What Changed in the 2026 ALTA/NSPS Standards?

If you're ordering an ALTA/NSPS land title survey in Minnesota for a commercial transaction, acquisition, or financing, you're now working under a new set of standards.

The 2026 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys took effect on February 23, 2026, replacing the 2021 version entirely. Any survey agreement executed on or after that date must follow the updated standards.

Most of the changes tighten existing language and clarify responsibilities between parties, but a few introduce genuinely new requirements that will affect how you prepare for and manage the survey process.

Here's what changed and what it means for you.

The Effective Date

The 2026 standards took effect on February 23, 2026, so any new agreement to prepare an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey must comply with the updated requirements.

Changes to Measurement Standards

One of the more technical updates involves how surveyors measure and report boundary accuracy, specifically around a metric called Relative Positional Precision.

Under the 2026 standards, Relative Positional Precision now measures how much the surveyed position of the line between two adjacent boundary markers could deviate from its true location.

What Stays the Same and What Changed

The 2 cm (0.07 feet) plus 50 parts per million ceiling on allowable RPP carries over unchanged, meaning the accuracy requirement itself remains where it was.

The change is in how that accuracy gets calculated and reported, which affects how surveyors document their methodology and how lenders and title insurers interpret results.

Updated Records Research Requirements

The 2026 standards revise how records research responsibilities are described. Clients still need to provide title evidence and the current record description, while additional research may be required if documents are incomplete, unavailable, or needed under state requirements or the survey agreement.

What the Surveyor Needs from You

Complete copies of the most recent title commitment should be shared with the surveyor as early as possible. In many commercial transactions, title work and survey scheduling move forward at the same time, but having title documents available early helps define scope, improves estimate accuracy, and reduces delays later in the process.

But if a title commitment isn't available, your surveyor must conduct more research as required by the new guidelines.

Who Pulls Adjoining Property Deeds

The 2026 standards revise how adjoining property research is addressed. Depending on the property, title documents provided, and jurisdictional requirements, additional adjoining property research may still be needed to complete the survey accurately.

Fieldwork and Documentation Standards

The 2026 standards update both how fieldwork is conducted and how findings must be documented, with more flexibility on methods and stricter requirements on disclosure.

More Flexibility in How Fieldwork Is Performed

Fieldwork used to be performed "on the ground."

However, under the 2026 standards, portions of an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey may now be completed using methods recognized and accepted by the surveying profession, including aerial imagery and other remote tools alongside traditional field surveying.

Written Agreement Required for Remote Imagery

If aerial or remote imagery will be used under Table A Item 15, the 2026 standards require written agreement between the surveyor and client and documentation of the imagery source and related details on the survey.

Revised Table A Item 15 formalizes this, ensuring the use of imagery is disclosed and agreed to rather than discovering it's use after the fact.

Encroachment Documentation and Table A Item 20

Encroachments have long been part of ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys. The 2026 standards add a new optional Table A Item 20 that, when selected, requires certain observed or identified conditions and potential encroachments to be summarized in a table and shown on the face of the plat or map.

New Plat and Map Requirements

Two new requirements change what must appear on the face of the survey plat or map, both of which have direct implications for due diligence.

Verbal Boundary Claims Must Now Be Noted

Under the 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards, if a surveyor becomes aware of verbal statements from interested landowners or occupants regarding title or boundary issues relating to the property, those statements must be noted on the survey plat or map.

For buyers, lenders, and title companies, this adds another layer of visibility during due diligence and can help surface potential issues earlier in the transaction.

Clearer Easement Reporting

Surveyors must now follow structured expectations for reporting easements shown in the title commitment, giving buyers and lenders a more complete picture of what encumbrances will and won't carry forward after closing.

This is especially important on redevelopment and infill properties in the Twin Cities, where access easements and older recorded documents often require close review during due diligence.

Table A Updates: New Item 20

Table A is the list of optional survey items that buyers, lenders, and title companies can request beyond the minimum standards. In the 2026 version, a genuinely new item has been added, and the previous write-in option shifts from Item 20 to Item 21.

What Item 20 Provides

With the new optional Table A Item 20, surveyors can add a structured summary directly on the plat flagging notable site conditions. The additions can include anything that:

• Appears to cross boundary lines

• Intrude into easements or rights-of-way

• Fall within setback zones

The summary appears directly on the face of the plat or map, giving everyone involved a centralized reference point for potential issues.

Should You Request It

For complex commercial properties, redevelopment sites, or parcels with known encroachment history, Table A Item 20 can add meaningful transparency to the due diligence process. Discuss it with your surveyor, lender, and title company before engagement so it is included in the scope from the start.

What You Should Do Before Ordering a Survey

Before engaging surveyors forALTA/NSPS land title surveys in Minnesota, take these steps.

• Specify "2026 ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey" clearly in your request.

• Share your legal description and any available title commitment as early as possible. In many cases, title work and survey scheduling happen at the same time, but having title documents available early often helps define scope and improves estimate accuracy.

• Discuss Table A items with your lender and title company upfront, including whether Item 20 is appropriate for your property.

• Confirm in writing whether aerial or remote imagery will be used for any portion of the survey.

• Share any property information that may affect survey scope, such as known access questions, existing site plans, or details provided by the seller, lender, or title company.

Get Your 2026-Compliant Survey Right the First Time

The 2026 standards are now in effect, and non-compliant surveys create real risk at closing.

Demarc Land Surveying and Engineering is fully up to date on the 2026 ALTA/NSPS requirements and has been providing land surveying services in Minnesota for over 60 years. Our team regularly coordinates with title companies, lenders, and commercial property owners across Minnesota to make sure survey requirements are clear before fieldwork begins.

Contact us to discuss your project and confirm your survey meets the current standards before your transaction moves forward.