Kentucky Land Surveyor CE (PDH) Requirements (2026): 16 Hours Every 2 Years

Requirements Overview

The Kentucky State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (KYBOELS) requires every professional land surveyor to complete continuing professional development measured in professional development hours (PDH). Under 201 KAR 18:192, you must earn a minimum of 16 PDH each reporting period — defined as the two calendar years preceding your June 30 renewal — so the requirement is a biennial lump sum rather than a per-year quota.

Within those 16 hours, a 4 PDH course covering standards of practice, professional ethics, and the code of conduct must be completed once every four years. Distance-education courses and webinars qualify; self-study does not.

Up to 8 PDH may be carried forward to the next reporting period. Renewal is biennial on June 30 — surnames A–K renew in odd years, L–Z in even years.

Mandatory Topics

Exemptions

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  Initial Year Of Licensure — A licensee is exempt from the continuing professional development requirements during the initial year of licensure.
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  Active Military Duty — A licensee on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States is exempt from the continuing professional development requirements for those years of active service.
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  Inactive Or Retired Status — A licensee holding inactive or retired status is exempt from the continuing professional development requirements while in that status.
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  Disability, Illness, Or Extenuating Circumstance — An extension or waiver may be granted for physical disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstance upon written request with supporting documentation.

How You Can Complete Your CE

Kentucky CE Rules & Limits

Details specific to Kentucky that generic CE guides tend to miss:

• Carry-over — Up to a maximum of 8 excess PDH units may be carried forward to the next reporting period (201 KAR 18:192 Section 2(3)).
• The requirement is 16 PDH per two-year reporting period (the two calendar years preceding the June 30 renewal). There is no separate per-calendar-year minimum for land surveyors (201 KAR 18:192 Section 2(1)).
• A 4 PDH course in standards of practice, professional ethics, and the code of professional practice and conduct — pre-approved by the Surveying Committee — must be completed once every four years and counts toward the 16 PDH (Section 2(2)).
• Up to 8 excess PDH may be carried forward to the next reporting period (Section 2(3)).
• Licenses renew biennially on June 30: last names A–K renew in odd-numbered years, L–Z in even-numbered years. Licensees must keep a PDH activity log; renewals completed on or after September 1 are subject to audit.

Tips for Kentucky PLSs

• Track hours against the two-year reporting period, which runs by calendar year (Jan 1–Dec 31) and closes at the June 30 renewal. There is no annual sub-minimum, so you can distribute the 16 PDH across the two years however you like.
• Plan the 4 PDH standards-of-practice/ethics course on a four-year rhythm, not every renewal. Because it is only required once every four years, it lands in one of every two biennial cycles — but it must be a course pre-approved by the KYBOELS Surveying Committee.
• Do not rely on self-study. Kentucky excludes self-study from qualifying activities, so choose instructor-led courses, webinars, or distance-education programs, which do count.
• Confirm your renewal year by last name: A–K renews June 30 of odd-numbered years, L–Z on June 30 of even-numbered years. Your reporting period is the two calendar years before that date.
• Bank up to 8 excess PDH for the next reporting period, and keep a detailed activity log (date, provider, title, presenter, hours) — renewals filed on or after September 1 are subject to audit.

Sources

PLS Requirements in Nearby States

Other Professions in Kentucky

All Land Surveyor CE Requirements by State

Open any other state's Land Surveyor CE (PDH) requirements, or see the full Land Surveyor CE hub to compare every state in one table.