Navigate Texas RPLS licensing and current TBPELS rules

Steps

1. Confirm current requirements directly on pels.texas.gov (also mirrored at txls.texas.gov), since TBPELS made rule changes effective in 2026 — most notably a new 32-hour education requirement (Section 134.31 of the Laws and Rules) for applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026.
2. As a Surveyor-in-Training (SIT), register for and pass the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam — there is no limit on PS attempts before applying.
3. Only after passing the PS exam, submit the RPLS application package (application form, $75 application fee, boundary land-surveying experience documentation with three PLS references, criminal history record check via IdentoGO, certified transcripts, and — for post-2026 applicants — the updated Approved Course Checklist) to apply to sit for the Texas-Specific Surveying Exam (TSSE).
4. Pass the TSSE to become licensed as an RPLS; check the Surveying Exams page on pels.texas.gov for current application deadlines and testing windows.
5. Note that beginning with the 2026 cycle, engineering/surveying firm registrations move to a biennial (two-year) renewal under SB 681 (effective September 1, 2025) — confirm whether this affects your individual RPLS renewal cadence versus firm registration.