California

Governor Henry Gage created the California State Board of Architecture in 1901, appointing 10 architect members to the board.

Initially, individuals who could satisfactorily demonstrate to their district board that they were practicing architecture in California as of March 23, 1901, and who were in good standing, could apply for certification with the board without examination. Six months after the approval of the act, it became unlawful to practice architecture or call oneself an architect in the state of California unless certified by the board. However, the act made a significant exemption to this rule by allowing individuals to prepare plans, drawings, specifications, instruments of service, or other data for buildings, provided that the individual fully informed the client in writing that they were not an architect. This exemption made the act a quasi-title act instead of a true practice act. In 1963, the act was revised to make the practice of architecture by an unlicensed individual a misdemeanor. This revision made the act a true practice act, restricting the practice of architecture to only licensed architects.

In 1929, the board’s name was changed to the California State Board of Architectural Examiners. The board was renamed the California Architects Board in 1999. Since 1997, the board has also overseen the Landscape Architects Technical Committee.

The board has a strong record of innovation—California was the first architect registration board in the nation to develop a Building Official Information Guide, Disciplinary Guidelines for prosecutors, and a Consumer’s Guide to Hiring an Architect. With an eye on the future of the profession, the board developed architect.ca.gov, a board-sponsored career website, which serves as a convenient resource for high school and college students interested in a career in architecture.