(A) A person must not practice or offer to practice professional soil classifying in this State unless the person is licensed to practice under the provisions of this chapter.

(B) To be eligible for licensure as a professional soil classifier or to be certified as a soil-classifier-in-training, an applicant must be of good character and reputation and shall submit a written application to the department containing information the department may require.

(C) To be licensed as a professional soil classifier an applicant must have:

(1) fifteen or more semester hours of approved soil courses as recognized by the department;

(2) successfully passed an examination in the principles and practice of soil classifying as prescribed by the department;

(3) completed two or more years of training under the supervision of a registered or licensed soil classifier or someone who meets the minimum academic and experience requirements of a licensed soil classifier; and

(4) one of the following additional qualifications:

(a) a bachelor's degree or equivalent in a curriculum approved by the department and two years or more of experience of a grade and character which indicates to the department that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying;

(b) a bachelor's degree or equivalent in one of the natural sciences and six years or more of experience in soil classifying work of a character and grade which indicates to the department that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying;

(c) a soil-classifier-in-training certificate with two years' or more experience as a soil-classifier-in-training of a grade and character which indicates to the department that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying; or

(d) employment as an extension specialist, researcher, or teacher of soils in a college or university and has two or more years of soil classifying experience of a character and grade which indicates to the department that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying.

(D) To be certified as a soil-classifier-in-training, which certification is valid for two years, an applicant must have:

(1) a bachelor's degree or equivalent in a curriculum approved by the department and have passed an examination in the fundamentals of soil classification; or

(2) completed a curriculum not approved by the department, have passed an examination in the fundamentals of soil classification, and have four years of soil classification experience, of which two years must be under the supervision of a registered or licensed soil classifier or someone who meets the minimum academic and experience requirements of a licensed soil classifier.

HISTORY: 2010 Act No. 249, Section 2.A, eff June 11, 2010.

Editor's Note

Prior Laws: 1962 Code Sections 56-1546.40, 56-1546.42, 56-1546.43; 1974 (58) 2828; 1989 Act No. 99, Sections 1, 2; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 946; 1976 Code Sections 40-65-100, 40-65-120, 40-65-130.