Oklahoma Administrative Rules - Subchapter 13

    In order to better serve the public in regulating the practice of surveying in Oklahoma, these minimum standards of practice are established to achieve no less than minimum standard degrees of accuracy, completeness, and quality for boundary, topographic, planimetric, and control surveys to assure well founded and defensible real property boundary locations based on sound legal and surveying principles. Pursuant to Title 59, O.S. 475.18(A)(15). Professional Surveyors failing to comply with or meet these minimum standards shall be subject to disciplinary action by the Board.

• (a)    Definitions: as used in these standards, the following terms shall have the following meanings where the context permits as provided in the Act and Chapter 245:15-1-3 of the Rules of the Board.
• (b)    Certification. In order for a plat, subdivision plat, map, or sketch of a survey to comply with this rule, it shall be complete and shall be certified or otherwise stated as meeting these minimum standards. When more stringent survey standards than those set forth herein are required, the survey shall comply and be certified to both those standards and the Oklahoma Minimum Standards for the Practice of Surveying.
• (c) Research and investigation.

(1)   Every boundary survey shall be made in accordance with the boundary description, as provided to or as created by the professional surveyor, as nearly as is practicable unless there are errors or ambiguities in the original description that shall be corrected.

(2)  The professional surveyor shall acquire available necessary survey data, which may include record descriptions, deeds, maps, Certified Corner Records, government notes, subdivision plats, road records, and other available section and boundary line location data in the vicinity. Copies of descriptions of adjoining property shall be researched if necessary to set the surveyed property apart from the adjoining properties.

(3)  The professional surveyor shall analyze the data and make careful determination of the record title boundary of the property to be surveyed.

(4)    ​From the information gathered, the professional surveyor, or those working under his or her direct control and personal supervision, shall search thoroughly for all controlling corners and all other available field evidence of boundary location.

(5)     ​In the event of the discovery of a material disagreement with the work of another professional surveyor, the professional surveyor should make reasonable efforts to contact the other professional surveyor in an attempt to resolve the disagreement.

• (d) Minimum technical standards for land or boundary surveys (field and office). 
  • (1) All measurements made in the field shall be in accordance with the United States Standard, using the Oklahoma Coordinate System of 1927, and the Oklahoma Coordinate System of 1983. The unit used to convert feet to meters shall be the United States survey foot for the Oklahoma Plane Coordinate System (OKPCS). Subsequent datums to use the international value of the international foot as referenced to the meter to be used with Low Distortion Projections  (LDP). All measurements shall be referenced to the horizontal or vertical plane, except for geodetic surveys.
  • (2)  All survey documents produced by an individual practicing under his or her own name shall bear the name, address, telephone number, along with the license number, seal, signature, and date of signature of the professional surveyor. All survey documents produced by a firm shall bear the firm name, address, telephone number, email address and website, if available, and Certificate of Authorization number, along with the name, license number, seal, signature, and date of signature of the professional surveyor.
  • (3)   All survey documents shall bear the date of the last site visit and bear the date of any revisions thereon. If the site visit was performed on multiple dates, the drawing may specify the range of those dates.
  • (4)   A designated north arrow, vicinity map, and a statement of scale along with a graphic, linear, of bar scale of the map shall be shown prominently upon the drawing.
  • (5)  Any symbols and/or abbreviations representing physical objects used on the drawing shall be clearly noted upon the drawing. The size and type of monuments found or set shall be identified.
  • (6)  The basis of control used in the survey shall be shown on the survey and shall be based upon one or both of the following:

(A)  Projections (state plain coordinates or other) with specifics to elevation, vertical datum, horizontal datum, zone, ground to grid factor used, state plane or UTM zone including all pertinent metadata, if applicable, measured and published geodetic control values based upon an online position user service (OPUS) solution, geodetic control stations, or other control.

(B)   A reference to all bearings shown must be clearly stated, i.e., whether to 'True North'; 'Grid North as established by state plane datum'; 'Assumed North based on the bearing of a well-established line'; a 'Deed call for a particular line'; or 'the bearing of a particular line shown upon a plat'; or ‘a specific line between two points either found or re-established set points as shown on a filed plat or in an existing deed description. If a solar observation, GNSS observation, or other means for determining True or Geodetic North is used, it shall also include the accompanying latitudinal and longitudinal value of the observation point. 'GPS North' or similar ambiguous notations without explanation are unacceptable.

