Land Survey Council

(This process is currently under review.)

Becoming A Registered Surveyor (Registering in LSC)


Registration Requirements


The Requirements for Registration are:

• Should fulfill the requirements given in schedule under section 39 of the Survey Act No. 17 of 2002.
• No age limit
• Scheme to recognize Academic and Professional qualifications in Land Surveying, establish practical experience requirements and conduct qualifying examinations and professional interviews for candidates for registration as registered Surveyors and for the issue and renewal of the practising licences (Section 37(f) of the Survey Act No.17 of 2002)

Registration in the Land Survey Council


(a) Any Academically Qualified person seeking Registration in the LSC shall first get himself/herself enlisted in the LSC as a “Trainee Surveyor” (use form LSC-R2) He shall sign an agreement (use form LSC-R3) with a Registered Licensed Surveyor (RLS) from the panel listed by the LSC, to get himself trained. Medium of Practical training will be English. Another two forms to be used in this process are LSC-R1 application for serving as Supervising Registered Licensed Surveyors (SRLS) and LSC-R4 for evaluation of reports of Trainee Surveyors.

(b) He/She has to pay a sum of Rs. 2,000/= per year to the LSC to cover the monitoring expenses of the training scheme vide subsections b(i) and b(ii) of schedule under section 39 of the Survey Act for the two years / three years respectively or any extension of time needed. This payment could be made at the beginning of every year or as a lump sum payment for the two year / three year period at the commencement of the training.

(c) The Trainee Surveyors to be informed that they need to get adequate practical experience in the following types of surveys. (Practical experience needed shall be restricted to ⅔ of the total number of jobs given below when seeking registration under sec 39 schedule a (i) )

No. Type of Survey job Minimum No of jobs Remarks
1. Property Surveys in rural/urban areas.5 (Compulsory) At least two jobs need to be of 2 Hactares and 10 lots or more.
2. Site Survey in a built up area.2(Compulsory) -
3. Engineering Survey or Topo Survey.3(Compulsory) Each job need to be 1 Hactare or more.
4. Setting out Surveys(Roads/Channels/tunnels or BOD preparation. 2(Compulsory) Any two out of the four items.
5. Mining Surveys. 2(Optional)The candidate will receive credit at the viva mentioned under section 1(j)
6. Strata Survey or Condominium Surveys. 2(Optional) The jobs need to be at least of 4 parcels (units). Credit at the viva under section 1(j).
7. Forest Surveys. 2 (Optional) The candidate will receive credit at the viva mentioned under section 1(j)
8. Court Commission Surveys.
“L” cases.
“P” cases.
2 (Optional) The candidate will receive credit at the viva mentioned under section 1(j)
9. Hydrographic Surveys.2(Optional)The candidate will receive credit at the viva mentioned under section 1(j)

Total number of jobs to be completed are 18, out of them 12 compulsory jobs should be completed. Balance can be completed from Optional or Compulsory categories. Those who do more will receive credit at the viva mentioned under para 1(j).

All jobs shall be done under Registered Licensed Surveyors selected from the panel maintained at the LSC after signing an agreement with the Registered Licensed Surveyors (RLS). The trainee can change the Supervisory Licensed Surveyor for every six months (Minimum period) according to his requirements, with the permission of the LSC. The Consent of the SRLS need to be obtained in writing to accommodate the Trainee Surveyor.


(d) The LSC shall write to all the Registered Licensed Surveyors inviting their consent to serve in the panel. The Surveyors’ Institute also to be requested to assist the LSC in this training programme by nominating some of its experienced and responsible members to serve as SRLS.

(e) Every Trainee Surveyor need to send a progress report every six months to the LSC through the SRLS regarding the practical work, with copies, of the plans and field notes of the work they have supported through the SRLS who should make his/their comments. The LSC will supply the necessary format for this report. (Form LSC-R4)

(f) At the end of the two years / three years period (according to section 39 of the act) of practical training, to the satisfaction of the LSC, the trainees shall apply to LSC for the written exam (Part 1) and the practical task (Part II) to be conducted by the LSC.

(g) The candidates will have to pay an exam fee of Rs. 6000/= (at Rs: 3000/= for each part) to the LSC. They need to have their own equipment and assistants and arrange for their board.

(h) The pass mark is 60% for each part. The exams shall be conducted once a year. Those who fail will have to sit again next year for the relevant part/parts.

(i) For the written exam there shall be one paper of 4 hour duration. The subjects are Land Law, Professional Ethics, and Required Accuracy Levels for various types of Survey jobs, questions on the DSR, Tl and Technical Specifications for various types of jobs. This exam will be on ”Open Book” basis. For the practical test the candidate shall be given a block of land to survey and prepare a Cadastral Plan including tenement list.

(j) Candidates who qualify at the written test and the practical test shall appear for a viva at the LSC office. The copies of plans submitted to the LSC will be scrutinized for acceptance at this viva.

(k) Provisions (a) to (j) do not apply to Surveyors in the Survey Department when seeking Registration in the LSC provided SG is satisfied that the applicant gained practical experience for a period of not less than two/three years as applicable in all fields 1 to 4 mentioned in section (c). Long periods of personal leave will not be counted for period of practical experience. Supervisory Duties, purely on land surveying in all fields mentioned above shall be accounted for practical experience. Minimum number of years practical experience required as stated on schedule a (i) and a (ii) of section 39 of the Survey Act No. 17 of 2002. A minimum of 80% attendance need to be maintained during the training period.

(l) LSC shall consider the practical experiences gained only after obtaining the academic qualifications mentioned in (a) of the schedule under section 39 of the Survey Act No. 17 of 2002.

(m) LSC shall not consider any practical experiences gained before this scheme came in to effect other than the training obtained in the Survey Department of Sri Lanka.

Registration Requirements


All Registered surveyors are required to pay registration fees. The current fees are set out in Schedule