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National Council of
Architectural Registration Boards
1801 K Street, NW, Suite 700-K
Washington, DC 20006-1310
202/783-6500 (phone)
202/783-0290 (fax)

NCARB Mission
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards is committed to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public through effective regulation and exemplary service.

NCARB Vision
As the facilitator for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the public, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards:

• Requires a NAAB-accredited degree, successful completion of the Intern Development Program (IDP) and successful completion of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
• Protects and enhances the validity of the Intern Develop Program (IDP) and the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
• Encourages all architects to become Certificate holders.
• Advocates for the elimination of impediments to reciprocity.
• Serves as the trusted international center of registration data and regulatory information.
• Values diversity of opinion and representation.
• Promotes recognition of the architect as the primary building professional qualified to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, through the enhancement of the quality of the built environment and the richness of space and form.

• Integrity
• Service
• Accountability

NCARB Members
NCARB members are the architectural registration boards of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands). Each registration board has state-appointed public and professional members as well as an administrator.

NCARB's Beginnings
In May 1919, during an American Institute of Architects convention in Nashville, Tennessee, 15 architects from 13 states came together to form the organization that would soon become the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. For more information on NCARB's history, download the "History of NCARB."

To learn more about the licensing of architects, read this update based on the 2004-2005 BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.

For more information on NCARB and the collateral architectural organizations, download a copy of Architectural Organizations and the Practice of Architecture in the United States. This document describes the responsibilities of the five principal organizations that deal with the practice of architecture in the United States:

• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
• The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
• The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)
• National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)
• The American Institute of Architectural Students (AIAS)

See the Other Links section for more information.