Continuing Education for US Architects and Interior Designers

CEH Requirements

All registered architects and landscape architects in Arkansas must complete 12 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs) annually. Registered interior designers must complete 6 CEHs annually. All CEHs must address Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) topics and be delivered through structured educational activities.

Formal CEH Eligibility

• Focus on technical or professional content related to HSW topics
• Be delivered in a structured format (e.g. webinar, seminar, or formal training)
• Align with subject areas such as life safety, building systems, environmental controls, legal codes, design, and occupant wellbeing

Accreditation & Provider Recognition

The Arkansas State Board accepts CEHs recorded through approved professional registries:

• American Institute of Architects (AIA)
• American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
• Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC)
• Association of Licensed Architects (ALA)

Courses not listed in these registries may not be accepted. CEH providers must clearly designate activities as eligible for HSW credit.

Recordkeeping & Compliance

• Submit an affidavit confirming CEH completion during annual renewal
• Retain documentation for 6 years from the date of completion
• Respond to audits and resolve any disallowed CEHs within 45 days
• Understand that failure to comply may result in non-renewal or disciplinary action

LearnFormula is not affiliated with the Arkansas State Board of Architects, Landscape Architects & Interior Designers.
For full information, please visit:
https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/licensing/state-board-of-architects-landscape-architects-interior-designers/continuing-education-units/

CEH Requirements

All architects practicing in Louisiana must complete 12 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs) annually (January 1 – December 31). All CEHs must focus on Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) topics, as outlined by the Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners (LSBAE) under LAC 46:I. §1315.D.2.

HSW CEH Eligibility

To qualify as HSW CEHs, activities must:

• Be at least 1 hour in length (50–60 minutes)
• Dedicate at least 75% of the instructional time to HSW content
• Be delivered through structured educational activities

HSW topics include:

• Legal: Laws, codes, zoning, accessibility, ethics, insurance, life safety
• Building Systems: Structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection
• Environmental: Energy efficiency, sustainability, insulation, hazardous materials
• Occupant Comfort: Air quality, acoustics, lighting, ergonomics
• Materials and Methods: Construction systems, products, finishes, equipment
• Preservation: Historic preservation, reuse, adaptation
• Pre-design & Design: Land use analysis, programming, site selection, building and urban design
• Documentation & Construction: Drawings, specifications, bidding, contract negotiation

Recordkeeping & Compliance

• CEHs must be completed by December 31 each year
• All licensees must maintain documentation of CEHs completed
• In the event of an audit, architects may submit an AIA transcript or the LSBAE CE Log

LearnFormula is not affiliated with the Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners.
For full requirements and current regulations, please visit:
https://lsbae.com/licensure/continuing-education/

All actively licensed architects regulated by the Montana Board of Architects and Landscape Architects (MBALA) must complete 12 hours of Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) Continuing Education (CE) each year by June 30.

Exemptions apply to architects granted emeritus status and to newly licensed architects renewing for the first time.

CE activities must be formal learning experiences that improve technical or professional competence in architecture and directly support the protection of public health, safety, and welfare.

At least 75% of each course’s content and instructional time must be devoted to HSW topics in one or more of the following categories:

• Practice Management
• Project Management
• Program & Analysis
• Project Planning & Design
• Project Development & Documentation
• Construction & Evaluation

Architects are required to retain certificates of completion for at least two years. Certificates must include:

• Course date
• Course location
• Instructor name(s)
• Licensee name
• Provider’s course approval number
• Total CE hours completed

MBALA may conduct random audits of up to 50% of licensees annually. Architects reactivating a lapsed license are automatically subject to audit and must provide documentation verifying CE compliance.

LearnFormula is not affiliated with the Montana Board of Architects and Landscape Architects. For full information, please visit: https://rules.mt.gov/browse/collections/aec52c46-128e-4279-9068-8af5d5432d74/policies/6fcfa2e6-33b9-4e47-a223-9fe92033e41f

All actively licensed architects regulated by the Montana Board of Architects and Landscape Architects (MBALA) must complete 12 hours of Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) Continuing Education (CE) each year by June 30.

