Land Surveyor Business Cards for PLS RPLS Licensed Professional Land Surveyor Professionals

Licensed professional land surveyors (PLS or RPLS) are the licensed professionals who measure and mathematically describe the earth's surface and the objects on it — from the property corners that define a homeowner's lot to the precise control points that guide highway construction, the topographic surveys that support architectural and engineering design, and the as-built surveys that document completed construction.

What Land Surveyor Cards Include

Your Credentials

Professional license:

• P.L.S. (Professional Land Surveyor) or R.P.L.S. (Registered Professional Land Surveyor) — the state-issued professional land surveyor license; the primary credential; requires completing a surveying education program (associate or bachelor's degree) + 4 years of experience under licensed surveyor supervision + passing the NCEES FS (Fundamentals of Surveying) examination + passing the NCEES PS (Principles and Practice of Surveying) examination + state-specific requirements; must be current in each state of practice
• LSIT (Land Surveyor-in-Training) — NCEES FS-passed candidate; working toward full PLS licensure; noted by some surveyors on cards while pursuing licensure
• P.E. + P.L.S. — some civil engineers also hold surveying licenses; dual-credential professionals are particularly valued in some project types

NSPS and professional organizations:

• NSPS (National Society of Professional Surveyors) member — the primary national organization for professional land surveyors; NSPS provides advocacy, education, standards, and community; member in good standing
• ACSM (American Congress on Surveying and Mapping) — NSPS was historically affiliated with ACSM; some surveyors still reference ACSM
• RPLS member (state association) — state PLS or RPLS association membership
• ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) — for surveyors specializing in photogrammetry, LiDAR, remote sensing, and GIS

Survey specialty credentials:

• RPLS + GIS — GIS integration in land surveying; GISP (Geographic Information Systems Professional) credential held by some surveyors
• UAV/Drone Survey Certified — FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate; for surveyors using drone survey technology (photogrammetry, LiDAR)
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate — required for commercial drone operations; widely held by modern survey firms
• ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey — the joint standard for land title surveys serving real estate transactions; note this standard compliance if relevant

Your Survey Specialty

Boundary and ownership surveys:

• Boundary surveys (lot surveys) — establishing property corners and boundary lines
• Location surveys — locating improvements relative to boundaries
• Subdivision plats — dividing land into lots; final plats recorded in county records
• Lot line adjustments and boundary line agreements
• Easement surveys — locating and describing easements
• Adverse possession surveys

ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys:

• ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey — the national standard for commercial real estate; prepared for title insurance purposes; shows all physical improvements, easements of record, zoning setbacks, access, and boundary; required by ALTA standards published jointly with NSPS

Topographic and design surveys:

• Topographic surveys — mapping elevation, contours, and existing features for engineering design
• Route surveys (linear projects: roads, pipelines, utilities)
• Pre-design surveys for civil engineering, architecture, landscape architecture
• LiDAR scanning surveys (terrestrial and airborne)
• Drone/UAV photogrammetry surveys
• Hydrographic surveys (underwater topography)

Construction surveys:

• Construction staking — staking buildings, roads, utilities, grading for construction
• As-built surveys — documenting actual constructed locations for record
• Grade checks and control surveys
• Monitoring surveys (structure settlement, slope movement)
• Bathymetric survey (underwater construction projects)

Legal and subdivision:

• Metes and bounds legal description preparation
• Subdivision plat preparation and approval process coordination
• Lot consolidation plats
• Condominiums and site condominium plats
• Vacations and dedications of easements and right-of-way

Specialty and emerging:

• 3D laser scanning (terrestrial LiDAR, BIM integration)
• Mobile mapping systems
• Aerial LiDAR (airborne LiDAR survey flights)
• Remote sensing and satellite imagery analysis
• GIS data collection and mapping
• Section corner remonumentation (GLO public land surveys)
• Floodplain surveys (FEMA FIRM map amendments and revisions)
• LOMA / LOMA-E (Letter of Map Amendment)

Design for Land Surveyors

Color palette:

• Navy + white: professional surveying authority
• Forest green + white: land, environment, geography
• Blue + yellow: surveying measurement, precision
• Earth brown + white: land, soil, property

Back of Card

1. "P.L.S. | R.P.L.S. | [State] Licensed | NSPS Member | FAA Part 107 | GISP"
2. "Boundary | ALTA/NSPS Land Title | Topographic | Construction staking | As-built | Subdivision"
3. "LiDAR | Drone/UAV | 3D scanning | FEMA LOMA | Route | Hydrographic | GIS"
4. "Residential | Commercial | Industrial | Infrastructure | Municipality | Title company | Developer"
5. "[Survey firm] | [City, State] | [phone] | [email] | [website]"

Checklist

• [ ] P.L.S. or R.P.L.S. license (and state)
• [ ] License number (some clients require for verification)
• [ ] NSPS membership
• [ ] State surveying association membership
• [ ] FAA Part 107 (if drone surveys)
• [ ] GISP (if GIS specialty)
• [ ] ASPRS (if photogrammetry/LiDAR/remote sensing)
• [ ] Primary survey types (boundary, ALTA, topographic, construction)
• [ ] Technology specialty (LiDAR, drone, 3D scanning)
• [ ] Market sectors (residential, commercial, municipal, infrastructure)
• [ ] Firm name and contact