IDFPR Enforcement of Laws and Regulations Regarding Architects

The primary statute that applies to architects is the Illinois Architecture Practice Act. There are also extensive administrative regulations. The law and regulations include:

• Licensing standards and requirements
• Scope and standards of practice
• Education requirements and standards
• Disciplinary action for violations of laws and regulations

The government has declared that the practice of architecture affects the public interest and that regulation protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public and promotes public confidence. Only qualified persons who meet specific requirements are permitted to practice as architects in Illinois. IDFPR offers several architecture licenses:

• Licensed Architect
• Design Firm, Registered

When Can an Architect Lose His or Her License — or Face Professional Discipline — in Illinois?

The Illinois Architecture Act contains numerous types of conduct that can warrant disciplinary action. Examples of issues that are regulated by Act and the corresponding administrative rules include:

• Misrepresentation or material misstatements in obtaining a license or providing information to IDFPR
• Negligence, incompetence, or misconduct in the practice of architecture
• Signing or making false statements to obtain payment
• Conviction of a felony, certain misdemeanors, or a crime directly related to the practice of architecture
• Signing, affixing the architect’s seal, or permitting the seal to be affixed to a submission, not under the architect’s control or not prepared by the architect
• Addiction or habitual or excessive use of alcohol or drugs that results in the inability to practice
• Making a false statement of compliance under the Environmental Barriers Act
• Discipline by another state or country that is substantially the same as a ground of discipline under the Act
• Physical or mental illness or disability that results in the inability to practice