Exemptions apply to architects granted emeritus status and to newly licensed architects renewing for the first time.

CE activities must be formal learning experiences that improve technical or professional competence in architecture and directly support the protection of public health, safety, and welfare.

At least 75% of each course’s content and instructional time must be devoted to HSW topics in one or more of the following categories:

• Practice Management
• Project Management
• Program & Analysis
• Project Planning & Design
• Project Development & Documentation
• Construction & Evaluation

Architects are required to retain certificates of completion for at least two years. Certificates must include:

• Course date
• Course location
• Instructor name(s)
• Licensee name
• Provider’s course approval number
• Total CE hours completed

MBALA may conduct random audits of up to 50% of licensees annually. Architects reactivating a lapsed license are automatically subject to audit and must provide documentation verifying CE compliance.

LearnFormula is not affiliated with the Montana Board of Architects and Landscape Architects. For full information, please visit: https://rules.mt.gov/browse/collections/aec52c46-128e-4279-9068-8af5d5432d74/policies/6fcfa2e6-33b9-4e47-a223-9fe92033e41f

Licensed architects regulated by the Virginia Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects (APELSCIDLA) must complete 16 Continuing Education (CE) hours every two years in order to renew or reinstate their license. The deadline is the last day of the month in which the license was originally issued, every two years.

CE hours must be completed during the two-year period immediately prior to the license expiration or reinstatement. CE hours may not be carried over to future cycles.

Qualifying CE activities must:

• Relate to the practice of architecture
• Have a clear purpose and objective that supports ongoing competence in the field
• Be taught by qualified instructors (e.g., licensed professionals or individuals with recognized subject-matter expertise)
• For self-directed activities, include an assessment that verifies completion
• Provide documentation that verifies successful completion

Accepted topics may include business practices (e.g., project management, risk management, ethics) and other areas relevant to professional practice, including those affecting public health, safety, and welfare. There is no specific HSW content requirement.

CE may also be granted for initial development, significant updating, or initial instruction of an eligible CE activity—credited at twice the participant value. However, credit for repeated activities with the same content is only permitted once per renewal period.

Licensees must maintain CE records for three years after the license expiration date. Audits may occur at random, and audited licensees must submit all supporting documents within 21 calendar days. If a CE deficiency is found, the licensee must make up the hours, which cannot be double-counted toward the current or future license cycles.

LearnFormula is not affiliated with the Virginia Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects. For full information, please visit: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency10/chapter20/partXI/

Licensed architects regulated by the Wyoming Board of Architects and Landscape Architects (WBALA) must complete 24 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs) every two years. The reporting cycle runs on a calendar year basis, with CEHs required to be earned in the two calendar years immediately preceding the renewal date (e.g., 24 CEHs earned between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024 for the December 31, 2024 renewal).

All 24 CEHs must qualify as Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW). Courses that align with HSW subject matter and are delivered by qualified providers are generally acceptable. Carry-over of excess CEHs into a future cycle is not permitted.

Licensees must certify compliance on their biennial renewal application. The Wyoming Board does not pre-approve providers or courses, and providers cannot directly report CEHs to the Board. It is the responsibility of each licensee to use professional judgment in determining whether an activity meets the Board’s requirements.

Acceptable documentation includes certificates of completion, transcripts, or official letters of attendance, which must contain at minimum:

• Participant’s name
• Sponsor name and address
• Course title and description
• Course date and location
• Instructor/speaker name
• Activity type
• Number of CEHs awarded
• Declaration of HSW qualification
• Monitor signature (if applicable)

Licensees must retain records for at least two years following registration renewal. All licensees are subject to random audit, and if selected must provide documentation within 30 days. If CEHs are disallowed, licensees have 120 days to cure the deficiency by providing additional evidence or by completing replacement CEHs within the required period. Hours used to cure deficiencies cannot be applied to future renewal periods.

LearnFormula is not affiliated with the Wyoming Board of Architects and Landscape Architects. For full information, please visit: https://architects.wyo.gov/professionals/renewal