Missouri

General Information on Missouri Professional Geologist Licenses

Does state provide a license: Yes

Current Active Licensees

Title Licensees
Professional Geologist 819
Geologist Registrant In Training 16

License: Professional Geologist

Exam Entity: ASBOG

Licensing Board: The Missouri Board of Geologist Registration

Licensing Board Website: https://www.pr.mo.gov/geologists.asp

Continuing Education and Experience

Degree required:

Minimum degree level required to licensure as specified by the state regulations. ‘Other’ indicates that minimum education requirements must be met that are considered equivalent to a college degree, or minimum experience requirements must be met. See notes and applicable state laws and regulations for complete information.

  • Bachelor’s Degree

Majors accepted:

Majors defined in the state regulations as acceptable to obtain a professional geologist or geoscientist license, or for the specified environmental professional license in states without a PG license.

  • Geology
  • Related Geological Sciences

Courses required:

  • Structural Geology
  • Stratigraphy
  • Sedimentology
  • Earth Materials
  • Field Geology
  • Physical Geology

Courses accepted:

  • Other
  • Environmental Geology
  • Independent Study
  • Seminar
  • Hydrogeology
  • Engineering Geology

Geology credits required: 30

Minimum number of semester hours in relevant course work required for licensure. Thirty (30) semester hours = forty-five (45) quarter hours; twenty-four (24) semester hours = thirty-six (36) quarter hours.

Credit information: The applicant shall have completed at least thirty (30) semester hours or forty-five (45) quarter hours of credit in a course of study in geology. The thirty (30) semester hours shall include the following courses or their equivalents: Physical Geology (3 semester hours), Earth Materials (minerals and rocks) (3 semester hours), Structural Geology (3 semester hours), Stratigraphy & Sedimentation (3 semester hours), and Field Geology (6 semester hours).

Education Notes: See the state regulations for a complete explanation of the education requirements for licensure.

Years of experience required: 3

Experience credits needed: 0

Experience information: 20 CSR 2145-2.030 Post-Baccalaureate Experience in Geology. A person applying for licensure as a registered geologist with three (3) years post-baccalaureate experience shall have completed the post-baccalaureate experience prior to the time of application, and the experience shall consist of the practice of geology in responsible charge. Responsible charge geological work shall be provided pursuant to the order, over-sight, guidance, and full professional responsibility of the supervising registered geologist.

Continuing education requirements: No

Geologist in Training license available: Yes

Can take Fundamentals of Geology test before graduation: Yes

Fundamentals of Geology test details: The rules, regulations and board website do not specifically address taking the FG examination before degree completion. The regulations state that to qualify, the applicant must have completed at least thirty (30) semester hours or forty-five (45) quarter hours of credit in a course ofstudy in geology.

Legal Code Reference for GIT, FG: 20 CSR 2145-2.020

Sunset and Audit Legislation Information

Most registration and licensure systems include structural approaches to review both the need and operational effectiveness of the process.

Some states provide formal sunset evaluation processes for their licensure programs. Many also include a periodic audit process of the licensure program/agency, which can range from cursory financial reviews to comprehensive evaluation of program effectiveness.

The audit process is often leveraged when political pressure is applied to eliminate geologist licensure, so awareness of the history and codes for audits and sunset evaluations is critical to montioring the health of the licensure within the state.

Current modes for sunsetting evaluation: Both sunset review and audit

License subject to sunset review: Possible

License subject to audit review: Possible

Sunset regulation name: Missouri Sunset Act

Sunset statute: Missouri Revisor of Statutes, Title III Legislative Branch, Chapter 23 Committee on Legislative Research, Section 23.250 Missouri Sunset Act

Sunset statute reference: http://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneChapter.aspx?chapter=23

Sunset committee: Committee on Legislative Research

Composition of sunset committee: The Committee on Legislative Research is to be comprised of the chairman of the senate appropriations committee and nine other members of the senate and the chairman of the house budget committee and nine other members of the house of representatives

Sunset committee website: https://legislativeoversight.mo.gov/

Sunset duration: Each new program enacted into law will sunset after a period of not more than six years. A program may be re-authorized for a period of up to twelve years.

Sunset notes: Board not identified on the Oversight Subcommittee Program Evaluations or Sunset Reviews

Auditor name: The Office of Missouri State Auditor

Auditor website: https://auditor.mo.gov/

Audit statute: Missouri Revisor of Statutes, Title IV. Executive Branch, Chapter 29 State Auditor

Audit Statute abbreviation: Missouri Revisor of Statutes, Title IV. Executive Branch, Chapter 29 State Auditor Section 41-5A-1

Audit statute link: http://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneChapter.aspx?chapter=29

Audit legislation committee: See sunset information

Audit legislation committee website: See sunset information

Audit notes: Board not identified on State Auditor website, listed report (1999-2019).

Sunset and Audit Legislation History

Year Action Notes
1994 Practice regulation The Missouri Board of Geologist Registration was created.
2003 Sunset law created The MIssouri Sunset Act was created by Senate Bill (SB) 0544 under RSMo Sections 23.250 to 23.298.
2013 House Bill (HB) 659 of the 97th General Assembly regular session was introduced in 02/2013 and referred to the Professional Registration and Licensing committee. It does not appear to have passed. HB 659 would have authorized a person to engage in the practice of specified professions without being licensed if he or she does not hold himself or herself out as being licensed. HB 695 would have permitted geological work without a license.