North Carolina Land Surveyor CE (PDH) Requirements (2026): 15 Hours Every Year

Requirements Overview

The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS) requires every professional land surveyor to complete 15 PDH during each one-year renewal period (21 NCAC 56 .1703). Because the license renews annually, the full 15-hour requirement resets every year.

Two of those hours are subject-specific, effective as of the 2024 renewal: at least 1 PDH in Ethics or Rules of Professional Conduct (required of all NCBELS licensees) and, for land surveyors specifically, at least 1 PDH in the Standards of Practice for Land Surveying, which must draw on Section .1600 of the Board Rules. Both are part of the 15, not additional hours.

If you overshoot, up to 15 excess PDH may be carried forward — but only into the immediately following renewal period.

Mandatory Topics

Exemptions

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  New Licensees — New licensees by way of examination or comity are exempt from the professional-development requirement for their first renewal period.
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  Armed Forces — A licensee who is an armed-forces member eligible for a tax-filing extension under G.S. 105-249.2 is granted a waiver for the disregarded period.
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  Disability, Illness, Or Extenuating Circumstances — The Board shall exempt a licensee it determines is experiencing physical disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstances; supporting documentation must be furnished to the Board.
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  Inactive Status — Licensees who list their occupation as 'Inactive' and are no longer providing professional engineering or land surveying services are exempt.

How You Can Complete Your CE

North Carolina CE Rules & Limits

Details specific to North Carolina that generic CE guides tend to miss:

• Annual minimum — at least 15 hours must be completed each year of the cycle, not just by the renewal deadline.
• Carry-over — A maximum of 15 excess PDH units may be carried forward into the subsequent renewal period (one period only).
• The requirement is 15 PDH per one-year renewal period. Within that 15, effective as of the 2024 renewal, at least 1 PDH must be in Ethics or Rules of Professional Conduct (all licensees) and, for Professional Land Surveyors, at least 1 PDH must be in the Standards of Practice for Land Surveying (21 NCAC 56.1703). The two mandatory PDH are part of the 15, not additional.
• The Standards-of-Practice PDH must contain content related to the Standards of Practice for Land Surveying in Section.1600 of the Board Rules.
• Up to 15 excess PDH may be carried forward into the next renewal period.
• Credit conversions (21 NCAC 56.1704): 1 contact hour = 1 PDH; 1 CEU = 10 PDH; 1 semester hour = 45 PDH; 1 quarter hour = 30 PDH. Internet/correspondence courses generally require a completion exam, but a documented webinar does not.

Tips for North Carolina PLSs

• Plan for the annual reset: North Carolina renews yearly, so all 15 PDH are due each renewal period rather than spread across a multi-year cycle.
• Book the two mandatory topics first — 1 hour of Ethics/Rules of Professional Conduct and 1 hour on the NC Standards of Practice for Land Surveying (tied to Section .1600 of the Board Rules). The surveying-standards hour is specific to surveyors and won't be satisfied by a generic ethics course.
• For Internet, correspondence, or recorded courses, confirm a completion exam is required — without it, most self-study formats don't earn credit. A live webinar is the exception: it counts if your attendance is documented.
• You can carry up to 15 surplus PDH into the next year, but only one period forward — don't count on banking hours two renewals ahead.
• New licensees (by exam or comity) are exempt for their first renewal period; verify your first compliance year with NCBELS before purchasing courses.

Sources

PLS Requirements in Nearby States

Other Professions in North Carolina

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.