Land Surveyors Act
(CHAPTER 156)

(Original Enactment: Act 24 of 1991)

REVISED EDITION 2006
(1st April 2006)
An Act to establish the Land Surveyors Board, to provide for the registration of land surveyors, to regulate the qualifications and practice of land surveyors and to regulate corporations, partnerships and limited liability partnerships which supply survey services in Singapore.
[2/2007 wef 02/05/2007]
[30th August 1991]
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title
1.  This Act may be cited as the Land Surveyors Act.
Interpretation
2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“allied professional” means —
(a)an architect who is registered under the Architects Act (Cap. 12); or
(b)a professional engineer who is registered under the Professional Engineers Act (Cap. 253);
“authorised surveyor” means a surveyor who is employed by the Authority, whether or not registered under section 12;
“Authority” means the Singapore Land Authority established under the Singapore Land Authority Act (Cap. 301);
“Board” means the Land Surveyors Board established under section 4;
“cadastral survey” means any survey relating to the recording of land boundaries, subdivision lines, buildings and related details;
“certificate of registration” means the certificate of registration issued under section 14;
“Chief Surveyor” means the Chief Surveyor appointed under section 3(1) of the Boundaries and Survey Maps Act (Cap. 25);
“Investigation Committee” means an Investigation Committee appointed under section 24(1);
“licence” means a licence to supply survey services in Singapore granted under section 17;
“licensed”, in relation to a corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership, means a corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership which has in force a licence;
[2/2007 wef 02/05/2007]
“limited liability partnership” has the same meaning given to it by section 4(1) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005 (Act 5 of 2005);
[2/2007 wef 02/05/2007]
“manager” —
(a)in relation to a corporation or partnership, means the principal executive officer of the corporation or partnership for the time being by whatever name called and whether or not he is a director or partner thereof; and
(b)in relation to a limited liability partnership, has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005;
[2/2007 wef 02/05/2007]
“nominee”, in relation to any person, means a person who is accustomed or under an obligation (whether formal or informal) to act in accordance with the directions, instructions or wishes of the first-mentioned person, except that a person shall not be regarded as a nominee of another person by reason only that he acts on advice given by that other person in a professional capacity;
“practising certificate”  —
(a)in relation to a registered surveyor, means an annual practising certificate issued under section 15 authorising him to engage in survey work in Singapore;
(b)in relation to an allied professional who is an architect registered under the Architects Act (Cap. 12), means a practising certificate issued under section 18 of that Act; and
(c)in relation to an allied professional who is a professional engineer registered under the Professional Engineers Act (Cap. 253), means a practising certificate issued under section 18 of that Act;
[2/2007 wef 02/05/2007]
“President” means the President of the Board;
“register of licensees” means the annual register of licensed corporations, partnerships and limited liability partnerships kept by the Board under section 9(1)(c);
“register of practitioners” means the annual register of practitioners kept by the Board under section 9(1)(b);
“register of surveyors” means the register of surveyors kept by the Board under section 9(1)(a);
“registered surveyor” means a person registered as a land surveyor under section 12;
“Registrar” means the Registrar of the Board appointed under section 8;
“survey” means the act or process of —
(a)determining the form, contour, position, area, height, depth or any other particulars of —
(i)the earth’s surface, whether of land or water; or
(ii)any natural or artificial features on, below or above any part of the earth’s surface; or
(b)planning the position or the boundary lines of any part of the earth’s surface, or of any natural or artificial features referred to in paragraph (a)(ii),
and includes the act or process of making or obtaining any plan therefrom;
“survey services” means the supply for gain or reward of any services, or any plan, certificate or other document, relating to any survey;
“survey work” means any work which is part of or related to a survey;
“unlimited corporation” means a corporation formed on the principle of having no limit placed on the liability of its members.
[35/98; 34/99; 17/2001; 37/2004]
Act not to apply to Government, etc.
3.—(1)  Nothing in this Act shall apply to anything done or omitted to be done by the Government.
(2)  This Act shall not be construed as requiring any public authority which supplies survey services in Singapore under the provisions of any written law to obtain a licence.
[34/99]
(3)  In subsection (2), “public authority” means any body established by or under any written law and exercising powers vested therein by written law for a public purpose.
[35/98]