How to Become a Licensed Architect (NCARB): AXP Hours, ARE 5.0 Fees and State Rules in 2026

TL;DR: To become a licensed architect in the U.S., most people earn a NAAB-accredited degree, log 3,740 hours in NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program (AXP), pass all six divisions of the ARE 5.0, and then apply to a state board. NCARB sets the national standards, but only a state or territory board issues the license, and until you hold one, you can’t call yourself an “architect.”

If you’re searching for how to become a licensed architect NCARB style, step by step, this guide is the version I wish more candidates had read before their first interview. I recruit for roles like this on U.S. fab and plant projects, and design teams on semiconductor and battery facilities hire architectural staff at every stage, from fresh graduates to licensed project architects. The question I hear most from candidates is the same: “How far am I from my license, and does it change what I get paid?”

Here’s how the process works as of late October 2026, using NCARB’s own pages and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Keep in mind that every state board can add rules of its own, so treat this as the national map and check your board’s rules for the details.

The big picture: who does what

Three groups are involved, and a lot of candidates mix them up:

• NAAB (National Architectural Accrediting Board) accredits professional architecture degrees: the five-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.), the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), and one Doctor of Architecture program (NAAB).
• NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) runs the AXP, the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), and the NCARB Certificate. It does not issue licenses (NCARB).
• State and territory boards issue the license. NCARB says there is “no national license,” and each of the 55 U.S. jurisdictions sets its own requirements (NCARB).

How to become a licensed architect NCARB path: step by step

1. Create an NCARB Record. This is your verified file of education and work history. You use it to report AXP hours and schedule ARE divisions. The application costs $105 for licensure candidates, with a $105 annual renewal (NCARB fees).
2. Meet the education requirement. Most jurisdictions require a NAAB-accredited degree. NCARB says 17 jurisdictions offer other pathways for people with a different degree or no degree (NCARB).
3. Complete the AXP. Log 3,740 hours across six experience areas (table below). About half must be gained at an architecture firm under a U.S. or Canadian licensed architect.
4. Pass the ARE 5.0. Six divisions, scheduled separately, in any order.
5. Check extra state rules. Some boards require more experience or a supplemental exam for their location (NCARB).
6. Transmit your Record and apply. NCARB sends your verified file to the board. For initial licensure, the transmittal is free for candidates (NCARB fees). The board then issues the license and sets its own application fee.

AXP: 3,740 hours in six experience areas

The AXP is the paid-experience part of the path. NCARB’s current minimums are listed below (NCARB AXP requirements):

The rules that matter in practice:

• Setting A vs. Setting O. Setting A is work at an architecture firm. NCARB says about half of your documented hours must be Setting A, supervised by an architect licensed in the U.S. or Canada. Up to 1,860 hours can come from Setting O, which covers qualifying work outside a firm (NCARB).
• When you can start. Experience earned after high school graduation (or its equivalent) can count.
• Reporting changed in November 2025. The old five-year reporting limit was replaced. Experience reported within one year earns 100% credit, and older experience earns 75% credit with no age limit (NCARB updates). My advice: report every month anyway. Your supervisor’s memory fades faster than the rule does.
• Portfolio option. Instead of hourly reporting, you can upload exhibits covering all 96 AXP portfolio tasks.

Why this matters on a fab or plant project: hours in Construction & Evaluation and Project Management are often the hardest to collect at a firm that keeps juniors in documentation. Industrial projects with long construction administration phases can help fill that gap, so ask about it when you interview.

ARE 5.0: six divisions, fees and the 2026 updates

The ARE 5.0 divisions are Practice Management, Project Management, Programming & Analysis, Project Planning & Design, Project Development & Documentation, and Construction & Evaluation (NCARB ARE prep). They line up with the AXP areas, so many candidates take the division that matches the work they’re doing that year.

Source: NCARB fees page, checked October 2026. Unused seat credits expire one year after purchase, and you can’t reschedule or cancel inside seven days. State board application and license fees are separate.

Two policy points candidates often get wrong:

• The rolling clock is gone. NCARB retired the five-year rolling clock on April 30, 2023. Under the score validity policy, a passed division stays valid while that exam version is delivered and counts toward the next version (NCARB score validity).
• The April 27, 2026 update was small. NCARB made minor changes to 12 of the 91 exam objectives and trimmed case study resources. The division structure, items per division and testing time did not change (NCARB updates).

“Failed the same division again. Do I keep going?”

Repeated fails on one ARE division wear people down more than anything else on the path. Candidates who have passed other divisions tell me that failing the same one again and again makes them wonder whether to keep going at all.

If you’re worried the exam is changing under you, NCARB’s AXP and ARE updates page says the ARE updates launched April 27, 2026 without changing the division structure, item counts or testing time, and candidates kept credit for divisions already passed. The AXP still requires 3,740 hours. Each state sets its own rules, so the state board makes the final call.

• Use your score report to find the weakest content areas.
• Rebuild your study plan around those areas before you book the retake.

NCARB Certificate and state registration

Your first license comes from one board. If a project moves you to a new state, you apply there for a reciprocal license. This is where the NCARB Certificate helps. NCARB says certificate holders can apply for reciprocal licensure in all 55 U.S. jurisdictions, and many states require the Certificate for reciprocity (NCARB Certificate benefits).

• Certificate application: $1,415. Annual renewal: $300 (NCARB fees).
• The Certificate can support registration in Canada, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom through NCARB’s agreements.
• It also comes with free NCARB continuing education courses, which helps if your state requires CE to renew.

