Track whether a survey project should still deliver NAD83(2011)/NAVD88 coordinates or begin transitioning to NATRF2022/NAPGD2022 before year-end 2026.
domain: geodesy.noaa.gov (NGS New Datums) · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Read the current rollout status and FAQ at https://geodesy.noaa.gov/datums/newdatums/FAQNewDatums.shtml.
Check the Federal Register timeline update (2024-23347) for the official implementation schedule; as of mid-2026 the plan targets a Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee (FGCS) vote around mid-2026 and full adoption toward the end of 2026.
Monitor beta.ngs.noaa.gov, where modernized NSRS components are released incrementally for public testing, each requiring at least six months of stakeholder feedback before final approval.
Confirm which reference frame name applies to the project area — NATRF2022 (CONUS/Alaska), PATRF2022 (Pacific), CATRF2022 (Caribbean), or MATRF2022 (Marianas) — plus NAPGD2022 for the geopotential (height) datum.
Document in project metadata which datum realization (legacy NAD83/NAVD88 vs. modernized 2022 frames) was used, since NGS states associated tools/services will keep releasing for up to five years after modernization.
Known gotchas
As of today the modernized frames are NOT yet officially adopted — treat any 2026 deliverable using NATRF2022/NAPGD2022 production values as provisional/beta unless the client explicitly requires beta testing.
Software and hardware vendors (Trimble, Leica, Topcon) are rolling out modernized-datum support on staggered schedules independent of NGS's own adoption date — a receiver claiming 'NATRF2022 ready' may still rely on beta transformation grids.
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