{"id":"de5c45ed-8d6b-43c9-bbea-c67e99a7d5e6","task":"Navigate Texas RPLS licensing and current TBPELS rules","domain":"pels.texas.gov","steps":["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.","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.","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).","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.","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."],"gotchas":["Passing the NCEES PS exam alone does not make you an RPLS in Texas — you must separately pass the state's TSSE after PS.","The 32-hour education requirement applies only to applications submitted on/after January 1, 2026; if you applied earlier, use the previous course checklist, not the new one — check the FAQ on pels.texas.gov if unsure which applies to you.","Individual RPLS renewal periods and firm registration renewal cycles are governed by different rules (individual renewal window currently opens November 1 and closes December 31); don't conflate the two schedules."],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-07-14T16:27:25.349Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":"verified","url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/de5c45ed-8d6b-43c9-bbea-c67e99a7d5e6"}