The NCARB Record Is the Foundation of Your Path to Licensure
Every architect who pursues licensure in the United States must establish an NCARB Record - a centralized online account maintained by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards that tracks your educational transcripts, AXP (Architectural Experience Program) hours, ARE scores, and ultimately your certificate of licensure. The NCARB Record does not give you a license, but it is the prerequisite for sitting for the ARE and the mechanism by which most architects obtain initial licensure and eventually use NCARB certification to obtain reciprocal licenses in additional jurisdictions. Understanding what the NCARB Record is, how it is established, and what triggers ARE eligibility is a practical necessity for every candidate.
Creating a NCARB Record
Creating an NCARB Record is straightforward: go to NCARB.org, create an account, and pay the initial record fee (currently around $100, though fees are updated periodically). Once the record is created, you can begin using it to track your AXP hours and submit education documentation. Creating the record early - even before you have completed your degree or begun AXP - is beneficial because it gives you access to the AXP reporting system immediately, and some states allow candidates to begin reporting hours before formal eligibility for the ARE.
Education Documentation
To establish ARE eligibility, NCARB requires documentation of your architectural education. For NAAB-accredited degree holders (B.Arch., M.Arch., D.Arch. from a NAAB-accredited program), the process is: request that your school send official transcripts directly to NCARB. Once NCARB verifies that your degree is from a NAAB-accredited program and that you have graduated, your education requirement is met. Candidates with non-NAAB degrees (foreign architectural degrees, or degrees in related fields) must go through the Education Evaluation Services for Architects (EESA) process, which is more involved - submission of portfolio and course work for evaluation, longer processing times, and potential supplemental coursework requirements.
AXP Reporting
The Architectural Experience Program (AXP) requires a minimum of 3,740 hours of qualifying work experience across six Experience Areas: Practice Management (160 hours), Project Management (360 hours), Programming and Analysis (260 hours), Project Planning and Design (1,080 hours), Project Development and Documentation (1,320 hours), and Construction and Evaluation (560 hours). Hours are reported by the candidate in the NCARB Record and must be verified by an AXP supervisor (an architect who holds a valid license in the United States). Reporting is done in the NCARB Record portal; the supervisor receives a notification to log in and verify the reported hours.
State Board Coordination
ARE eligibility is determined by the state licensing board where you intend to obtain your initial license, not by NCARB alone. NCARB establishes minimum requirements, but individual state boards set their own eligibility requirements - some require completion of all AXP hours before sitting for the ARE, others allow sitting for the ARE while AXP is in progress. Confirming your target state's specific requirements before banking on a particular sequence is important.
Key Process Points
- NCARB Record: create early; houses education documentation, AXP hours, ARE scores.
- Education: NAAB-accredited degree holders submit transcripts; non-NAAB degrees require EESA evaluation.
- AXP: 3,740 hours across 6 Experience Areas; reported by candidate, verified by licensed AXP supervisor.
- ARE eligibility: state board sets requirements; some allow ARE while AXP is in progress.
- NCARB Record fee: approximately $100 to open; annual maintenance fees apply.
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