Registrant Resources

Please see Become an Architect AIBC for application instructions and forms.

Confirmation of registration with the AIBC is available to architects applying for registration or licensure with another jurisdiction.

Please complete the Confirmation of Registration Form (PDF) and email it to the Registration and Licensing Department at registration@aibc.ca. The AIBC will forward confirmation of your registration to the jurisdiction to which you are applying. Please allow up to eight business days for processing.

Architects who are registered with the AIBC and who want to practise within the scope defined by the Architects Regulation and AIBC Bylaws must do so under a Certificate of Practice (licence). As an Architect AIBC, you must either apply for and obtain a Certificate of Practice yourself, or you must work for a person, partnership, or firm that holds a current Certificate of Practice. See Architectural Firms for details on the types of firms under which architects may practise architecture.

• Application to Register a New Architectural Corporation (PDF)
• Application to Register a Sole Proprietorship or Partnership (PDF)

Please note: all architectural firms, Architects and licensees holding a certificate of practice must also hold professional liability insurance (PLI), and comply with applicable AIBC Bylaws and Rules. For further information regarding PLI, including coverage amount requirements, review Schedule M: Board Rules for Professional Liability Insurance (PLI) found in the AIBC Bylaws, and the FAQ webpage.

Architects registered with the AIBC may apply for an architect’s seal. “Seal” refers to either the traditional embossed seal or the inked “stamp”, as well as the use of an electronic seal.

An architect’s seal is a representation to the public that the architect who applied it not only takes responsibility for the document, but that the document was prepared by that architect or under their direct supervision, direction or control.

• Practice Guideline: Use of the Architect’s Seal
• Seal Application Form (PDF)

Architects in Good Standing are eligible to apply for cancellation of their registration. Please complete the following form and email it to registration@aibc.ca.

• Application to Cancel or Change Registration – Architect AIBC (PDF)

The Form contains further information about the process, including rights and obligations. It may be used by Architects AIBC who wish to cancel their registration fully or those who are changing their registration category to Retired Architect AIBC.

If you resign, you may apply for reinstatement as an Architect AIBC according to the procedure outlined in AIBC Bylaw 4.25. For additional information, please review Reinstatement of Registration: Information for Applicants.

After registration as an Architect AIBC has been cancelled, former Architects must not:

• Practice or offer to practice architecture (Architects Regulation– Reserved Practice of Architecture)
• Use the title of architect or Architect AIBC (Regulatory Guidance: Right to Title)

Procedure

1. Submit the completed Application to Cancel or Change Registration – Architect AIBC form by email to registration@aibc.ca.

2. Return stamps and seals by mail to the AIBC office. If misplaced, complete the letter of undertaking on the last page of the form.

• • AIBC
    100 – 440 Cambie Street
    Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 2N5
    Canada

3. If you are the sole owner of a Firm Registrant, close the firm or submit an application for firm changes to indicate new compliant ownership using the corresponding form.

• • Firm Registrant: Application to Cancel Registration (PDF)
  • Application for Architectural Firm Changes (PDF)

4. If you are a shareholder, director, or partner of a firm, consider the impacts that your cancellation or change in registration will have on compliance with the ownership requirements in the AIBC Bylaws. The Firm Registrant is responsible for ensuring continued compliance and submitting a firm change application to indicate the new ownership structure.

An Architect AIBC may cease to be registered through voluntary resignation, non-payment of annual fees, or suspension and removal related to disciplinary action. Your eligibility, requirements and processes for reinstatement of registration vary in each circumstance.

In all cases, your reinstatement becomes official only after it has been approved by the Credentials Committee.

• AIBC Bylaws 4.16 and 4.25
• Reinstatement Application Form (PDF)
• Reinstatement of Registration: Information for Applicants (PDF)

If you have any questions regarding the reinstatement process, please contact the Registration & Licensing department at registration@aibc.ca.

Applicants whose application for registration or licensing has been recommended for rejection by the Registration Board may apply for a review. Learn more about the Process for Review of Registration Board Recommendations.

