Alaska Land Surveyor (AKLS) Exam cheat sheet

Alaska adopted the common law of England as of 1867 under AS 01.10.010, except where modified by statute or inapplicable to conditions in Alaska.

The federal Submerged Lands Act of 1953 and the Equal Footing Doctrine give the State title to lands beneath navigable waters up to ordinary high water mark; beds of non-navigable waters pass to riparian owners.

Under the federal rule (adopted for federal patents), a meander line is not a boundary; the water boundary is the ordinary high water mark, subject to accretion, reliction, and erosion.

Avulsion does not move a boundary: the boundary remains at the former water location even if the channel later shifts (Nebraska v. Iowa principle).

Alaska's recording statutes (AS 40.17) create a notice-recording system; an unrecorded conveyance is void against a subsequent good-faith purchaser for value who records first.

Adverse possession against private land in Alaska requires 10 years of actual, open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous possession under color of title or claim of right (AS 09.45.052 limits actions to quiet title after 10 years).

Prescriptive easements in Alaska require 10 years of continuous, open, adverse use; use of a way over unappropriated state land for 10 years may create a public prescriptive right under AS 19.10.

Riparian boundaries follow the thread of the stream for non-navigable waters; for navigable waters the state owns the bed and the upland owner's boundary is the ordinary high water mark.

Alaska recognizes boundary by agreement and boundary by acquiescence where adjoining owners mutually recognize a line as the boundary for a long period, even absent a written agreement.

Order of evidence in boundary retracement: natural monuments, artificial monuments, courses and distances, then area (in that priority).

Original government survey corners control over later resurvey monuments; a retracement survey must not create new corners but may reestablish lost corners by proportionate measure.

Proportionate measurement reestablishes a lost corner by distributing the record distance between the nearest existing original corners in proportion to the record distances.

Single proportionate measurement applies along a line between two found corners; double proportionate measurement applies where a corner is lost and must be located by intersecting two lines.

A found monument with original characteristics and undisturbed position is presumed to be the original corner; conflicting later evidence does not overcome this absent clear proof.

Bearings in original GLO plats are typically referenced to true north (astronomic); magnetic declination in Alaska ranges roughly 10-25 degrees east, so bearing conversions require care.

Meander lines along navigable waters are for area computation only; the water boundary controls, and meander corners are used to retrace the line of the water.

When a deed calls for a distance 'to the river' or 'to the shore,' the water controls; when it calls for a distance only, the distance controls and the water may not reach it.

Best evidence rule favors original documents; certified copies of recorded plats and patents are admissible as secondary evidence when originals are unavailable.

The public records exception to hearsay permits admission of official records, including GLO field notes, plats, and patents, for the truth of their contents.

Chain of title research traces each grantor-grantee link backward from the present owner to the sovereign; gaps, breaks, or wild deeds must be identified.

Alaska recording districts are organized by borough/recorder office; documents must be recorded in the district where the land lies to give constructive notice.

Sectional index (tract index) and grantor-grantee index are the two primary title search tools; reliance on one alone can miss encumbrances.

Parol evidence may be admitted to explain an ambiguity in a deed (e.g., conflicting calls) but not to vary unambiguous terms.

Ancient documents (generally 20+ years old, produced from proper custody, and unsuspicious) may be admitted as evidence of their own authenticity.

Alaska's State Recorder maintains plats, surveys, and land records; the Bureau of Land Management maintains the federal cadastral records for Alaska.

NAD83 is the horizontal datum for Alaska; NAD27 coordinates differ from NAD83 by roughly 100-200 meters and must not be mixed without transformation.

State Plane Coordinate System in Alaska uses zones (1-10) based on transverse Mercator; the Alaska State Plane zones have defined central meridians and scale factors near unity.

UTM zones 4-9 cover Alaska (zone 4N east to zone 9N west); UTM scale factor is 0.9996 at the central meridian.

Geoid models (e.g., GEOID18) convert between ellipsoidal height (GNSS) and orthometric height (mean sea level); the geoid-ellipsoid separation in Alaska varies by several meters.

Grid azimuth differs from geodetic azimuth by the convergence angle; convergence increases with distance from the central meridian.

Scale factor combines grid scale and elevation (sea-level) factor: combined factor = grid factor x elevation factor; ground distances must be reduced to grid for coordinate computation.

