SECTION 134.21. Application for Standard Registration

(a) To be eligible for registration as a registered professional land surveyor (RPLS), an individual must submit a completed application.

(b) All applicants must hold a current Texas Surveyor-In-Training (SIT) certification and pass the examination on the fundamentals of surveying before submitting an application for registration as an RPLS.

(c) Applicants must speak and write the English language. Proficiency in English may be evidenced by an accredited degree taught exclusively in English, or passage of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a written score of at least 550, a computer based score of at least 200, or an internet-based score of at least 95, or other evidence such as significant academic or work experience in English, that is acceptable to the executive director.

(d) Applicants for a registration shall submit:

(1) an application in a format prescribed by the board including:

(A) his or her full, legal name without abbreviations, nicknames, or other variations of the full legal name. If applicable, the applicant shall submit proof of a legal name change including but not limited to a marriage certificate, passport, current Driver's License issued by the State of Texas, court documents, or nationalization documents to substantiate other documentation submitted in the application; and

(B) his or her social security number, as required under the Texas Family Code, §231.302;

(2) current application fee as established by the board. Application fees shall be waived for qualifying military service members, military veterans, and military spouses in accordance with Texas Occupations Code Chapter 55;

(3) proof of educational credentials pursuant to Subchapter D of this chapter (relating to Education);

(4) a supplementary experience record that includes at least two years of surveying experience as required under §134.41 of this chapter (relating to Supplementary Experience Record);

(5) a minimum of three reference statements conforming to Subchapter F of this chapter (relating to Reference Documentation);

(6) documentation of a passing score on examination(s), which may include official verifications from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) or other jurisdictions as required under §134.61(g) of this chapter (relating to Surveying Examinations), if applicable;

(7) verification of a current license from another jurisdiction, if applicable;

(8) TOEFL scores, if applicable;

(9) information regarding any judgments of convictions, deferred judgments or pre-trial diversions for a misdemeanor or felony provided in a form prescribed by the board together with copies of any court orders or other legal documentation concerning the criminal charges and the resolution of those charges; and

(10) for applications submitted on or after September 1, 2020, documentation of submittal of fingerprints for criminal history record check as required by Texas Occupations Code §1001.272.

(e) At the time the application is filed, an applicant may request in writing that any transcripts, reference statements, evaluations, experience records or other similar documentation previously submitted to the board be included in a current application; however, new or updated information may be required.

(f) The NCEES record may be accepted as verification of an original transcript, licenses held, examinations taken, experience record and reference documentation to meet the conditions of subsection (d)(3) - (7) of this section.

(g) Once an application is accepted for review, the fee shall not be returned, and the application and all submissions shall become a permanent part of the board records.

(h) An applicant who is a citizen of another country shall show sufficient documentation to the board to verify the immigration status for the determination of his or her eligibility for a professional license in accordance with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

(i) Once an application under this section is accepted for review, the board will follow the procedures in §134.83 of this chapter (relating to Processing, Review, and Evaluation of Applications) to review and approve or deny the application. The board may request additional information or require additional documentation to ensure eligibility as needed. Pursuant to Texas Occupations Code §1001.453, the board may review the license holder's status and take action if the license was obtained by fraud or error or if the license holder may pose a threat to the public's health, safety, or welfare.

Source Note: The provisions of this §134.21 adopted to be effective December 30, 2020, 45 TexReg 9513; amended to be effective March 23, 2023, 48 TexReg 1561