Can surveyors use AI? What state boards say, and what to put in your firm's AI policy

The question owners are asking

"Is it legal for a surveyor to use AI?" and "Who is responsible if AI makes a mistake on a survey?" are fair questions, and the answers are now partly written down. Three US boards have addressed AI directly. They agree on more than they differ. Below is what each says, what they have in common, what Utah has (and has not) said, and a policy outline you can adapt.

This is a summary for owners, not legal advice. Read the source documents and check with your own board.

Texas: Policy Advisory Opinion No. 71 (November 2024)

The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) approved Policy Advisory Opinion (PAO) No. 71 on November 14, 2024 (TBPELS PAO 71, Nov 2024). Key points:

• The engineering and land surveying statutes and rules do not "directly ban the use of AI software."
• "Licensees are ultimately responsible for any work product they sign and seal."
• Licensees should not use AI on a project "in which they do not already have established competence."
• Licensees should understand how an AI tool uses and stores data, so client data stays confidential.
• The board found existing rules "adequately address" AI, so no new rule is planned.

North Carolina: Guidelines on the Use of AI (July 2025)

The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS) adopted guidelines on July 16, 2025 (NCBELS guidelines, Jul 2025). Key points:

• Licensees must "maintain responsible charge over all aspects of the work."
• Licensees should "only use data that a licensee has verified as accurate and complete."
• Keep records of data inputs, processing methods, tool assessments and validation procedures.
• The seal rule, 21 NCAC 56.0701(d), still applies: no seal unless the licensee was in responsible charge.
• "The licensee remains fully responsible for the work performed, including the use of AI."
• No requirement to disclose AI use was stated.

Idaho and NCEES Position Statement 6.10 (January 2026)

In a January 23, 2026 letter, the Idaho Board of Licensure of Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors (IPELS) shared NCEES Position Statement 6.10, adopted in 2025, and noted it "has not been adopted into Idaho law or rule" (Idaho IPELS, Jan 2026). NCEES is the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Key lines:

• "Licensed professionals retain ultimate responsibility for decisions."
• "AI is a tool to assist, not replace, professional judgment."
• Outputs need "independent checks."
• AI work should be documented "with clear documentation of methodologies, data sources, and assumptions."

Idaho said further guidance or regulation is expected.

What they have in common

1. AI is allowed. None of the three bans it.
2. You are responsible. The seal means what it always meant.
3. Verify. North Carolina and NCEES 6.10 say outputs must be checked before you rely on them; Texas's point that you answer for what you seal leads to the same place.
4. Stay in your lane. Don't use AI to do work you couldn't do yourself.
5. Keep records. North Carolina and NCEES 6.10 both point to documenting inputs, methods and checks.
6. Protect client data. Texas calls this out directly.

None of the three, as summarized above, requires you to tell clients you used AI.

What about Utah?

As of October 2026 we found no AI guidance from Utah's Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) or its engineers and land surveyors board, and none on the DOPL renewal page (Utah DOPL, viewed Oct 2026). That is not permission to skip the basics. The Texas, North Carolina and NCEES principles are a sensible floor anywhere, and NCEES positions often inform state boards. Check your board's minutes for updates.

We also have not reviewed every state. California, Florida, Colorado and others may have published something since; check directly.

A one-page AI-use policy outline for a survey firm

Adapt this to your firm. Keep it short enough that people read it.

1. Purpose and scope. Which staff and which tasks the policy covers.
2. Allowed uses. Drafting exception tables, deed call tables, research digests, notes, proposals and admin documents, always as drafts.
3. Not allowed. Weighing boundary evidence, choosing corners, resolving record conflicts, final legal descriptions without line-by-line verification, and anything sealed without full review.
4. Approved tools and accounts. Name them. Business accounts only for client or title documents, with data terms confirmed in writing. No personal or free accounts for client files.
5. Verification. Every AI-drafted item is checked against the source page by a named person. Math such as closure runs in code or COGO software, not in a chatbot's text.
6. Records. A sign-off log per job: what AI drafted, who checked it, against what, and any correction. Keep it with the job file.
7. Competence. Staff use AI only on tasks they are trained to do without it.
8. Review. Revisit the policy when your board issues guidance or you add a tool.

The title workflow post shows what a sign-off log looks like in practice.

A note for Utah licensees on continuing education

Utah land surveyor licenses expire March 31 of odd years, so the next deadline is March 31, 2027 (Utah DOPL). Utah's rule, R156-22-304, requires at least 30 hours of qualified professional education per two-year period. Classroom courses count in blocks of at least 50 minutes, online courses count only if a test verifies learning, and you keep your records for four years (Utah Admin. Code R156-22-304). The rule text does not set up a provider pre-approval list; whether a course qualifies is judged against the rule. Other states differ, and some require approved providers, so check yours.

Want a policy draft for your firm?

Lunan's free conversation includes a look at how your office uses AI today and where a written policy would help. Start it here.