PUBLIC LAND SURVEY OFFICE
Duties
The Public Land Survey Office:
- Collects, preserves and indexes survey records.
- Established survey industry standards of accuracy and methods of procedure.
- Issue permits for the removal of survey monuments.
- Cooperates with and advises the public regarding the recovery and monumentation of section corners and other land boundary marks.
- Facilitates and encourages the use of the geodetic network.
Why are They Necessary?
These Public Land Survey Office functions:
- Reduce research time
- Reduce the likelihood of conflicts between surveyors about corner positions
- Reduce the chance of costly lawsuits over boundary disputes
Who Needs These Services?
- Private: Surveyors and Title companies
- Local Agencies: Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Dept. of Transportation, Dept. of Natural Resources
- Federal Agencies: Bureau of Land Management, US Fish & Wildlife and US Army Corps of Engineers
Structure and Purpose
The Public Land Survey Office (PLSO) is a section within the Engineering Division of Washington's Department of Natural Resources.
It is the responsibility of the state to provide a means for the identification and preservation of survey points for the description of common land boundaries in the interest of the people of the state. There is a necessity for the adoption and maintenance of a system of permanent reference as to boundary monuments. The Department of Natural Resources shall be the recognized agency for the establishment of this system.
Removal of Survey Markers
When it becomes obvious that a survey marker must be removed, either temporarily or permanently, the professional surveyor involved must apply to the PLSO prior to beginning any field work. The application must show the proposed method of referencing and/or reestablishing the monument. Under extraordinary circumstances, oral permission may be granted pending the processing and issuance of the written permit. This permit system provides public record of changes that occur to survey monuments.
Downloadable PLSO Forms
Washington's Repository of Land Boundary Information
The Public Land Survey Office (PLSO) is a service of state government that identifies, preserves and maintains a statewide repository of land boundary information. Established in 1951, the office collects land boundary data — currently more than 464,000 documents — many of which were privately held by corporations and individuals and not available to the public.
Through the Survey Recording Act of 1973, the state legislature authorized the PLSO to collect all surveys. The office also continues to collect pre-1973 property records which are considered "historical" but valuable in establishing new surveys.
The work of the PLSO is not funded by tax dollars and is completely supported by user fees and sales of its data and maps.
Wanted: historic land boundary records click here
Historical Data Click Here
Search the survey records from 1973 back to statehood.