the license were substantially the same
34 as the licensure criteria that existed in Florida at the time
35 the license was issued
; or

36
3.

Holds a valid license to practice surveying and mapping

37
issued by another state or territory of the United States, is

38
currently in good standing with such licensing authority, and

39
has a specific experience record of at least 5 years as a

40
registered surveyor and mapper in the active practice of

41
surveying and mapping, which must be of a nature indicating that

42
the applicant was in responsible charge of the accuracy and

43
correctness of the surveying and mapping work performed
.
44 (b) All applicants for licensure by endorsement must pass
45 the Florida law and rules portion of the examination prior to
46 licensure.
47
(c)

For purposes of determining whether an applicant is in

48
good standing under subparagraph (a)3., the board may require

49
documentation, verification, or certification from the issuing

50
authority, and may independently evaluate disciplinary,

51
regulatory, or competency records maintained by such authority

52
or other reliable sources. The board may adopt rules to

53
implement this section in a manner consistent with s. 472.008.

54 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.