To report conduct detrimental to public health, safety and welfare or that may be a violation of the Texas Geoscience Practice Act, please complete a Complaint Form (Form XI) and send to TBPG:
- Mail: TBPG, P.O. Box 13225, Austin, Texas 78711
- Hand delivery: 1801 Congress Avenue, Suite 7.800 Austin, Texas 78701
- E-mail: Download the form above and submit it by e-mail to TBPG
How to File a Complaint: Instructions and Information
TBPG’s complaint form and online complaint form, used for filing a complaint against a licensed Professional Geoscientist, can be found above. You may also contact TBPG to send you a copy of the complaint form.
To assist in filling out the complaint form, please refer to the Texas Geoscience Practice Act and Board Rules. The Code of Professional Conduct, which applies to all licensed Professional Geoscientists, is found in Chapter 851, Subchapter C of the Rules. If you need further assistance or would like a printed copy of the Statute or Rules, please contact us at (512) 936-4408.
Please fill out the form as completely as possible and include copies of drawings, contracts, letters, photographs, reports or any other documents that support your complaint.
To investigate your complaint, the Board must know as many details as possible about the issue: the “who, what, when, where, how,” and, if possible, “why.” Please provide as much information as you can, including the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of other persons who know about the problem you’re complaining about. Give the names of city, state, and/or county staff if you have had contact with them and they know something about your complaint. The Board needs all the facts you can provide in order to process your complaint. Before mailing your complaint, make an extra copy of everything for your own files. That way, if the Board has a question or needs clarification regarding your complaint, you’ll be able to find the information being asked about.
If you intend to file complaints against multiple people or entities, please file separate individual complaints against each person, corporation, or firm.
TBPG cannot accept anonymous complaints. By law, a complaint must be in writing, signed and sworn to by the person making the complaint. However, if anonymous information is received by TBPG that may indicate a violation, TBPG staff may open a complaint and investigate the matter further.
If you submit information anonymously, please understand that, since an investigator will be unable to contact you for clarification or for further information, you will need to include enough information for Board investigative staff to determine whether a violation may have occurred. Further, if a complaint is opened, you will not be notified of the results of the investigation. If you use the complaint form and you do not provide your name or sign the complaint form, the information submitted will not be considered a complaint unless TBPG staff open a formal complaint.
Complaints are confidential from the time of receipt of a complaint through the conclusion of the investigation of the complaint. Unless affected by the confidentiality provisions of Senate Bill 138, complaints and complaint information are no longer confidential once formal charges are filed by TBPG.
Although it is preferred and more effective if a person submits a complaint using the TBPG complaint form, a person may also submit a complaint in the form of a written letter, along with copies of supporting documentation, but the letter must be signed and sworn to by the person submitting the complaint. The letter/supporting documentation may be submitted to TBPG by any means (mail, hand delivery, e-mail, fax, etc.)
For a summary of TBPG’s complaint and investigative process, please review How TBPG Resolves a Complaint.
All disciplinary actions taken by TBPG as a result of complaints opened will be listed on the Disciplinary Actions page of the TBPG website.
We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions regarding a complaint or the complaint filing process.