Standard Path to Certification
The NCARB Certificate is your NCARB Record and Council certification that you have met the strictest standards of eligibility for licensure and recommends that you be registered as an architect without further examination.
Standard Requirements for NCARB Certification
- Earn a professional degree from a NAAB-accredited or CACB-accredited program. If you were educated in a foreign country, you must have your foreign education evaluated by the National Architectural Accrediting Board through the Education Evaluation Service for Architects (EESA).
- Complete the Intern Development Program (IDP) training requirements.*
- Pass all divisions of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
- Receive a license to practice from one of the state registration boards.
* Architects documenting IDP for the purpose of NCARB Certification should note the upcoming changes to the program. Architects who have not documented completion of the program by 3 April 2012 will need to satisfy IDP 2.0 requirements. [more]
Application Process for NCARB Record Holders
If you applied for an NCARB Record in the past and do not currently hold an NCARB Certificate, you must use that Record to pursue certification. Simply login to your online NCARB Record and select the link for Annual Renewal.
If you are converting from our IDP program to certification, the system will recognize this change when you enter your initial license information. You may be charged an application fee. This fee will be waived if you have maintained an active Record while you completed the IDP and the ARE. NCARB will also waive the Certficiation Application Fee upon approval and you will receive a 50 percent discount on Certificate renewals for the first three years of service.
If you allowed your Record to lapse between IDP/ARE and application for certification, you will be charged the Discounted Certification Application Fee, up to a maximum of $1,500.
Please note that our system will only allow you to renew within 45 days of your current expiration date. If you are outside of the 45 days and are ready to pursue certification now, please e-mail your request to customerservice@ncarb.org.
Application Process for Non-NCARB Record Holders
If you have not established an NCARB Record, you should apply through the online application.The cost to apply for an NCARB Certificate is $1,500. We will verify your examination and registration history, and you will need to have an official copy of your education transcript sent directly to NCARB. In addition, you will need to submit experience reports to satisfy the training requirement.
As long your Certificate is active, NCARB will, upon application, transmit a certified copy of your Certificate Record to any Member Board.
A few boards may require a personal interview and/or an additional examination on seismic forces, cold weather construction, or local law.
It is possible to acquire reciprocal registration in some jurisdictions without being certified by NCARB; however, over half of the U.S. registration boards require an NCARB Certificate for reciprocal registration.
Record Compilation Process
Certification Fees
U.S. Requirements
Canadian Requirements