From the hiring side, firms that design plants in several states value an architect who can get licensed quickly in a new state. Bring it up in salary talks. My guide to negotiating salary at a Korean company covers how to frame it.

Each state board sets its own rules. For example, the Kentucky Board of Architects requires participation in NCARB’s AXP for initial registration and passing every ARE division.

No NAAB degree, or a degree from outside the U.S.?

You still have options, but they take more planning.

• EESA evaluation. Education Evaluation Services for Architects is administered by NAAB. It compares your transcripts to the NCARB Education Standard and identifies any gaps you need to close (NCARB EESA). If your degree is from outside the U.S. and you aren’t licensed, NCARB’s path is: create a Record, complete EESA, complete the AXP, pass the ARE (NCARB international applicants). Degrees from certain accredited programs in Australia, Canada, China, Korea, Mexico and the Commonwealth Association of Architects may qualify for accelerated EESA processing.
• Experience-based paths. Some jurisdictions license people without a NAAB degree. NCARB counts 17 jurisdictions with other education pathways, so check the board where you plan to apply.
• Education Alternative for the Certificate. If you’re already licensed without a NAAB degree, NCARB offers two routes: “Two Times AXP,” which requires a qualifying four-year degree and double the AXP hours, and the “Certificate Portfolio.” NCARB retired the old three-year waiting period on January 15, 2026 (NCARB Education Alternative). Not every jurisdiction accepts it for reciprocity.
• International Architect Path. If you’re licensed outside the U.S., this path uses your foreign license to cover the education requirement. You still complete NCARB’s experience and exam requirements. The application fee is $1,415 plus a $500 transmittal (NCARB fees).

Work authorization is a separate question. If you need sponsorship, read visa sponsorship at Korean companies and O-1 visa options for engineers.

“Architect” vs. “architectural designer”: watch your title

This catches people on LinkedIn and resumes. “Architect” is a protected title, and state rules decide who can use it. Two examples:

• California: Under Business and Professions Code 5536, an unlicensed designer “may not use the word architect or any term confusingly similar” in a job title or advertising. CCR 134 also limits “architect” or “architecture” in a business name unless a licensee is in management control (California Architects Board).
• Texas: The Texas Board of Architectural Examiners says an unlicensed person offering design services under an exemption “must not use any form of the word ‘architect'” in connection with those services (TBAE).

Whether “architectural designer” is allowed depends on the state, so check your board before you use it. Until you’re licensed, I recommend titles like “Architectural Designer” only where your board allows them, or “Design Professional,” along with a line such as “AXP in progress, 4 of 6 ARE divisions passed.” Hiring managers read that line closely.

Pay: what BLS says, and what the license changes

According to BLS, the median annual pay for architects was $99,280 ($47.73 per hour) in May 2025. There were about 124,600 architect jobs in 2025, with 4% growth projected from 2025 to 2035 (BLS OOH, Architects). BLS also notes that all states and D.C. require architects to be licensed.

From what I see, the license matters most at the step from designer to project architect, when you start stamping drawings and running coordination with engineers. Before you compare offers, convert them with the salary to hourly calculator and check whether the role is exempt. My post on exempt vs non-exempt overtime explains why that matters during busy project phases.

What’s different at Korean-affiliated plant projects

• Two review loops. Drawings often get reviewed by the U.S. team and by an engineering group overseas, so expect comment rounds that cross time zones.
• Bilingual coordination helps. Being able to read a Korean markup or explain a code issue in both languages saves real time. It doesn’t replace the license, but it makes you hard to replace.
• Fast schedules. Plant schedules are tight. That can mean strong AXP hours in Construction & Evaluation, along with long weeks.

Questions to ask in the interview

1. Who in the office can supervise my AXP hours, and are they licensed in the U.S.?
2. Does the firm pay for ARE divisions, retakes or study materials? Is there a raise or bonus when I get licensed?
3. Will I get construction administration time on site, or only documentation?
4. Will the firm pay for NCARB Certificate or reciprocal license fees if a project moves me to another state?
5. What will my exact title be on the offer letter? (Check it against your state’s title rules. My offer letter checklist helps.)

FAQ

How many AXP hours do I need?

3,740 hours across six experience areas, according to NCARB. Some states require more, so check your board.

How much does the ARE 5.0 cost?

NCARB lists $263 per division, or $1,578 for all six, with $263 per retake. State board fees are separate.

Do my passed ARE divisions expire after five years?

No. The five-year rolling clock was retired in 2023. Under NCARB’s score validity policy, a passed division stays valid through the exam version you took it on and counts toward the next version.

Can I get licensed with a degree from outside the U.S.?

Often, yes. The usual route is an EESA evaluation through NAAB, followed by the AXP and the ARE. If you’re already licensed abroad, look at the International Architect Path.

Can I call myself an architectural designer before I’m licensed?

It depends on your state. California bars terms “confusingly similar” to architect, and Texas bars any form of the word in exempt design work. Check your board before you put it on a resume or business card.

Not legal advice; your state board’s rules decide. Fees and rules as listed by NCARB in October 2026 and may change. Sources: NCARB (AXP requirements, fees, ARE, score validity policy, Certificate, Education Alternative, international applicants, EESA), NAAB, California Architects Board, Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (Architects, May 2025 pay data).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jacob Kim

Bilingual (English/Korean) recruiter based in New Jersey. I place engineers, technicians and office staff with Korean-affiliated companies and their suppliers across the U.S., and I write GRYNDHAUS from the questions candidates actually ask me during interviews, offers and their first months on the job.

OSHA 30 · B.B.A., Baruch College (CUNY)

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