News

  • Structural Exam Changes - 04/28/2025
    NCEES logo - small

    NCEES: SE Exam Times Extending by 60 Minutes

    TO: Member Board Administrators
    FROM: J. Lehmon Dekle, P.E., Chief Officer of Examinations
    RE: Notice of Future Changes to NCEES Exams and Supporting Materials
    This memo provides Member Boards the 1-year notice required by the NCEES Manual of Policy and Position Statements, Exam Development Policy (EDP) 7.
    Spring 2026 Exam Changes
    • PE Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls, and Communications—The PE Electrical and Computer: Electronics, Controls, and Communications exam… Read more

  • Licensing Assistance - 04/08/2025
    Highline College
    Highline College

    The Skilled Immigrants and Refugee Engagement Network (SIREN) is a group of service providers assisting engineers in returning to their fields through licensure, certification and employment support. It’s hosted by the… Read more

  • Recruiting Future Professionals - 03/19/2025
    NW Survey - small

    “Northwest Land Surveyor” is a new partnership between Washington, Oregon and Idaho to spark interest in the profession of land surveying. Aimed at younger people considering future careers, it brings education and information to social media and the web, about professional land surveying. Sponsored in Washington by LSAW and supported by BRPELS. Please, check it out and share!  https://nwsurveyor.com/  

    … Read more
  • Recognizing Surveyors - 03/12/2025
    Surveyor

    Washington Governor Bob Ferguson proclaims March 16-22 as “Surveyors Week”

    Gov. Ferguson is recognizing the important work of surveyors in our state, both historically and in the future.

    “Wheras, today surveying continues to maintain an orderly system to our state and nation’s land and it’s residents’ individual property, has expanded to include hyrographic surveys, engineering surveys, engineering construction, building and highway infrastructure and cartographic surveys used for mapping and charting, global positioning for activities such as aircraft… Read more

  • LSAW Conference 2025 - 03/03/2025
    LSAW 2025

    The Board of Registration for Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors presented four sessions at this year’s Land Surveyor’s Association of Washington conference, February 26 through 28th at the Tulalip Resort and Casino.

    … Read more
  • Former Board Member Passes Away - 02/27/2025
    Scott Valentine, Former Board Member

    Former BRPELS Board member, Scott Valentine, passed away in Spokane, January 2, 2024. He was appointed to the Board in July 2005, serving two terms until July 2015.

    He was a Professional Land Surveyor licensed in Washington, Montana and Idaho and was a former State President of both LSAW and of the Montana Association of Land Surveyors. He lived in Spokane where he owned a small private land survey company, Scott Valentine Surveying. He practiced mainly in Eastern Washington with project work in Idaho and Montana.

    His Board goal was to make decisions that are in the best… Read more

  • Improving PLS Exams - 02/06/2025
    PLS SME Exam Review

    A varied group of 11 Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) Subject Matter Expert (SMEs) met at the Board office in Olympia on January 23-24, 2025, to review and validate the questions on two new PLS State Exams.

    The questions reviewed were written by a separate SME group and resided in our question bank for several years. Recently, our contracted psychometrician used the bank of questions to create the two new exam forms.

    One of the new exams will be used for the March 2025 PLS State Exam.

    This was a combined effort of agency staff, board members and subject matter… Read more

  • BRPELS at the Tacoma Home & Garden Show - 01/30/2025
    Booth

    BRPELS was at the Tacoma Dome, for the Home & Garden Show the weekend of February 1st, talking with homeowners, landowners, contractors, etc., on the importance of hiring licensed, professional land surveyors, engineers and on-site designers. Our “Don’t Cut Corners” campaign explained it with signs, swag and links to our special webpage https://brpels.wa.gov/protect-yourself

    We also promoted the campaign “Get Kids Into Survey,” using our special character “Blaze, the BRPELS Bigfoot,” with a life-size cutout for kids… Read more

  • Septic-Con 2025 - 01/27/2025
    Bob Suggs, TPCHD

    BRPELS presented at this year’s “Septic-Con,” the conference for on-site designers and inspectors, at the Tacoma Convention Center, January 24 and 25, 2025. Speakers reviewed rule changes, secondary safety barriers, age trends for on-site licensees, design considerations and complaint trends. About 80 people packed the event, with standing room only.

    This year’s presenters included Ken Fuller PE, BRPELS Director, Bob Goodman, Designer and BRPELS On-Site Committee, Bob Suggs, Regulator, Tacoma Pierce County Health District and On-Site Committee, Kyle Goodman, PE, Goodman Engineering… Read more

  • Bellingham LSAW Chapter Learns About BRPELS - 01/09/2025
    Bellingham LSAW Meeting

    At a meeting of the Land Surveyors' Association of Washington, Northwest Chapter, members learned more about our agency and its many functions.

    Presentations were by BRPELS Deputy Director, Kristina Horton, PLS, and Communication Manager, Greg Schieferstein. Kristina explained the recent history of the agency, makeup of the Board, licensing and investigations.  

    “Members were very inquisitive, especially about investigations” Kris said. “Some shared their experience, which matched the process we explained. We were also impressed by the wide variety of knowledge in… Read more