(7) Referencing Surveys. 

(A)  Surveys based on the United States Public Land Survey System shall be referenced to original or properly restored corners and shown on the plat. The appropriate Bureau of Land Management Manual of Surveying Instructions shall be used as a guide for the restoration of lost or obliterated corners and subdivision of sections into aliquot parts.

(B)  Lot surveys within platted subdivisions shall be referenced to existing corner monuments within the subdivision as necessary to substantiate the survey.

(8) Where inconsistencies with the property are found, such as apparent encroachments and/or evidence of possession, such as fences, overlapping descriptions, hiatuses, excess or deficiency, or conflicting boundary line or monuments; the nature and extent of the inconsistencies shall be shown and described with available supporting documentation on the drawing.

(9) All survey drawings shall show the change in direction between lines, lines and curves, and between adjacent curves, by angles, bearings or azimuths. Circular curves shall show: 1. The length of radius; 2. The arc distance; and 3. The chord distance and chord bearing. Sufficient information shall be shown to mathematically close all lots and/or parcels.

(10) All easements, rights-of-way and building lines drawn or referenced on recorded subdivision plats on or across the land being surveyed and the width of the rights-of-way of all section lines adjoining or within the surveyed property shall be shown upon the survey drawing. Physical evidence of roadways providing access to or through the property being surveyed shall be shown and/or noted. If location of easements or rights-of-way, other than those drawn or referenced on recorded subdivision plats is required, this information shall be furnished to the professional surveyor.

(11) The professional surveyor shall establish or confirm a monument or confirm the prior placement of monuments at each and every property corner on the boundary line or boundary lines of the parcel or tract of land being surveyed.  

(A)  ​In such cases where the placement of a required monument at its proper location is impractical, a witness or reference monument shall be placed with the data given to show its location upon the ground in relation to the boundary lines or corner.   ​

(B)  In any case the type and size of all monuments, either found or set, and the relationship of the monuments to the surveyed lines and corners shall be shown on the drawing.

(C)  Where practical, monuments shall be constructed of material capable of being detected with the conventional instruments for finding ferrous or magnetic objects.

(D)  All set monuments shall have affixed thereto a durable marker or cap bearing, at a minimum, the license number of the professional surveyor in responsible charge, or the Certificate of Authorization number of the firm performing the survey.

(E)   Monuments for the exterior corners of a subdivision shall be set by the professional surveyor who certified the plat of the subdivision prior to the recordation of the subdivision plat. It is the responsibility of the professional surveyor to set the interior corners on all lot and block corners prior to the conveyance of the lot, block or any part thereof within thirty days of completion of the infrastructure improvements, but no later than one year after recordation of the subdivision plat.

(12) Accuracy of measurements. The accuracy of the measurements for the survey shall be based upon the type of survey, and the current or expected use of the land. The accuracy of the measurements thus performed shall be substantiated by the computations of the traverse or the results of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) survey; the relative error of closure permissible shall be no greater than the following standards given below:

(A)    Where there is or will be zero lot line construction on small tracts in a high density urban area, the allowable closure error is 1:10,000 or the allowable positional error is plus or minus 0.10 feet.

(B)     In residential or commercial subdivisions where the length of lines does not exceed 300 feet, the area of tracts does not exceed 2 acres, and there is no plan for zero lot line construction, the allowable closure error is 1:10,000 or the allowable positional error is plus or minus 0.25 feet.

(C)     In suburban or rural residential or industrial tracts where the length of lines does not exceed 1000 feet and the area of tracts is between 2 and 40 acres, the allowable closure error is 1:10,000 or the allowable positional error is plus or minus 0.50 feet.

(D)    Rural tracts of 40 acres or more where the corners of the tract may be connected with traverse legs in excess of 1000 feet, the allowable closure error is 1:10,000 or the allowable positional error is plus or minus 1.0 foot.

(E)     Rural tracts of 40 acres or more in rough or tree covered terrain where the corners of the tract shall be connected with short traverse lines because of poor visibility between the corners of the tract, the allowable closure error is 1:7,500 or the allowable positional error is plus or minus 1.5 feet.

