Professional Practice, Ethics, and Indiana Regulation
What this domain tests
This domain tests Indiana licensure, sealing, ethics, and professional judgment under the state surveyor statute and board rules.
Core rules
- Land surveying in Indiana is regulated under IC 25-21.5 and the Board of Registration for Land Surveyors rules. Practice within your license and competence; do not seal work you did not prepare or directly supervise.
- A seal and signature certify professional responsibility. The surveyor should control the fieldwork, computations, and boundary decisions, and retain records as required.
- Disclose conflicts of interest and material evidence, including evidence unfavorable to the client. Do not accept compensation contingent on a particular boundary opinion.
- Respect private property, monument preservation, and confidentiality. Testimony should distinguish measured facts from professional opinions.
Worked example
A client asks you to move a deed line five feet to match a fence and “make it legal” by sealing a new plat. You should decline to falsify the boundary. You may survey and map the deed line and the fence as occupation, identify evidence relevant to acquiescence or adverse possession, and advise the client to consult an attorney. The seal goes on your professional work, not on a client-directed conclusion.
Traps
Sealing unlicensed or unsupervised work; accepting a contingency fee for a boundary location; altering or removing monuments without authority; giving legal title opinions beyond your role; and omitting unfavorable evidence from a surveyor’s report.