(a) An applicant who holds a license or registration as a professional land surveyor from another state or U.S. jurisdiction having registration or licensing requirements substantially equivalent to the requirements of Texas may apply for a standard license.     
      (b) The Board shall determine whether the licensing or registration standards of the governmental authority under which the reciprocal applicant is licensed or registered are substantially equivalent to those standards required in the State of Texas at the time of licensure by the reciprocal state.     
      (c) If the Board determines that such standards are not substantially equivalent, the Board may require the reciprocal applicant to take and pass an examination not to exceed four (4) hours as required for applicants under §1071.259 of the Surveying Act.     
      (d) To be eligible for registration as a registered professional land surveyor (RPLS), one must submit a completed application.     
      (e) Applicants must speak and write the English language. Proficiency in English may be evidenced by possession of an accredited degree taught exclusively in English, or passage of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a written score of at least 550, a computer based score of at least 200 or an internet based score of at least 95 or other evidence such as significant academic or work experience in English acceptable to the executive director.     
      (f) Applicants for a registration shall submit:      
        (1) an application in a format prescribed by the board and shall:                  (A) list his or her full, legal and complete name without abbreviations, nicknames, or other variations of the full legal name. If applicable, the applicant shall submit proof of a legal name change including but not limited to a marriage certificate, passport, current Driver's License issued by the State of Texas, court documents, or nationalization documents to substantiate other documentation submitted in the application; and                   (B) list social security number, as required under the Texas Family Code, §231.302;         
        (2) current application fee as established by the board. Application fees shall be waived for qualifying military service members, military veterans, and military spouses in accordance with Texas Occupations Code Chapter 55;       
        (3) proof of educational credentials pursuant to Subchapter D of this chapter (relating to Education);       
        (4) supplementary experience record as required under §134.41 of this chapter (relating to Supplementary Experience Record);       
        (5) reference statements as required under Subchapter F of this chapter (relating to Reference Documentation); and       
        (6) documentation of passing scores on examination(s), which may include official verifications from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) or other jurisdictions as required under §134.61(g) of this chapter (relating to Surveying Examinations);       
        (7) verification of a current license from another jurisdiction;       
        (8) TOEFL scores, if applicable;       
        (9) information regarding any criminal history including any judgments, deferred judgments or pre-trial diversions for a misdemeanor or felony provided in a form prescribed by the board together with copies of any court orders or other legal documentation concerning the criminal charges and the resolution of those charges; and       
        (10) for applications submitted on or after September 1, 2020, documentation of submittal of fingerprints for criminal history record check as required by Texas Occupations Code §1001.272.       
      (g) The NCEES record may be accepted as verification of an original transcript, licenses held, examinations taken, experience record and reference documentation to meet the conditions of subsection (d)(3) - (7) of this section.     
      (h) Once an application is accepted for review, the fee shall not be returned, and the application and all submissions shall become a permanent part of the board records.     
      (i) An applicant who is a citizen of another country shall show sufficient documentation to the board to verify the immigration status for the determination of his or her eligibility for a professional license in accordance with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.     
      (j) Once an application under this section is accepted for review, the board will follow the procedures in §134.83 of this chapter (relating to Processing, Review, and Evaluation of Applications) to review and approve or deny the application. The board may request additional information or require additional documentation to ensure eligibility as needed. Pursuant to Texas Occupations Code §1001.453 the board may review the license holder's status and take action if the license was obtained by fraud or error or if the license holder may pose a threat to the public's health, safety, or welfare.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §134.25 adopted to be effective December 30, 2020, 45 TexReg 9513; amended to be effective March 23, 2023, 48 TexReg 1561