As set in the AIBC Bylaws, fees must be paid by February 1. The fees are determined annually by the AIBC Board and published in Schedule B: Fees, found in the AIBC Bylaws.

More information, including payment instructions, is available on the the Annual Renewal page.

In the event of financial hardship, family leave and/or medical disability, you can apply to the AIBC for a full waiver of your annual renewal fees. This may permit you to retain your registration and meet your professional responsibilities for a period of time without requiring you to resign due to personal circumstances and have to later seek reinstatement.

More information is available in Schedule N: Fee Waiver Administrative Guidelines, found in the AIBC Bylaws (PDF), and the Fee Waiver Application Form.

As an architect registered with the AIBC, you are required to comply with the AIBC’s mandatory Continuing Education System (CES). The purpose of the CES is to require the ongoing professional development of architects to remain current with contemporary technology, business practices, methods and materials throughout their careers, in the public interest.

A minimum of two Core LUs related to knowledge on Indigenous history, Truth and Reconciliation, and/or engagement (‘Indigenous Peoples Learning’) must be earned and reported each reporting period.

Under the Professional Governance Act, non-compliance with the Continuing Education System is addressed as an administrative matter. This means that after an appropriate number of notices and reminders, the suspension and/or cancellation of a CES Participant’s registration can take place for those who fail to complete CES requirements.

To learn more about the AIBC’s CES requirements and resources, see the Continuing Education System (CES) webpage.

The AIBC relies on the invaluable contributions of volunteers to support the regulation of architecture in British Columbia. A range of volunteer opportunities are available to registrants and qualified members of the public. For current openings, see Volunteer Opportunities.

Mentorship is a rewarding way to contribute to the profession by providing guidance and support to individuals on the path to registration as an Architect AIBC. For current openings, see Volunteer Opportunities.

Internship in Architecture Program (IAP)

This is an opportunity for Architects AIBC and Retired Architects AIBC to serve as a professional mentor for an Intern Architect AIBC. Mentorship is an invaluable service to professionals at the start of their career, and fulfills an important requirement of the Internship in Architecture Program. By advising, guiding and encouraging their mentee, mentors can help shape the future of the profession and participate in a relationship with long-lasting mutual benefits.

The mentor acts as an independent and objective guide, advisor, and advocate for the intern. Mentorship meetings include a review of experience progress, consideration of career objectives, discussion of broader issues related to the profession, and meeting the registration requirements. To ensure objectivity and a diversity of practice exposure for the intern, mentors may not be from the same place of employment as the intern architect.

Prospective mentors seeking additional information regarding their potential participation in the IAP can review the AIBC’s Supervising Architect and Mentor Guidelines (PDF).

Alternative Qualifications (BEA/BEFA)

There are also opportunities to mentor alternative qualifications applicants. These candidates either already have extensive local work experience, or are foreign-trained architects, or a combination of both. Mentors act as a resource providing general advice about the registration process within the AIBC.

Supervising architects assist intern architects in accumulating the necessary range of practical architectural experience for registration. Under their personal supervision and guidance within the same architectural firm, organization or practice, the supervising architect oversees the daily work of the intern architect and is expected to review the intern architect’s logbooks periodically, as well as provide constructive feedback and advice.

Prospective supervisors seeking additional information regarding their potential participation in the IAP can review the AIBC’s Supervising Architect and Mentor Guidelines (PDF).

The New Registrant Information Package (Architect AIBC) outlines certain regulatory requirements to which new registrants of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia should be knowledgeable. It also includes a resources section which provides an outline of AIBC communication and social media channels, signature events, and more. While it is intended for new registrants, the information is also applicable to all Architects AIBC, as a refresher.

View the New Registrant Information Package (Architect AIBC).

It is your professional responsibility to keep your records up to date with us. You can update your contact information at any time by logging in to the AIBC’s secure registrant site.

Every summer, the AIBC also sends a mid-year reminder to registrants to review and update their information.