Registration Exam Syllabus
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Revised March 2011

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Principles and Practice of Land Surveying, Pennsylvania State-Specific

This syllabus is intended to supplement the topical syllabus found in the publication titled Professional Land Surveyors Candidate Handbook published by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), P.O. Box 1686, Clemson, SC 29633-1686.

For questions, please contact the PSLS office at 717-540-6811. All prices listed are subject to change without notification.

  • Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law – included with application

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/lib/bpoa/20/eng_board/act_367_professional_engineers-5-04-new1.pdf

Act of 1945, P.O. 913 No. 367 (amended Dec. 16, 1992)
Department of State                                             (717) 783-7049
Bureau of Professional & Occupational Affairs
State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors & Geologists
P. O. Box 2649, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649

  • PA Professional and Vocational Standards Code – included with application

http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/049/chapter37/chap37toc.html

PA Code, Title 49, Chapter 37 (March 23, 1996)
Department of State                                             (717) 783-7049
Bureau of Professional & Occupational Affairs
State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors & Geologists
P. O. Box 2649
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649
 

Manual of Practice for Professional Land Surveyors in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 
Adopted by the Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors on July 10, 1998
http://www.psls.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Manual-of-Practice.pdf

Black’s Law Dictionary, Eighth Edition
Visit Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors Bookstore

  • Pennsylvania Property Surveys

These titles may be available for reference in your local law library, public library, university library or county courthouse. 

Boundary Retracement Principles and Procedures for Pennsylvania 5th Edition: Knud Hermansen, Ph.D.
Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors $100/PSLS Members, $125/Non-Members

The Abstractors Bible: William F. Hoffmeyer

William F. Hoffmeyer                                           (717) 846-8846
30 N. George Street
York, PA 17401               

Ladner Pennsylvania Real Estate Law

George T. Bisel Company                                    (800) 247-3526
710 S. Washington Square
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3591                                 

http://www.bisel.com/

Purdon’s Consolidated Statutes, Title 68

West Group                                                           (800) 336-6365
620 Opperman Drive
St. Paul, MN 55164-9752                        

http://west.thomson.com/home.aspx

Law Library Encyclopedia References: West’s Pennsylvania Digest, 2nd Edition

Pennsylvania Law Encyclopedia

http://west.thomson.com/home.aspx

  • State Plane Coordinates

Elementary Surveying, 12th Ed.:  Charles D. Ghilani, Paul R. Wolf

Prentice-Hall

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/

  • ALTA/ACSM Surveys

Minimum Standards Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys (as amended) Classifications of ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys

http://www.ispls.org/pdf/20110223ALTAACSMLandTitleSurveyStandard2011.pdf
American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (301) 493-0200
5410 Grosvenor Lane
Bethesda, MD 20814

  • Subdivisions/Land Development

PA Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968 with amendments: February 2005

http://mpc.landuselawinpa.com/MPCode.pdf


The DEP “Community Planning” Pamphlet Series, including  

#1           Local Land Use Controls in Pennsylvania
#2           The Planning Commission
#3           The Comprehensive Plan
#4           Zoning
#6           The Zoning Hearing Board
#7           Special Exceptions, Conditional Uses and Variances
#8           Subdivision and Land Development in Pennsylvania
#9           The Zoning Officer
#10         Reducing Land Use Barriers to Affordable Housing
Link to series: http://www.newpa.com/get-local-gov-support/publications/index.aspx

Uniform Condominium Act – Act No. 82 of 1980 

Amends Title 68, Real and Personal Property, of the “PA Consolidated Statutes,” adding provisions relating to condominiums


Underground Utility Line Protection Law – Act No. 287 of 1974 as amended

http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/lib/landi/laws-regulations/llc/a-187.pdf

Prevents excavation of demolition work from damaging underground lines
Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc.        (412) 464-7100
925 Irwin Run Road
West Mifflin, PA 15112

  • Highways

Access to and Occupancy of Highways by Driveways and Local Roads
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/067/067toc.html
PA Code, Title 67, Chapter 441 (August 1996)


Occupancy of Highways by Utilities
PA Code, Title 67, Chapter 459 (July 1989)
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/067/067toc.html

Legislative Reference Bureau                  (717) 783-1530
647 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0033

Highways and the Land Surveyor
Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors            $6.00

  • Sewage Facilities

Sewage Facilities Act 537, amended 12/94
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter94/chap94toc.html

Environmental Protection PA Code Title 25:
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/025toc.html

Chapter 71, Administration of Sewage Facilities Program
Chapter 72, Administration of the Sewage Facilities Permitting Program
Chapter 73, Standards for Onlot Sewage Treatment Facilities


Consumer Guide to On-Lot Sewage Disposal System Operation and Maintenance
http://www.epa.gov/owm/septic/pubs/homeowner_guide_long.pdf

Domestic Wastewater Facilities Manual
http://www.water-research.net/Waterlibrary/septic/wastewaterfacilitiesmanual.pdf

  • Stormwater Management

Stormwater Management Act
http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document-72110/3930-BK-DEP0121.pdf 

Title 25, Chapter 111– providing for the regulation of land and water use for flood control and stormwater management purposes
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter111/chap111toc.html

DEP Index of Designated Watersheds (Stormwater Management)
http://www.stormwaterpa.org/assets/media/regulatory/indexdesignatedwatersheds.pdf

 

http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/View/Collection-8303?sort=Date=

Final PA Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual – (363-0300-002)
http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/HomePage

DEP Stormwater Management Guidelines and Model Ordinances

Design and Construction of Urban Stormwater Systems
American Society of Civil Engineers                                (703) 295-6000
P.O. Box 831
Somerset, NJ 08875-0831                                  

Field Manual of Storm Intensity, Duration, Frequency Charts, May 1986
G. Aron, D. Wall, E. White, C. Dunn, D. Kotz
Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors            $3.00

Analysis of Rainfall-Duration-Frequency for Pennsylvania
Research Pub. #70 – L. Kerr, D. McGinnis, B. Reich, T. Ratchford
Penn State University                                                       (814) 863-0037
Land & Water Resource Building, Room 125
University Park, PA 16802                                              

National Engineering Handbook, Section 4,
Order No. PB-99161143                                    

Engineering Field Manual for Conservation Practices
Order No. PB85-175164
National Technical Information Service                           (800) 553-6847
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
http://www.ntis.gov

Urban Hydrology for Small Watersheds, T.R. 55, 2nd Edition
http://www.cpesc.org/reference/tr55.pdf

 

Introduction to Hydrology, Viesman, Lewis
Harper Collins College Div. 12/96
Available through the Internet
http://www.amazon.com/ ISBN 0673991652

  • Floodplain and Waterway Management

Floodplain Management Act
http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document-52107/3930-BK-DEP0447%20Act%20166%20of%201978.pdf

 

http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/waterwayseng/site/default.asp
Provides for the regulation of land and water use for flood control purposes

Flood Management Regulations
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter106/chap106toc.html

Title 25, Chapter 106
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/025toc.html

Flood Management Information
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/floodplain/index.shtm

Dam Safety and Encroachments Act
http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document-79270/3930-BK-DEP2247.pdf

 

Environmental Protection PA Code Title 25, Chapter 105, Dam Safety and Waterway Management
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter105/chap105toc.html

  • Soil Erosion and Sedimentation

Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control, PA Code, Title 25, Chapter 102, Erosion Control
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter102/chap102toc.html

Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control Program Manual Plan Development Checklist, Standard Worksheets, Details and Notes
http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document-65564/363-2134-008.pdf