Individual and Corporate Renewals Going to Biennial Licensure
In an effort to streamline licensing procedures and to bring fees more in line with operating costs, the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation and the Board of Architecture have changed to biennial renewal of licenses for individuals and firms.
Your current South Carolina license as an architect will expire on June 30, 2009. You must renew by that date to avoid late penalties and to be able to continue practicing architecture in South Carolina. In May 2009, we will send you instructions for renewing online prior to the expiration date of June 30.
Once your license is renewed this year, it will be valid until June 30, 2011.
If you have a company license in South Carolina, that license will expire on August 31, 2009. You must renew the company license by that date to avoid late penalties and to continue practicing architecture in South Carolina. In July 2009, we will send you instructions for renewing online.
Once the company's license is renewed this year, it will be valid until August 31, 2011.
The biennial fee for out-of-state architects will be $130, a reduction from the previous fee of $85 annually. For in-state architects, the biennial fee will be $130, which is not an increase from the current fee of $65 annually. Your mailing address on Board records determines whether you are in-state or out-of-state.
Effective June 30, 2009, architects who wish to renew must have completed 12 hours of continuing education in subjects related to health, safety and welfare (HSW). This change in Section 40-3-250 was approved by the South Carolina legislature on June 11, 2008. (Previously, 8 of the 12 hours were required to be in health or safety-related topics, while 4 hours were allowed in practice-related topics.) Emeritus architects are still exempt from continuing education requirements. This change will be effective for the continuing education audit conducted after renewal in 2009.
To renew in 2011, you must have obtained a total of 24 hours of CE for the biennial renewal between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2011.
In November 2008, the Board revised its database to list only one architect in responsible charge for each architectural firm. Thank you for your assistance in making this change to our records. Please be aware that if you serve as the designated architect in responsible charge, you will need to renew your individual license prior to the firm licensure renewal deadline of August 31, 2009, or another architect licensed in South Carolina must be designated as the architect in responsible charge. Corporate renewals cannot be processed until the designated architect in responsible charge has renewed his/her individual license.
We hope you are pleased with these changes, and we welcome your feedback.
Please always ensure that we have your current e-mail and mailing address by sending changes to archelp@llr.sc.gov. Please put "address change" in the subject line.