A GE shall first secure a survey order or which term before conducting survey of lands of the public domain?

• A. survey permit
• B. survey report
• C. survey authority
• D. survey license

Answer: (C)

The situation tests the need for a formal authorization to operate on lands of the public domain. Before a Geodetic Engineer can begin fieldwork, the survey must be backed by an official instrument that grants authority to conduct the survey. This instrument is the survey authority, issued by the responsible DENR office (often through the Lands Management Bureau) and specifying the area, purpose, and terms of the survey. It provides the legal basis for the work and ensures the survey is conducted within the bounds of public land laws.

A survey authority differs from a survey permit or license, which pertain to other kinds of permissions or activities and are not the recognized pre-survey authorization for public-domain lands. A survey report is simply the product of the survey, not the permission to conduct it. While people may colloquially say “survey order,” the formal term used in this context is survey authority.