The Alaska Albers projection (NAD83) is used for statewide mapping with standard parallels 55 and 65 degrees north and central meridian 154 degrees west.

Latitude/longitude to SPCS conversion requires the zone definition, datum, and units; mixing NAD27 and NAD83 control points introduces systematic error.

Total station horizontal angle measurement accuracy is specified in seconds (e.g., 5"); closing the horizon to 360 degrees checks for instrument error.

GNSS RTK provides centimeter-level horizontal accuracy when fixed; float solutions and poor PDOP degrade accuracy and should be rejected or reobserved.

Traverse closure: linear misclosure divided by perimeter gives relative precision (e.g., 1:10,000); angular closure compares to 360 degrees times the number of angles.

Leveling loop misclosure is checked against allowable error proportional to the square root of the loop length (e.g., 0.05 ft x sqrt(miles)).

EDM distances must be corrected for atmospheric conditions (temperature and pressure), instrument/prism constants, and reduced to horizontal.

Alaska field work requires attention to permafrost, seasonal frost heave, and magnetic declination (10-25 degrees east), all of which affect monument stability and bearings.

Set monuments must be stable, below frost line where practical, and referenced by ties; Alaska practice favors durable monuments such as iron pipes with caps.

GNSS-derived ellipsoidal heights must be converted to orthometric heights using a geoid model before comparison with published elevations.

Alaska subdivision platting is governed by AS 40.15 (platting) and municipal subdivision ordinances; plats must be approved by the governing body before recording.

A subdivision plat must show lot lines, dimensions, bearings, monument locations, dedications, and the surveyor's certificate and seal.

Plats must be recorded in the recording district where the land lies; recording gives constructive notice of lot boundaries and dedications.

Easements and rights-of-way shown on a plat are dedicated to the public or reserved; acceptance by the governing body is required for public dedication.

Alaska requires that subdivision plats conform to local comprehensive plans and zoning; nonconforming lots may require variances.

Lot area and setback computations must use record dimensions from the plat; area computed from deed distances may differ from plat area.

Alaska's subdivision law allows a waiver of platting for certain large-tract divisions (e.g., parcels 40 acres or larger under AS 40.15.010) subject to local ordinance.

Common-interest subdivisions (condominiums) are governed by the Alaska Common Interest Ownership Act (AS 34.08); plats and declarations must be consistent.

The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) divides land into townships of 36 sections, each nominally 1 mile square (640 acres), referenced to a principal meridian and base line.

Alaska's PLSS uses the Seward Meridian, Copper River Meridian, and Umiat Meridian as principal meridians, with base lines established by GLO surveys.

Standard parallels (correction lines) are run every 24 miles; guide meridians every 24 miles east-west to correct for convergence.

Section subdivision: halves (320 ac), quarters (160 ac), quarter-quarters (40 ac); fractional lots along water and township boundaries are numbered and computed separately.

Original GLO corners are evidenced by bearing trees, mound and pits, and stone or post monuments; field notes describe the evidence used to establish each corner.

A 'lost corner' is one whose position cannot be determined from evidence; it is reestablished by proportionate measurement, not by original position.

Alaska Native allotments and Native corporation lands (ANCSA) were conveyed under separate authorities; surveys must respect the specific patent and plat.

Township plats must close within the prescribed limits; excess or deficiency is distributed in the south and west tiers of sections per GLO rules.

Alaska land surveyors are licensed under AS 08.48 (the Engineers and Land Surveyors registration law) and regulated by the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors.

A land surveyor's seal and signature certify that the work was performed by or under the direct supervision of the licensee and meets applicable standards.

AS 08.48 requires continuing professional competency (continuing education) for license renewal; licensees must report qualifying hours.

The surveyor's duty runs to the public and to clients; conflicts of interest must be disclosed, and contingent fees for boundary opinions are prohibited.

Alaska Statute 34.10 (Recording) and AS 40.17 govern recording and notice; surveyors must record plats and monument records as required by law.

Boundary surveys in Alaska must be performed in accordance with the Alaska Board of Registration regulations and the standards of practice for land surveying.

A licensee may not practice in a discipline outside their competence; accepting work outside competence without consultation is an ethical violation.

Professional ethics require honest reporting of measurements, disclosure of errors to affected parties, and refusal to alter records or evidence improperly.

Alaska's equal footing and submerged lands doctrine means the State owns beds of navigable waters; the upland boundary is the ordinary high water mark.