(F)     Field work performed which has a closure error greater than the maximum allowed, or linear error of closure greater than the maximum positional error shown, shall be considered unacceptable and shall be corrected. Adjustment of a traverse shall not shift the position of any point more than the maximum positional error listed above.

(13) When special conditions exist that effectively prevent the survey from meeting these minimum standards, the special conditions and any necessary deviation from the standards shall be noted upon the drawing. It shall be a violation of this rule to use special conditions to circumvent the intent and purpose of these minimum standards.

(14) A survey plat, sketch or map shall be created whenever a survey is performed. Every survey plat, sketch or map shall contain the legal description of the land being surveyed, either on the face of the survey plat or attached to and referenced to the survey plat. If the professional surveyor prepares a new description, then both the surveyor's description and the original description shall be on the drawing.

(15) Additions or deletions to survey drawings by other than the signing party or parties are prohibited without written consent of the signing party or parties.

• (e) Specifications for topographic and planimetric mapping, including ground, airborne, and space borne surveys:

(1) ​Production procedures for topographic and planimetric mapping surveys shall be prepared in accordance with the Instruction Manual for Topographic and Planimetric Mapping, as adopted by the Board, and with the standards established by Part 3 of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Geospatial Positioning Accuracy Standard and applicable extensions and revisions. These standards are incorporated by reference including subsequent amendments and editions.

(2) Topographic and Planimetric Mapping Surveys shall contain a certificate followed by the dated signature and seal of the professional surveyor responsible for the control survey stating that the professional surveyor conducted an actual survey on the ground and is responsible for the survey. The following model certification is considered to be an example of the minimum the professional surveyor should certify to: “I, NAME OF SURVEYOR, certify that this project was completed under my direct and responsible charge from an actual survey made under my supervision; that this (insert as appropriate:  ground, airborne or spaceborne) survey was performed at the  95% or greater percent level to meet Federal Geographic Data Committee Standards; that this survey was performed to meet the Specifications for Topographic and Planimetric Mapping contained in the Oklahoma Minimum Standards for the Practice of Surveying. The original data was obtained on (insert date); that the survey was completed on (insert date of completion) ; that contour shown as (description of obscure contour lines) may not meet the stated standard; and all coordinates are based on (list horizontal data projection) and adjusted to (list final adjustment values) and all elevations are based on (list vertical datum).

• (f) Control-surveying reporting: Whenever a professional surveyor undertakes control surveying, where the coordinates and elevations of the control points established by the survey shall be relied upon by professionals other than the original professional surveyor for future phases of the work, the professional surveyor shall prepare a control survey report and shall provide the report to the prime client and to any other person who makes a written submittal. Alternatively, if the entire report is contained on the face of the work product, no other reporting is required. The report shall contain the following information as appropriate for the work being performed:

(1)   A listing of the final adjusted coordinates and elevations for all points within the control network along with a complete description of all monuments established or recovered, and

(2)   A complete description of the horizontal and vertical datum used to include the basis of bearings, and

(3)   A complete description of the state plane or UTM zone used including all pertinent metadata, if appropriate, and

(4)   Units used for coordinates and elevations, and

(5)   Description of monument(s) used to constrain the control network including the reference coordinates and elevations used for aid monument(s), and

(6)   If the final adjusted coordinates are based on a modified (ground datum) state plane coordinate system or a low-distortion local coordinate system (ground referenced) derived from geospatial positions, a complete description of the method(s) used to generate the modified coordinates shall be included in the report, and

(7)    A brief description detailing the field methods and equipment used to conduct the control survey, and

(8)    The date when the control monuments were set, the date when the control monuments were positionally observed, and the date of the final network adjustment

(9)    Nothing in this section dictates the spatial accuracy that shall be required by any specific project. It shall be the responsibility of the individual licensee to determine the appropriate level of accuracy for each project. However, the professional surveyor shall report the spatial accuracy in both the horizontal and vertical components,

(10)  A certificate followed by the dated signature and seal of the professional surveyor responsible for the control survey stating that the professional surveyor conducted an actual survey on the ground and is responsible for the survey. The following model certification is considered to be an example of the minimum that the professional surveyor should certify to: "I,         , certify that this horizontal/vertical control survey was completed under my direct and responsible charge from an actual survey made under my supervision and meets the Oklahoma Minimum Standards for the Practice of Surveying as adopted by the Oklahoma State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.", and

(11)     Preparation of the control portion of geographic information systems and land information systems means the authoritative and monumented ground survey of a system of marks or objects to establish horizontal or vertical positions.

