Every registered surveyor who is desirous of practising or attempting or professing to practice land surveying, for a fee or reword shall apply to the Council for an Annual Practising Licence.
Provided however, registered Surveyors in the Survey Department engaging in Land Surveying under the supervision of the Surveyor General shall not be required to obtain an Annual Practising Licence for the purpose of engaging in land surveying on behalf of the Government.
Every registered surveyor issued with an Annual Practising Licence is referred to in this Act as a “Registered Licensed Surveyor”. Section 41 of Survey Act No. 17 of 2002.
(a) The Registered Surveyors who wish to obtain a practising licence for the first time will have to sit for a written professional test conducted by the LSC. The subjects for the written test are as follows. This test will be held every six months (June and December) (1) Acts in force pertaining to Land Surveys. (2) Professional ethics. (3) Solutions to problems faced while attending to a survey. (4) D.S.R. and Tl and “Technical Manual for Registered Licensed Surveyors”.
(b) The written test will consist of two papers each of three hours duration on Professional matters. The pass mark is 60% for each paper. At the test, the Open Book System will prevail.
(c) In addition to a written test the candidates will have to appear for a Viva. They will be questioned on Land Laws, Land Survey Procedures and Typical Practical Problems in Surveying. The pass mark is 60%.
(d) Registered Surveyors of the Survey Department who have acquired satisfactory Practical Experience for eight years or more, through active service in the Survey Department in Land Surveying, to the satisfaction of the LSC, are exempted from 2.(a) & (b) above. (Active service means the requirements given in 1.(k) above)
(e) Registered Surveyors of the Survey Department who have reached Class 1 or above in the Sri Lanka Surveyor’s Service (SLSS) shall be exempted from 2 (a), (b), and (c) above.
To get your Annual Practising Licence for the first time, you must pay the licence fee and submit an application form duely filled along with the following documents to the Land Survey Council.
i. Two colour photographs to the size of 4 cm X 3 cm. One photograph should be pasted on a blank A4 white paper and should be certified by a Justice of Peace as follows “I certify that the photograph above is that of Mr./Ms. ……………………. (Full name)”
ii. A certified copy of your National Identity Card (both sides) - You could get them certified by any Senior Officer in the Survey Department who is not below the rank of Snr.SS /Secretary of Land Survey Council.
iii. Certified copies of your professional certificates. (You could get them certified by a Justice of Peace or Senior Officer in the Survey Department who is not below the rank of Snr.SS /Secretary of Land Survey Council.
iv. Licence fee could be paid at any branch of the Bank of Ceylon in favor of “Chairman, Land Survey Council” Account No 0001658239 – Bank of Ceylon, Narahenpita branch and forward the credit slip to this office under registered post. You should get your Registration Number printed by the bank so that it will be included in the current account of Land Survey Council. (Any other method of paying licence fee is not accepted)
(a) Should have followed at least two CPD programmes in the previous year conducted by the LSC or approved by LSC.
(b) Every Licensed surveyor should maintain in the form of a hard copy a Plan Issuing Register. A CERTIFIED PHOTOCOPY of the Plan Issuing Register showing the surveys done in the previous year should accompany the application for the renewal.
(c) If there are gaps in plan numbers used and / or cancelled which cannot be satisfactorily explained, it shall be a disqualification against the surveyor seeking a renewal of the practising license.
To renew your Annual practising licence, you must pay the renewal fee and submit Your application to the Land Survey Council before the closing date along with a CERTIFIED PHOTOCOPY of your plan register.
Important:- If your application is received after 01st January of the current year, the effective date of your license will be the date on which your application is received by Land Survey Council office or the date you have paid the licence fee to the bank whichever is late. (No appeal to change the effective date will be entertained in this regard)
See Guideline for completing online application for the Annual Practising Licence for details procedures and the application forms to be used. Section 40 of Survey Act No. 17 of 2002.
Section 54 of the Survey Act No.17 of 2002 requires a licensed surveyor to follow continuous Development, Programmes related to profession of surveying. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is a vital component of Land Surveying. Being aware of this, LSC has encouraged Registered Licensed Surveyors to follow training courses/workshops to be in par with present developments in new technologies introduced in the field of Land Surveying by Survey professionals.
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The Hand book of Guidelines to Registered Licensed Surveyors is a collection of reproduced presentations made at CPD Programmes conducted by the Land Survey Council. The Registered Licensed Surveyors could refer to it if ever they needs any guidance. They are not binding on any surveyor but are merely guide lines. The LSC does not seek to intervene in the relationship the professional surveyor has with his clients. Nevertheless the LSC promotes the system of always signing a contract with the client by the surveyor whenever he undertakes a survey job with regard to “terms of engagement and cost agreement”. A copy of Hand Book of Guidelines could be obtained by any Licensed Surveyor from the LSC office free of charge.
The LSC has not formulated any special guidelines or regulations in this regard. But the Registered Licensed Surveyors need to be mindful about Labour Laws and Workmens’ Compensation Ordinance, which are general laws of the country, when they work with their assistants in the field.
Acts, Gazetts, Manuals and LSC circulars pertaining to Registered Surveyors and Registered Licensed Surveyors
• List of Acts applicable to surveyors on Land matters
• List of ordinances applicable to surveyors on Land matters