Chapter 50-6 RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS - ARCHITECTS
| (1) |
Every
certificate of registration as a registered architect in Georgia shall expire
on June 30th of each odd numbered year. |
| (2) |
Without a current certificate of
registration, it is unlawful to use the title "architect" or "registered
architect" or to engage in the practice of architecture in this state. Neither
the failure of the Board to send nor the failure of the registrant to receive
an application for renewal shall excuse failure to renew a certificate of
registration. |
| (3) |
Every application
for renewal of a certificate of registration as a registered architect shall be
accompanied by a renewal fee, as established by the Board, and a statement from
the registrant affirming that the professional development requirements set
forth in this Chapter have been met. |
| (1) |
Renewal
applications submitted during the three (3) month period following certificate
registration expiration will be considered late renewal applications. |
| (2) |
A late renewal application must be
accompanied by a late renewal fee and a statement from the registrant affirming
that the professional development requirements set forth in this Chapter have
been met. |
Certificates of registration not renewed in accordance with
Rule 50-6-.01 or
50-6-.02 shall not be subject to
renewal, provided, however, that the holder thereof may apply for
reinstatement. Reinstatement is at the discretion of the Board. The
reinstatement application shall include:
| (a) |
A reinstatement fee, and |
| (b) |
Evidence satisfactory to the Board, of
completion of professional development specified as follows:
| 1. |
Twelve (12) professional development units
for each year, or fraction thereof, since the last renewal of the certificate
of registration or since the initial issuance of the certificate of
registration, whichever is less, up to a maximum of forty-eight (48)
units. |
| 2. |
In order to be
satisfactory, at least twenty-four (24) of the professional development units
required for reinstatement must have been completed during the two (2) year
period immediately preceding the date of application for reinstatement. At
least sixteen (16) of these professional development units must be in Public
Protection Subjects acquired in Structured Educational Activities. |
| 3. |
The professional development units
required for reinstatement, which are earned within twenty-four (24) months
prior to the reinstatement of the certificate of registration, may not be
counted towards fulfilling the professional development requirements to
biennially renew that certificate of registration. |
|
| (1) |
Beginning with applications for renewal of certificates of registration that
expire on June 30, 2005, a registered architect must have completed twenty-four
(24) professional development units, acceptable to the Board, during the
two-year period immediately preceding each biennial renewal date as a condition
for registration renewal. Of these, at least sixteen (16) units must be in
Public Protection Subjects acquired in Structured Education Activities. The
remaining units may be in Related Practice Subjects acquired either in
Structured Educational Activities or in Public Protection Subjects acquired in
Individually Planned Educational Activities. |
| (2) |
An applicant for renewal who has been
initially registered in Georgia as a registered architect for one year, but
less than two, at the date of registration expiration must have completed
twelve (12) professional development units, acceptable to the Board, during the
period between initial registration and the expiration date as a condition for
registration renewal. Of these, at least eight (8) units must be in Public
Protection Subjects acquired in Structured Education Activities. The remaining
units may be in Related Practice Subjects acquired in Structured Educational
Activities or in Public Protection Subjects acquired in Individual Planned
Educational Activities. |
| (3) |
An
applicant for renewal who has been initially registered in Georgia as a
registered architect for less than one year at the date of registration
expiration will be not be required to complete any professional development
units prior to that first registration expiration date as a condition for
registration renewal. |
| (1) |
"Professional
Development Unit" shall mean one continuous instructional hour spent in either
Structured Educational Activities or Individually Planned Activities intended
to increase the architect's knowledge and competence in Public Protection
Subjects and Related Practice Subjects. If the vendor of the Structured
Educational Activities prescribes a customary time for completion of such an
Activity, then such prescribed time shall, unless the Board finds the time to
be unreasonable, be accepted as the architect's time for Professional
Development Unit purposes irrespective of actual time spent on the Activity.