Accretion (gradual, imperceptible) adds to the riparian owner's land; erosion (gradual) reduces it; reliction is the gradual recession of water exposing land.

Avulsion (sudden, perceptible change) does not change boundaries; the boundary stays at the former water line.

A deed description controls over a plat when the deed is unambiguous; a plat incorporated by reference in the deed becomes part of the description.

The recording of a deed gives constructive notice to the world; actual notice or inquiry notice may bind a party even without recording.

Adverse possession in Alaska requires 10 years under AS 09.45.052 for actions to recover real property, subject to statutory exceptions.

Prescriptive easements in Alaska require 10 years of open, notorious, adverse, continuous use of another's land.

Easements by necessity arise when a parcel is landlocked and the necessity existed at the time of severance; Alaska courts recognize the doctrine.

The hierarchy of calls: natural monuments > artificial monuments > courses and distances > area; a call for an adjoiner's line may control over distance.

Proportionate measurement is used only when a corner is truly lost; if the original monument can be found or its position proven, it controls.

A 'witness corner' is set to reference a corner that cannot be monumented directly; it must be tied to the true corner by distance and bearing.

Meander corners are set at the intersection of section lines with the meander line of a navigable water body; they are not boundary corners of the water.

Retracement surveys must document found monuments, their condition, and the evidence used to accept or reject them.

Conflicting evidence between original and later surveys is resolved in favor of the original survey when the original monument is found undisturbed.

Double proportionate measurement is required to reestablish a lost corner common to four sections (interior corner) using the nearest found corners on both lines.

Constructive notice arises from recording in the correct district; inquiry notice arises from facts that would prompt a reasonable investigation.

A title search should examine the grantor-grantee index, plat records, and any judgment or lien records affecting the property.

Certified copies of GLO plats and field notes are available from BLM and are admissible as public records.

Parol evidence may resolve latent ambiguities in a deed but cannot contradict unambiguous terms.

Ancient documents (20+ years, proper custody, unsuspicious) are admissible to prove their own authenticity.

Alaska recording districts are organized by recorder's office; recording in the wrong district does not give constructive notice.

NAD83 replaced NAD27; coordinates must be transformed using published transformation tools (e.g., NGS NADCON) before mixing.

State Plane zones in Alaska (1-10) use transverse Mercator; scale factor is 1.0000 at the central meridian and increases away from it.

UTM zone 4N through 9N cover Alaska; UTM scale factor is 0.9996 at the central meridian.

Combined scale factor = grid scale factor x elevation factor; ground distance x combined factor = grid distance.

Geoid-ellipsoid separation in Alaska ranges from roughly -10 to +20 meters; orthometric height = ellipsoidal height - geoid separation.

Grid azimuth = geodetic azimuth - convergence angle; convergence is positive east of the central meridian and negative west.

Traverse angular closure is checked against allowable error proportional to the square root of the number of angles; linear closure is expressed as relative precision.

GNSS RTK requires a fixed solution for centimeter accuracy; float solutions should be reobserved or rejected.

EDM distances must be corrected for atmospheric conditions, instrument/prism constants, and reduced to horizontal and sea level.

Leveling loop misclosure is checked against allowable error proportional to the square root of the loop length in miles.

Alaska field conditions (permafrost, frost heave, magnetic declination) require durable monuments and careful bearing checks.

GNSS ellipsoidal heights must be converted to orthometric heights using a geoid model before comparison with published elevations.

Alaska platting is governed by AS 40.15 and municipal ordinances; plats must be approved before recording.

A plat must show lot lines, dimensions, bearings, monuments, dedications, and the surveyor's certificate and seal.

Recording a plat in the correct district gives constructive notice of lot boundaries and dedications.

Public dedications on a plat require acceptance by the governing body to become effective.

Alaska allows waiver of platting for certain large-tract divisions (e.g., 40 acres or larger) subject to local ordinance.

Condominium plats and declarations are governed by AS 34.08 and must be consistent with the subdivision plat.

PLSS townships are 36 sections of nominally 640 acres, referenced to a principal meridian and base line.

Alaska's principal meridians include the Seward, Copper River, and Umiat meridians.

Standard parallels and guide meridians are run every 24 miles to correct for convergence.

Section subdivision yields halves, quarters, and quarter-quarters; fractional lots along water are numbered and computed separately.

