♦AIA Connecticut Firms By County

Note: Firms listed on this website comply with Connecticut statutes, which require that two-thirds of the stock ownership of the firm is held by licensed architects.

♦AIA Connecticut Firm Questionnaire

THE PRACTICE OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE USE OF THE TERM “ARCHITECT” AND SIMILAR TERMS BY PERSONS NOT LICENSED AS ARCHITECTS

Section 20-290 of the Connecticut General Statutes prohibits persons not licensed as architects from practicing architecture or using the term “architect” or similar terms to indicate that the person practices architecture. Section 20-290 states, in part, as follows:

Sec. 20-290. Use of title "architect". In order to safeguard life, health and property, no person shall practice architecture in this state, except as provided in this chapter, or use the title "architect", or display or use any words, letters, figures, title, sign, seal, advertisement or other device to indicate that such person practices or offers to practice architecture, unless such person has obtained a license as provided in this chapter.

PRACTICE OF ARCHITECTURE
A person not licensed as an architect cannot practice architecture in Connecticut. A person may perform design work if the activity meets one of the exemptions listed in Section 20-298 of the General Statutes. The most common exemptions are for residential buildings designed for not more than two families and buildings under 5,000 square feet. The exemption for buildings under 5,000 square feet does not apply to use groups in the State Building Code defined as assembly, educational, institutional, high hazard and transient residential. Transient residential includes hotels, motels, rooming or boarding houses, dormitories and similar buildings.

USE OF THE TERM “ARCHITECT” AND SIMILAR TERMS
A person not licensed as an architect cannot use the title "architect", or display or use any words, letters, figures, title, sign, seal, advertisement or other device to indicate that such person practices or offers to practice architecture. The use of the terms “architectural” and “architectural design” normally cannot be used, especially in connection with building design. Such terms may be used in some cases when it is clear that the advertised service has nothing to do with building design. An example of such use is a hair salon that uses the name “Hair Architects.”