To get a DC architecture license, you need a professional degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), 3,740 hours of documented experience through the Architectural Experience Program (AXP), and passing scores on the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). Once those three pieces are in place, you apply through the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) online portal and pay $185 in combined application and license fees. The Board of Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture reviews applications on a six-week meeting cycle.
The Degree Requirement
DC regulations under DCMR Title 17, Chapter 34 tie licensure eligibility to NAAB accreditation. A professional degree from an NAAB-accredited program is the standard pathway, and it’s the cleanest one because the Board doesn’t need to verify your coursework independently.
If your degree comes from a non-accredited program or a school outside the United States, you’re not disqualified, but you have an extra step. NCARB runs the Education Evaluation Services for Architects (EESA), which compares your transcripts against the NCARB Education Standard and either confirms your coursework meets licensing requirements or identifies gaps you need to fill. Contact NCARB’s Customer Relations team before starting the evaluation; the process runs through your NCARB Record.1NCARB. EESA
The 3,740 Experience Hours
After your degree, you log hours through NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program. The total is 3,740 hours split across six practice areas:2NCARB. AXP Experience Requirements
- Project Development and Documentation: 1,520 hours
- Project Planning and Design: 1,080 hours
- Project Management: 360 hours
- Construction and Evaluation: 360 hours
- Programming and Analysis: 260 hours
- Practice Management: 160 hours
Project Development and Documentation alone accounts for nearly half the total, which mirrors how much of daily practice goes into producing construction documents. Most candidates complete the AXP working under a licensed architect, though NCARB permits some hours from other qualifying settings.
The Architect Registration Examination
Once your experience hours are logged, you sit for the ARE. The exam is divided into sections covering practice management, project management, programming and analysis, project planning and design, project development and documentation, and construction evaluation. You don’t have to pass all sections in one sitting. NCARB lets you schedule them individually.
Your ARE results, education, and experience all live in your NCARB Record. That record is the central document you’ll send to DC when you apply, so keep it complete and current.
Applying Through the DLCP Portal
DC accepts architect license applications through the DLCP’s online portal at govservices.dcra.dc.gov. Create an account and submit everything electronically. You’ll need:3District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. Board of Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture
- A complete NCARB Record with your education, experience hours, and exam scores
- A passport-style photo, roughly 2″ x 2″, not a home snapshot or a computer-generated image
- A U.S. government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport
All fees are due at submission. DC does not invoice you afterward. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.10, every fee is non-refundable, whether you withdraw your application or the Board decides you don’t qualify.
What You’ll Pay
The individual architect license fees:3District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. Board of Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture
- Application: $65
- Initial license: $120, covering up to two years
- Renewal: $155, covering up to two years
- Late renewal: $50 surcharge on top of the renewal fee
- Reinstatement: $155
- Inactive status: $155
- Duplicate license: $30
- Verification of records: $30
Your out-of-pocket total for initial licensure is $185: $65 to apply plus $120 for the license itself.
How Long the Board Takes
The Board meets every six weeks on a Friday at 9:30 a.m., and applications are reviewed at those meetings.3District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. Board of Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture DLCP doesn’t publish a guaranteed processing timeline, so your wait depends on when a complete application lands relative to the next meeting. If the Board wants more information, they’ll email the address tied to your portal account. Plan for a couple of months between submission and approval.
If You’re Already Licensed in Another State
An active architect license in another state opens the endorsement pathway. Under DCMR § 3404, the Board can waive the education and experience verification steps when an applicant holds a current NCARB certificate, because NCARB has already authenticated those credentials.4D.C. Municipal Regulations. District of Columbia Municipal Regulations 17-3404 – Waiver of the Education and IDP Requirements
You still submit an application through the DLCP portal and pay the same $185 in fees. What you save is the effort of assembling transcript and experience documentation piece by piece; the NCARB certificate bundles it for the Board.
An Individual License Doesn’t Cover Your Firm
One point that catches solo practitioners and new partners: holding a personal DC architect license doesn’t authorize your firm to offer architectural services in the District. Under D.C. Code § 47-2853.65, any firm, partnership, association, or corporation providing professional design services must obtain a separate professional design firm license from the Mayor.5D.C. Law Library. DC Code 47-2853.65 – Licensure of Professional Design Firms
To qualify, at least one partner, officer, shareholder, member, or manager of the firm must hold an active DC architect license in good standing. Every individual in the firm who performs architectural services must also be personally licensed in DC, and all work must be under the responsible charge of a supervising architect licensed in the District.5D.C. Law Library. DC Code 47-2853.65 – Licensure of Professional Design Firms The firm application costs $65, and the firm license itself is $110.
Renewal and Continuing Education
DC architect licenses run on a two-year cycle. DLCP publishes renewal notices ahead of each deadline; the Board has posted a renewal notice for 2026 on its website, with the specific expiration date inside the notice document rather than on the main page.3District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. Board of Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture
During each two-year period, you complete continuing education hours focused on health, safety, and welfare topics as defined by the Board under DCMR Chapter 34, Section 3414. The Board may audit your records, so hold onto certificates of completion for at least three years after each renewal. Missing the deadline adds a $50 late fee to the $155 renewal cost. Letting the license lapse entirely means going through reinstatement, which carries its own $155 fee and may involve additional requirements.