Original GLO corners are evidenced by bearing trees, mound and pits, and stone or post monuments.

Lost corners are reestablished by proportionate measurement, not by original position.

Alaska land surveyors are licensed under AS 08.48 and regulated by the State Board of Registration.

A surveyor's seal and signature certify work performed by or under the direct supervision of the licensee.

Continuing professional competency is required for license renewal under AS 08.48.

Surveyors must disclose conflicts of interest and may not accept contingent fees for boundary opinions.

Boundary surveys must comply with Board regulations and standards of practice for land surveying.

Licensees may not practice outside their competence without consultation.

Alaska adopted the common law of England as of 1867 under AS 01.10.010, except where modified by statute.

The Equal Footing Doctrine and Submerged Lands Act give the State title to beds of navigable waters up to ordinary high water mark.

Accretion and reliction change boundaries gradually; avulsion does not change boundaries.

Recording statutes (AS 40.17) create a notice system; an unrecorded conveyance is void against a subsequent good-faith purchaser who records first.

Adverse possession in Alaska requires 10 years under AS 09.45.052.

Prescriptive easements require 10 years of open, notorious, adverse, continuous use.

The hierarchy of calls is natural monuments > artificial monuments > courses and distances > area.

Proportionate measurement reestablishes a lost corner by distributing record distances between the nearest found original corners.

Single proportionate measurement applies along a line; double proportionate measurement applies to an interior corner common to four sections.

A found original monument controls over later resurvey monuments when undisturbed.

Meander corners mark the intersection of section lines with the meander line and are not boundary corners of the water.

Retracement surveys must document found monuments and the evidence used to accept or reject them.

Constructive notice arises from recording in the correct district; inquiry notice arises from facts prompting reasonable investigation.

A title search should examine the grantor-grantee index, plat records, and lien records.

Certified copies of GLO plats and field notes are admissible as public records.

Parol evidence may resolve latent ambiguities but cannot contradict unambiguous terms.

Ancient documents (20+ years, proper custody, unsuspicious) are admissible to prove their own authenticity.

Recording in the wrong district does not give constructive notice.

NAD83 is the horizontal datum for Alaska; NAD27 coordinates differ by roughly 100-200 meters and must be transformed.

State Plane zones 1-10 in Alaska use transverse Mercator with scale factor near unity at the central meridian.

UTM zones 4N-9N cover Alaska; UTM scale factor is 0.9996 at the central meridian.

Combined scale factor = grid scale factor x elevation factor.

Orthometric height = ellipsoidal height - geoid separation; geoid separation in Alaska varies by several meters.

Grid azimuth = geodetic azimuth - convergence angle.

Traverse angular closure is checked against allowable error proportional to the square root of the number of angles.

Linear misclosure divided by perimeter gives relative precision (e.g., 1:10,000).

GNSS RTK requires a fixed solution for centimeter accuracy; float solutions should be reobserved.

EDM distances must be corrected for atmospheric conditions, instrument/prism constants, and reduced to horizontal.

Leveling loop misclosure is checked against allowable error proportional to the square root of the loop length in miles.

Alaska field conditions (permafrost, frost heave, magnetic declination) require durable monuments and careful bearing checks.

Alaska platting is governed by AS 40.15 and municipal ordinances; plats must be approved before recording.

A plat must show lot lines, dimensions, bearings, monuments, dedications, and the surveyor's certificate and seal.

Recording a plat in the correct district gives constructive notice of lot boundaries and dedications.

Public dedications on a plat require acceptance by the governing body to become effective.

Alaska allows waiver of platting for certain large-tract divisions (e.g., 40 acres or larger) subject to local ordinance.

Condominium plats and declarations are governed by AS 34.08 and must be consistent with the subdivision plat.

PLSS townships are 36 sections of nominally 640 acres, referenced to a principal meridian and base line.

Alaska's principal meridians include the Seward, Copper River, and Umiat meridians.

Standard parallels and guide meridians are run every 24 miles to correct for convergence.

Section subdivision yields halves, quarters, and quarter-quarters; fractional lots along water are numbered and computed separately.

Original GLO corners are evidenced by bearing trees, mound and pits, and stone or post monuments.

Lost corners are reestablished by proportionate measurement, not by original position.

Alaska land surveyors are licensed under AS 08.48 and regulated by the State Board of Registration.

A surveyor's seal and signature certify work performed by or under the direct supervision of the licensee.