For the purpose of this rule, the terms "professional development" and
"continuing education" are interchangeable. |
| (2) |
"Structured Educational Activities" shall
mean educational activities in which the teaching methodology consists
primarily of the systematic presentation of Public Protection Subjects or
Related Practice Subjects by qualified individuals or organizations, including
monographs, course of study taught in person or by correspondence, organized
lectures, presentations or workshops and other means through which identifiable
technical and professional subjects are presented in a planned
manner. |
| (3) |
"Individually Planned
Educational Activities" shall mean educational activities in which the teaching
methodology primarily consists of the architect himself addressing Public
Protection Subjects or Related Practice Subjects, which are not systematically
presented by others, including reading or writing articles of such Subjects,
studying or researching building types, designs or building systems, rendering
services to the public, advancing the profession's and the public's
understanding of the practice of architecture and the like. |
| (4) |
"Public Protection Subjects" shall mean
technical and professional subjects, which the Board deems appropriate to
safeguard the public's health, safety and welfare. Such subjects include
building design, environmental or land use analysis, life safety, architectural
programming, site and soils analyses, accessibility, structural systems
considerations, lateral forces, building codes, evaluation and selection of
building systems, products or materials, construction methods, contract
documentation, construction administration and the like. |
| (5) |
"Related Practice Subjects" shall mean
technical and professional subjects other than Public Protection Subjects,
which the Board deems appropriate to safeguard indirectly the public's health,
safety and welfare. Such subjects include building cost analysis, construction
contract negotiation, construction phase office procedures, project management,
review of state registration laws including rules of professional conduct and
the like. |
| (1) |
Responsibility for documenting the
fulfillment of the professional development requirements provided for in this
Chapter rests with the registrant, and the registrant must retain for a period
of four (4) years the evidence to support fulfillment of the requirements. Such
evidence shall include evidence of completion of each professional development
course or program, a description of the contents of each professional
development course or program, and verification of the number of units of each
professional development course or program. |
| (2) |
The Board may verify on a test basis
satisfactory completion of the professional development requirements in this
Chapter. In doing so, the Board may require registrants to submit copies of the
documentation described in paragraph (1) above to the Board and may require
other information as it deems necessary to decide upon the acceptability of a
professional development course or program. In cases where the Board determines
that the professional development requirements have not been met, the Board may
grant an additional period of time for the registrant to provide further
evidence of having acquired the professional development units disallowed or to
cure the disallowance by acquiring additional professional development
units. |
| (1) |
The Board
may waive the professional development requirements described in this Chapter
for a registrant who is registered in another jurisdiction that has
professional development requirements upon the registrant's written request and
accompanying supporting documentation. |
| (2) |
The Board may waive the professional
development requirements in cases of hardship, disability, age, illness, or
under such other circumstances as the Board deems appropriate based on the
registrant's written request and accompanying supporting
documentation. |
| (1) |
An architect
holding a valid license to practice in Georgia who has retired from the active
practice of architecture, and is no longer practicing as an architect in
Georgia, may request inactive license status by filing the required application
and paying the appropriate fee as indicated in the fee schedule. |
| (2) |
Any individual whose license is under any
sanction and is not in good standing may not transfer to inactive status while
sanctions are in effect. |
| (3) |
An
individual holding inactive status shall abide by the following conditions:
| (a) |
may not practice and may not offer
architectural design services; |
| (b) |
may not hold themselves out to the public as being available to provide such
services; and |
| (c) |
may only use the
term architect as long as it is not used to imply active practice or that
architectural design services are currently offered. |
|
| (4) |
Any practice of architecture while
holding an inactive license shall be considered unlicensed practice and is
subject to disciplinary action. |
| (5) |
Any individual holding inactive status is not subject to the biennial renewal
fee or the professional development requirements. |
| (6) |
An individual may apply to have an
inactive license reactivated by submitting the following items:
| (a) |
a completed application; |
| (b) |
the appropriate fee as indicated in the
fee schedule; and |
| (c) |
the evidence
of having satisfied the reinstatement requirements for professional development
as provided in Rule
50-6-.03(b). |
|
| (7) |
Reactivation of a license is
at the sole discretion of the Board. |
