Virginia land survey rules
Virginia's Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects (APELSCIDLA Board), part of DPOR, licenses land surveyors and regulates about 35,000 people and businesses.
Who licenses land surveyors in Virginia
Land surveying is regulated under Chapter 4 of Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia, which covers architects, engineers, surveyors, landscape architects and interior designers.
The board's regulations (18VAC10-20) went through a general review that took effect May 1, 2026, to streamline them and cut burdensome requirements.
Sources: Board: APELSCIDLA Board at DPOR; Governing law: Code of Virginia Title 54.1, Chapter 4
Who may survey
Unless an exemption in the Code applies, a person must hold a valid Virginia license before practicing land surveying (Code of Virginia 54.1-406).
Any business offering or providing land surveying in Virginia must register with the board and name a responsible person for each profession it offers (18VAC10-20-627).
A registered firm must name at least one licensed land surveyor who is responsible for and controls its surveying work; professional corporations and PLLCs with a certificate of authority, and sole proprietors with no licensed employees, are exempt from board registration (54.1-411).
Since May 1, 2026, a firm registers only its main office with the board; other locations are listed on the application but need no separate registration.
Sources: A license is required to survey; Business entities must register with the board; A licensed surveyor must be named for the firm; Only the main office registers since May 2026
Minimum standards for a boundary survey
Under 18VAC10-20-370, the surveyor's seal, signature and date on a boundary survey certify that it is correct to the best of the surveyor's knowledge and meets the minimum standards.
The surveyor must search the land records for the description of the parcel and obtain the descriptions of adjoining land along the common boundaries.
Each boundary survey must be marked with monuments of permanent material at all corners and changes of direction, except along meanders such as streams and shorelines.
Every boundary plat must show the names of all adjoining owners of record with their recording references.
The plat must state whether a current title report was given to the surveyor.
A plat compiled from deeds, plats or other surveyors' work instead of a current field survey must say so in its title and may not be titled a land boundary survey.
Checking a surveyor's license
DPOR offers free downloadable lists of licensed land surveyors and registered business entities, updated every five business days.
DPOR's online License Lookup also shows disciplinary actions from closed cases with orders entered since April 1, 2002.
Sources: Downloadable regulant lists, updated weekly; License Lookup shows past discipline
Filing a complaint
To be investigated, a complaint must be in writing and reach DPOR within three years of the act or omission complained about.
DPOR and its boards cannot make a surveyor refund money or correct work; private legal action may be the only way to get that.
DPOR cannot promise anonymity because complaints become open to public disclosure once a case is closed.
In some cases DPOR offers Alternative Dispute Resolution, a free and voluntary form of mediation between the consumer and the licensee.
Common questions
What must a boundary survey include in Virginia?
Virginia requires monuments of permanent material at all corners and changes of direction, and the plat must name the adjoining owners of record and say whether a current title report was given to the surveyor. The surveyor's seal, signature and date certify that the survey meets the minimum standards (18VAC10-20-370).