• (g) Minimum standards for all legal descriptions (parcels, easements, rights of way): Preparation of a new description that is different from the description furnished to the professional surveyor should be avoided unless deemed necessary by the professional surveyor because of errors or ambiguities in the original description. If the professional surveyor prepares a new description, then both the professional surveyor’s description and the original description shall be on the drawing. Except in the case of an original survey, if a new description is prepared, a note shall be provided stating (a) that the new description describes the same real estate as the record description or, if it does not, (b) how the new description differs from the record description.
  • (1) Metes and bounds descriptions prepared shall at a minimum contain the following items: 

(A)  A preamble containing the Quarter Section, Section, Township, Range, Principal Meridian (Indian or Cimarron) and the county and/ or city of the tract of land being described or a preamble containing the Lot and/or Block number, subdivision name and if available, the recording information of the plat and the city, if applicable, and county in which it is filed of record, and

(B) A point of beginning shall be referenced to a known monumented position such as a section corner, quarter-section corner, sixteenth section corner, or a Lot/Block corner of a recorded subdivision. A point of commencement (if applicable) shall be tied to the point of beginning by a known monumented line, such as a section line, quarter-section line, or a Lot/Block line. A tie to each additional section line or recorded subdivision line the description crosses shall be made. All distances and directions identified in the record description of the surveyed property  (and in the new description, if one was prepared) shall be shown; and

(C) Distances listed to the nearest hundredth of a foot (if surveyed), and

(D) Bearings or angles listed in degrees, minutes and seconds (if surveyed), and

(E) The basis of control used in the description shall be as stated in (c)(7) of this subsection, and

(F) Curved lines with circular curves shall show: 1. Direction of the curve (right or left); 2. The radius; 3. Arc distance; and 4. Chord distance and chord bearing, and

(G) The name and license number of the professional surveyor who prepared the description, and

(H) The date of preparation of the legal description, and

(I) Each metes and bounds description shall return to the Point of Beginning and close mathematically.

(2)   Aliquot descriptions may be used in lieu of a metes and bounds description and shall at a minimum contain the following items: Quarter Section, Section, Township, Range, Principal Meridian (Indian or Cimarron), city (if applicable) and the county of the tract of land being described.

(3)   Lot and block description may be used in lieu of a metes and bounds description and shall at a minimum contain the following items: Lot and/or Block number, subdivision name, city (if applicable), the county in which it is filed of record and, if available, the recording information of the plat.

(4)   A written legal description of the surveyed tract of land shall provide sufficient information to locate the property on the ground and distinctly set it apart from all adjoining properties.

(5)   The preparation of legal descriptions by a person who does not monument the land so described is not the practice of surveying.

• (a) A professional surveyor may prepare a Mortgage Inspection Report for the use of a specific client based upon their general knowledge of land boundaries and monuments in a given area. Such report shall be prominently labeled 'Mortgage Inspection Report - Not a Land or Boundary Survey' and shall not be designated as, or construed as being, a Land or Boundary Survey. Professional Surveyors showing measurements on a mortgage inspection report that are not true representations of the conditions that were found at the time of the inspection shall be in violation of the Minimum Standards for the Practice of Surveying.
• (b) The statement furnished on the certificate shall be similar to the following form: 'This Mortgage Inspection Report was prepared for …(individual or firm)…. It is not a land or boundary survey plat, and it is not to be relied upon for the establishment of fence, building or other future improvement lines. The accompanying sketch is a representation of the approximate boundary, primary structure(s) and outbuildings with foundations that were found at the time of the inspection, and the linear and angular values shown on the sketch, if any, are based on record or deed information and have not been verified unless noted.'
• (c)  Any further statements shall be made only after proper research, investigation and boundary analysis is conducted per 245:15-13-2(a) through (f).