Land Surveying in Georgia

Surveying has played a large role in Georgia since before statehood. Georgia's land surveyors have been instrumental in shaping the state, from power shifts before the Revolutionary War to policies regarding land distribution in the early nineteenth century, to rebuilding the state in the aftermath of the Civil War.

The first land surveys begun in what would become the state of Georgia were conducted by Spanish explorers who charted the coastline. Next, French Jesuits would survey the lands further inland. One of the first British settlers, Dr. Henry Woodard, would later be credited with mapping and exploring much of present-day Georgia. Later surveying efforts were related to land distribution following the Revolutionary War, followed by rebuilding infrastructure that had been destroyed during the Civil War. During the depression of the 1930s, thousands of unemployed land surveyors were put to work surveying the entire state. As a result, Georgia was the first state in the country to have a complete survey of all boundaries and land, with complete measurements and monuments.

Since 1937, all professional land surveyors within the state of Georgia have been governed by the  Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. This agency has the power to adopt standards for licensure and practice. Surveyors who do not follow the accepted land surveying standards are subject to investigation and discipline by the Board.

Many land surveyors in Georgia also join the Surveying and Mapping Society of Georgia, a voluntary professional organization founded to support the interests of professional mappers and surveyors within the state. Known as SAMSOG, this organization was founded in 1947 and is affiliated with the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), a national society for surveyors. There are currently over five hundred professional members of SAMSOG.

The role of the Surveying and Mapping Society includes scholarships and information for aspiring surveyors, as well as continuing education opportunities for current surveyors, who are required to obtain fifteen hours of continuing education study over each two-year period to renew their land surveying license. Other resources for current or aspiring surveyors include conferences, discussion forums, and publications such as “Georgia Land Surveyor,” released six times per year with articles pertaining to surveying in the state of Georgia. The Annual Plat Contest rewards land surveyors who create exemplary plat maps of Georgia lands.

SAMSOG also works to strengthen and refine the land surveyor profession through work with the  Georgia State Legislature, the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, and national surveying groups such as ACSM and the American Land Title Association (ALTA). Bills passed at the urging of SAMSOG include recording plats in superior courts, monument protection, and improvement in the county surveyor’s laws. The Surveyors Reference Manual for Georgia Land Surveyors, originally made available over 20 years ago, is currently being updated as a professional manual for modern surveyors in Georgia, outlining regulations and practices for surveys within the state. SAMSOG was also instrumental in the drafting of a professional code of conduct for surveyors.

Charles Lee Iner, RLS
January, 2010