Geologists – FAQs

You must fulfill the following educational requirements at a college or university where the geological curricula meet the criteria established by an accrediting agency which is recognized by the United States Department of Education:

• Graduation from such college or university with a major in geology or other related science acceptable to the board and satisfactory completion of at least 30 semesters or 45 quarter hours of geological courses.

You must also meet the following experience requirements:

• Five years of professional geological work experience, which shall include a minimum of three years of professional geological work under the supervision of a licensed or qualified geologist or professional engineer registered under Chapter 471, Florida Statutes, as qualified in the field or discipline of professional engineering involved; or
• A minimum of five years work experience as demonstrated by his or her having performed the work in a responsible position as determined by the board.

You must submit a completed application and submit the appropriate fees to the department. The application is on the main page, Apply For A License.

Florida offers licensure by examination, endorsement and a provisional license. In addition, Florida offers a Geologist-in-Training Registration. Florida does not offer licensure through reciprocity.

Licensure by endorsement with 10 years of experience: Applicants who have held a license for at least 10 years in another state(s) or territory and have taken an exam equivalent to the exam required by the Board. However, such applicants must apply while they hold a valid license in another state(s) or within 2 years after the expiration of such license.

You must submit a completed application and submit the appropriate fees to the department. Additionally, the following requirements must be met:

• The applicant must not have committed an act or offense in any jurisdiction which constitutes grounds for disciplining a professional geologist licensed under
• The applicant must not have committed an act or offense in any jurisdiction which constitutes grounds for disciplining a professional geologist licensed under Chapter 492, Florida Statutes; and
• The applicant has successfully completed at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of geological coursework at a college or university, the geological curricula of which meet the criteria established by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and, if still enrolled, has provided a letter of good academic standing from the college or university.
• The applicant has passed the fundamentals of geology portion of the licensure examination.

The application is on the main page, Apply For A License.

Yes. The board reviews all applications for examination, endorsement, provisional, and geologist-in-training.

Once the department receives the application, an initial review is conducted. If your application is missing supporting documentation, the department will notify you by mail. Once the application is complete, it will be forwarded to the board for review. The board will either approve or deny the application. You will be notified via mail of the date and time your application will be reviewed by the board, and you are encouraged to attend. If your application is approved, approximately six weeks prior to the examination date, you will receive an admissions card confirming the date, time and location. Examination dates are subject to change; please check your card for the actual date and time.

If the board denies your application, a notice of intent to deny will be mailed to you by certified mail. You will have 21 days to respond to the notice.

Florida is a member of the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) and uses their exam. The ASBOG examination consists of two parts: Fundamentals of Geology and the Practice of Geology.

Examinations are scheduled twice a year, in the spring and the fall. The application deadline is 90 days prior to the examination. Information regarding dates and locations of the examinations is available on the main page, Apply For A License, Examination Information.

Following the receipt of your passing scores, a letter will be mailed providing your new license number. For geologist-in-training applicants, once the Department is notified that you have passed the fundamentals portion of the exam, you will be mailed a letter with your geologist-in-training registration number.

A re-examination application for the failed part(s) of the examination and letter with instructions will be mailed to you with your scores. Complete the re-examination application and submit it along with the fees by the deadline provided.

If you fail only one portion of the examination, you are only required to retake the portion that you failed.

If you inform the Department prior to receiving your admission card, you will be rescheduled at no cost. If you have already received your admission card, you will be required to submit a re-examination application. Please complete the re-examination application and submit to the department, with the fees by the given deadline. If an examination was missed due to extreme circumstances, please contact the board office at 850.717.1984.

An application must be completed and the appropriate fees submitted to the department.  The application is on the main page, Apply For A License.

This license has the same requirements as an endorsement application and is only good for one year one project.

The department may provide a provisional license to any person who is not a resident of and has not established a place of business in this state, and who is duly licensed in another state, territory, or possession of the United States, or in the District of Columbia, and who has qualifications which the board, upon advice of a committee of the board, deems comparable to those required of professional geologists in this state, upon written application accompanied by the proper application fee, offered prior to the practice of professional geology in this state, under the following restrictions:

1. Satisfactory proof of licensure as required above shall include the name, residence address, business address, and certification of the license of the applicant from the issuing state, together with the name and address of the authority issuing such license.
2. The practice of professional geology under a provisional license shall not exceed 1 year.
3. The practice of professional geology under a provisional license shall be confined to one specific project.  Such license may not be renewed or reissued for 5 years from the date of original issuance.
4. A written statement shall be furnished to the department within 60 days of completion of the work, indicating the time engaged and the nature of the work.  A person holding a provisional license shall exhibit such provisional license each time and on each occasion that an indication of licensure is required.

This license has the same requirements as an endorsement application and is only good for one year one project.
An application must be completed and the appropriate fees submitted to the department. The application is available on the main page, Apply For A License.

You must apply for licensure by examination and submit your application with supporting documents; you will also need to have your foreign education evaluated to see if it is the equivalent of at least a Bachelor of Geology or related science in the United States.

For assistance in locating applicable laws and rules, you may call the Customer Contact Center at 850-487-1395.

You can verify your license to another state by using DBPR’s Online Services. Create an online account or logon to your existing account at www.myfloridalicense.com. Select “Request License Certification” from the License Menu. Complete the online application and pay the $25 fee by credit card or electronic check. A copy of your license record will be created and mailed by U.S. mail directly to the address you provide during the transaction. Please allow 10 business days for the other state to receive the document. You will also receive an email copy of the certification for your records.
If you need to send certification of your license to multiple states you will repeat the instructions above and pay the required $25 application fee for each request.

Three types of addresses have been established to support your needs: main, license mailing, and license location.

• Main Address – This address is the primary address on file.
• License Mailing Address – This is the address where the mail associated with a particular license will be sent (if different from the main or license location addresses).
• License Location Address – This is the address where the place of business is physically located.

An example of the use of different addresses: If Jane Doe is a contractor that works for ACME Builders, she may have 3 different addresses listed in her profile. Her main address would be the address of ACME Builders’ corporate headquarters. Her license mailing may be her home so she doesn’t have to visit the office to pick up her mail. Finally, her License Location would be the address of the ACME Builders’ local office where she works. If Jane Doe worked independently, she might have only one address on file (Main Address) as her office is the same place she wishes to receive her mail.

The main address and license mailing address can be changed online for all license types. License location addresses can also be changed online, except for Barbershops, Cosmetology Salons, Veterinary Establishments, and Talent Agencies. The location for these license types is tied to the license, so a location change will require submission of a new application.

You may submit the change in writing or by fax to:
Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Central Intake Unit – License Maintenance
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0783
Fax: 850.488.8040

The Department no longer mails licenses upon issuance, as licensees can now print their licenses by logging into their secure online account with the Department.

In addition to new licenses, this process allows licensees to renew online and print the license at their convenience, as well as print duplicate licenses as needed without paying a fee.

For a step-by-step tutorial on this process, please see our video.