(a) As used in this Code section, the term “land surveying” shall have the same meaning as provided by paragraph (6) of Code Section 43-15-2.
§ 9-3-30.2.Actions against persons engaged in land surveying
Chapter 3. Limitations of Actions · Article 2. Specific Periods of Limitation · Last amended 1998 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceA claim against a registered land surveyor or the surveyor's employees for a deficiency, defect, omission, error, or miscalculation in a survey or plat must be brought within six years of the date shown on the survey or plat, and any action filed after that six-year window is forever barred with no exceptions.
Full Text of § 9-3-30.2
(b) No action to recover damages for any deficiency, defect, omission, error, or miscalculation in a survey or plat shall be brought against registered surveyors or their employees engaged in the practice of land surveying who performed or furnished such survey or plat more than six years from the date of the survey or plat. The cause of action in such cases shall accrue when such services are rendered as shown from the date on the survey or plat. Any such action not instituted within the six-year period provided by this subsection shall be forever barred.
Plain-English Summary
A land survey or plat can sit on file for years before anyone discovers a problem with it — a boundary drawn wrong, a measurement error that surfaces only when a new owner tries to build or sell. O.C.G.A. § 9-3-30.2 addresses that reality by setting an absolute outer limit rather than an ordinary limitations period that might otherwise wait for discovery.
The six-year window runs from the date shown on the survey or plat itself, and the statute is explicit about when the right of action accrues: at the moment the surveying services are rendered, as reflected by that date on the document. There is no separate discovery-based trigger here — the six years starts running from the survey's own date, whether or not anyone has yet noticed a problem with the work.
The statute's closing sentence reinforces how firm this deadline is: any action not brought within the six-year period is forever barred. That language marks this as a true statute of repose rather than an ordinary statute of limitations, cutting off surveyor liability on a fixed schedule regardless of when an error comes to light.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to sue a land surveyor for an error in a survey or plat?
Six years from the date of the survey or plat, under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-30.2.
When does the six-year period start running?
From the date on the survey or plat itself, since the statute says the cause of action accrues when the services are rendered, as shown by that date.
Does it matter when I discovered the surveying error?
No. The statute ties accrual to the date on the survey or plat, not to when the error was or should have been discovered, and does not provide a discovery-based extension.
What happens if I file a claim against a surveyor more than six years after the survey date?
The statute states that any such action not instituted within the six-year period is forever barred.
Who does this six-year limit protect?
Registered surveyors and their employees engaged in the practice of land surveying who performed or furnished the survey or plat at issue.
Amendment History
Code 1981, § 9-3-30.2, enacted by Ga. L. 1998, p. 178, § 1.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, published by the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Georgia Code Revision Commission / LexisNexis. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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