Continuing professional competency is required for license renewal under AS 08.48.

Surveyors must disclose conflicts of interest and may not accept contingent fees for boundary opinions.

Boundary surveys must comply with Board regulations and standards of practice for land surveying.

Licensees may not practice outside their competence without consultation.

Alaska adopted the common law of England as of 1867 under AS 01.10.010, except where modified by statute.

The Equal Footing Doctrine and Submerged Lands Act give the State title to beds of navigable waters up to ordinary high water mark.

Accretion and reliction change boundaries gradually; avulsion does not change boundaries.

Recording statutes (AS 40.17) create a notice system; an unrecorded conveyance is void against a subsequent good-faith purchaser who records first.

Adverse possession in Alaska requires 10 years under AS 09.45.052.

Prescriptive easements require 10 years of open, notorious, adverse, continuous use.

The hierarchy of calls is natural monuments > artificial monuments > courses and distances > area.

Proportionate measurement reestablishes a lost corner by distributing record distances between the nearest found original corners.

Single proportionate measurement applies along a line; double proportionate measurement applies to an interior corner common to four sections.

A found original monument controls over later resurvey monuments when undisturbed.

Meander corners mark the intersection of section lines with the meander line and are not boundary corners of the water.

Retracement surveys must document found monuments and the evidence used to accept or reject them.

Constructive notice arises from recording in the correct district; inquiry notice arises from facts prompting reasonable investigation.

A title search should examine the grantor-grantee index, plat records, and lien records.

Certified copies of GLO plats and field notes are admissible as public records.

Parol evidence may resolve latent ambiguities but cannot contradict unambiguous terms.

Ancient documents (20+ years, proper custody, unsuspicious) are admissible to prove their own authenticity.

Recording in the wrong district does not give constructive notice.

NAD83 is the horizontal datum for Alaska; NAD27 coordinates differ by roughly 100-200 meters and must be transformed.

State Plane zones 1-10 in Alaska use transverse Mercator with scale factor near unity at the central meridian.

UTM zones 4N-9N cover Alaska; UTM scale factor is 0.9996 at the central meridian.

Combined scale factor = grid scale factor x elevation factor.

Orthometric height = ellipsoidal height - geoid separation; geoid separation in Alaska varies by several meters.

Grid azimuth = geodetic azimuth - convergence angle.

Traverse angular closure is checked against allowable error proportional to the square root of the number of angles.

Linear misclosure divided by perimeter gives relative precision (e.g., 1:10,000).

GNSS RTK requires a fixed solution for centimeter accuracy; float solutions should be reobserved.

EDM distances must be corrected for atmospheric conditions, instrument/prism constants, and reduced to horizontal.

Leveling loop misclosure is checked against allowable error proportional to the square root of the loop length in miles.

Alaska field conditions (permafrost, frost heave, magnetic declination) require durable monuments and careful bearing checks.

Alaska platting is governed by AS 40.15 and municipal ordinances; plats must be approved before recording.

A plat must show lot lines, dimensions, bearings, monuments, dedications, and the surveyor's certificate and seal.

Recording a plat in the correct district gives constructive notice of lot boundaries and dedications.

Public dedications on a plat require acceptance by the governing body to become effective.

Alaska allows waiver of platting for certain large-tract divisions (e.g., 40 acres or larger) subject to local ordinance.

Condominium plats and declarations are governed by AS 34.08 and must be consistent with the subdivision plat.

PLSS townships are 36 sections of nominally 640 acres, referenced to a principal meridian and base line.

Alaska's principal meridians include the Seward, Copper River, and Umiat meridians.

Standard parallels and guide meridians are run every 24 miles to correct for convergence.

Section subdivision yields halves, quarters, and quarter-quarters; fractional lots along water are numbered and computed separately.

Original GLO corners are evidenced by bearing trees, mound and pits, and stone or post monuments.

Lost corners are reestablished by proportionate measurement, not by original position.

Alaska land surveyors are licensed under AS 08.48 and regulated by the State Board of Registration.

A surveyor's seal and signature certify work performed by or under the direct supervision of the licensee.

Continuing professional competency is required for license renewal under AS 08.48.

Surveyors must disclose conflicts of interest and may not accept contingent fees for boundary opinions.

Boundary surveys must comply with Board regulations and standards of practice for land surveying.

Licensees may not practice outside their competence without consultation.