81-3539. Licensure; enrollment; applicant; qualifications; waiver.

(1) Applications for licensure as a professional geologist, for temporary or reciprocal licensure, or for enrollment as a geologist-intern shall be on forms prescribed and furnished by the board and shall be accompanied by the fee established by the board.

(2) The following shall be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is qualified for licensure as a professional geologist or enrollment as a geologist-intern:

(a) The applicant is of good character and reputation and submits four references with his or her application for licensure as a professional geologist. Two of the references shall be professional geologists having personal knowledge of his or her geological experience or, in the case of the application for enrollment as a geologist-intern, acting only as character references;

(b) The applicant has successfully completed a minimum of thirty semester hours or forty-five quarter hours of course work in geology and has received a baccalaureate or advanced degree in geology or a geologic specialty from a program recognized by the board;

(c) The applicant has a documented record of a minimum of five years of progressive experience, obtained subsequent to completion of the education requirements, in geologic work of a grade and character which indicates to the board that the applicant is qualified to assume responsible charge of such work upon licensure as a geologist, including geologic teaching of advanced subjects and the design of geologic research and projects in a college or university offering a geologic curriculum, except that no work experience is required for enrollment as a geologist-intern; and

(d) The applicant has completed an examination covering the fundamentals and practice of geology prescribed by the board. Upon passing the fundamentals of geology examination, the applicant may be enrolled as a geologist-intern. Upon passing the practice of geology examination, the applicant may be granted a certificate of licensure to practice geology in this state if otherwise qualified.

(3) A person who holds a valid certificate of licensure to engage in the practice of geology, issued pursuant to the authority of any state or possession of the United States or the District of Columbia based on requirements that do not conflict with the act and were of a standard not lower than that specified in the applicable licensing law in effect in this state at the time the certificate was issued, may, upon application, be considered by the board to have fulfilled the requirements of subdivisions (2)(b) and (c) of this section and be licensed without further examination as required under subdivision (2)(d) of this section.

(4) The requirements of subdivisions (2)(b) through (d) of this section may be waived by the board if the applicant is licensed to practice geology at the time of application and has maintained a current certificate of licensure to practice geology for at least fifteen years issued pursuant to the authority of a state or possession of the United States or the District of Columbia based on requirements that do not conflict with the Geologists Regulation Act and if the applicant has lawfully practiced geology for at least fifteen years in such jurisdiction. Lawful practice includes any practice that is in compliance with the licensure law in effect in the jurisdiction where the practice occurs.

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