Licensed Architects

 A licensed architect is typically registered with the state board ( California Architect's

 Board or CAB in CA). The practice act for the state governs their practice, including

 rules of professional conduct ( Architect Practice Act in CA).

 The requirements for becoming a licensed architect are much more stringent than for

 becoming a CPBD. From the CAB website:

 To become licensed as an architect in California, a candidate must provide verification of 8 years of

 education (from an institution accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board - NAAB

 meeting the NAAB conditions ) and/or work experience and must successfully complete the

 Architect Registration Examination (ARE) and the California Supplemental Examination.   A

 candidate must verify 5 years of education and/or work experience to be eligible for the ARE, 7-1/2

 years for the California Supplemental Examination, and 8 years for licensure.

 To verify the status of an individual's license, the CAB website has a licensee lookup

 feature available. This is useful for determining whether or not an individual possesses a

 license, when it was issued, when it expires and what their license number is. Complaint

 history is also available upon request.

 Though the state board allows architects to practice a great deal of engineering (even

 more than a registered civil engineer), their formal education requirements (see NAAB

 Student Performance Criteria) reflect only basic preparation for practice in these

 areas. Upon graduation, they are typically more qualified to perform architectural

 layout / design or overall project management than to provide complete structural engineering services.

 By California state law, an architect may design and engineer any building of any type

 except the structural portion of a hospital.

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