License Requirements for Landscape Architecture

The practice of landscape architecture or use of the title "landscape architect" within New York State requires licensure as a landscape architect except in certain exempt settings. These settings are detailed in Section 7326 of the Education Law.

To qualify for a license as a "landscape architect" in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character;
• be at least 21 years of age;
• meet education requirements;
• meet examination requirements; and
• meet experience requirements.

You must file an application for licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 148, Section 7324 of the New York State Education Law and Subpart 79-1 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

The fee for licensure and first registration is $294.

The fee for a limited permit and three-year registration is $249 (the limited permit fee is not refundable).

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• If you apply for licensure electronically using the online Application for Licensure, you will be required to pay by credit card.
• Other payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail any required forms and fees to the indicated address on the form.

NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Landscape Architecture Unit by e-mail at opunit1@nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 250 or by fax at 518-402-5354.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure fee and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

Eligibility for licensure is based on a combination of education and experience for which units of credit are awarded on the basis of one unit equal to one year of eligible experience. Your combination of education and experience must total at least 12 units, as determined by the Department. The credit awarded for education determines the number of units of experience required.

Education

Units assigned to each educational category below are the maximum that the Department may grant. After evaluating the degree or courses you successfully completed, the Department may grant less than the maximum number of units. Credit will not be awarded for multiple categories; the highest professional education level attained determines the maximum credit to be awarded. If you completed:

1. a Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) accredited undergraduate program and graduated with a degree from a:
   1. 4-year program - 8 units
   2. 5-year program - 9 units

   NOTE: Partial credit will be considered for incomplete degree-granting LAAB accredited programs based on review of transcripts (2 units per year for a maximum of 6 units).

2. a graduate degree in landscape architecture AND an LAAB accredited undergraduate program and graduated with a degree from a:
   1. 4-year program - 9 units
   2. 5-year program - 10 units
3. a 4-year non-landscape architecture degree AND a degree from an LAAB accredited graduate program.
   1. - 8 units
4. a degree in landscape architecture from an undergraduate or graduate curriculum that is NOT ASLA accredited1
   1. - 7 units (maximum)
5. an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited civil engineering program or National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited architecture program
   1. - 6 units (maximum)
6. a 2-year landscape architecture-related technical program1, you will be awarded one unit for each year successfully completed (or the equivalent in course credit)
   1. - 4 units (maximum)
7. a non-landscape architecture program (other than above) and have earned:
   1. an Associate's Degree - 2 units
   2. a Bachelor's Degree or higher - 4 units
8. a certificate of study or individual courses in landscape architecture, design or technology
   1. - 0 units

1 The New York State Board for Landscape Architecture will consider credit for non-LAAB accredited programs only if they are directly related to the practice of landscape architecture. Credit will be determined by the Board after reviewing, on a case-by-case basis, transcripts and any other supporting documentation.

Professional Experience

Full-time diversified general practice in landscape architecture of a scope and nature satisfactory to the State Board for Landscape Architecture is needed to meet the experience requirement for licensure.

You must complete at least two years of your professional experience requirement directly under the supervision of a lawfully practicing landscape architect. In order to meet this two year requirement, and if your experience to be considered in this category occurred while working for a landscape architectural firm located in New York or for an out of state entity offering landscape architectural services in New York, please be advised that only certain entities that have current filings may lawfully offer landscape architectural services in New York. These include:

• Sole proprietorship, where the sole proprietor is a registered landscape architect in New York
• Professional partnership, where all Partners are registered landscape architects in New York
• Professional Service Corporation (PC)
• Design Professional Service Corporation (DPC)
• Professional Service Limited Liability Company (PLLC)
• Registered Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
• Grandfathered Corporations

With few exceptions, these are the only entities authorized to provide, or offer to provide, landscape architectural services in New York. General Business Corporations, Domestic Limited Liability Companies, Professional Associations (PA), and Limited Companies (LTD) are not permitted to offer landscape architectural services in New York. Please see this document for more detail on permissible corporate entities.

Experience obtained concurrent with full-time education, including vacation time, nights, and weekends, will not be considered for credit.  However, some credit may be awarded if the time taken to complete the program was extended.

The Board will review and determine credit for other training, education, teaching or practical experience of a professional nature including:

1. Employment under the direct supervision of a lawfully practicing architect or engineer up to a maximum of two years when, in the opinion of the Board, your work is clearly related to the scope of landscape architectural practice.
   1. - 2 units (maximum)
2. Teaching of landscape architecture courses in an LAAB accredited landscape architecture program and/or structured research in landscape architecture culminating in publication. One full year of your experience will be considered the equivalent of one-half year of full-time professional experience, but no more than two units of credit toward the professional experience requirement will be given for such experience.
   1. - 2 units (maximum)
3. Employment by planning firms, government agencies, landscape contractors and general contractors, in work directly related to landscape architectural construction, may be substituted for professional experience as defined above. One full year of such experience will be considered the equivalent of one-half year of full-time professional experience, but no more than two units of credit toward the professional experience requirement will be given for such experience.
   1. - 2 units (maximum)

Eligibility (if you have not yet been admitted to the LARE):

• For most candidates, CLARB will determine your eligibility to take the LARE. You will need to begin a CLARB Record if you do not already have one.  Please see CLARB's Eligibility Requirements and CLARB's How to Register for the LARE for additional information. You do not have to send the New York State Education Department your CLARB Council Record in order to take the LARE.
• For candidates who must apply to and be approved by a State Board, the New York State Education Department will determine your eligibility to take the LARE. Eligibility will be determined after submission of a Form 1 - Application for Licensure & First Registration, the NYS fee, education and/or experience forms to the Department. In order to be found eligible by the Department, your combined education and experience must total 8 units. Once you are found to be eligible for the exam by the Department, visit CLARB's website at How to Register for the LARE to begin taking the LARE.
• After you have taken the LARE, your scores will be posted online on CLARB's website. Scores for all sections will be available 4-6 weeks following the last day of the administration.  Candidates will be notified via email when scores are ready to be viewed on the CLARB website.
• Once you have completed the LARE and have satisfied New York's experience requirement, ask CLARB to transmit your CLARB Council Record to the New York State Education Department.

Eligibility (if you have been admitted to the LARE and want to retake a failed section):

• Candidates who wish to retake a failed section of the LARE must begin a CLARB Council Record if they haven't already done so. For information regarding beginning a CLARB Council Record, see CLARB's Start My Council Record page.
• To schedule a retake of a failed section of the LARE, see CLARB's website.
• After you have taken the LARE, your scores will be posted online on CLARB's website. Scores for all sections will be available 4-6 weeks following the last day of the administration.  Candidates will be notified via email when scores are ready to be viewed on the CLARB website.
• Once you have completed the LARE and have satisfied New York's experience requirement, ask CLARB to transmit your CLARB Council Record to the New York State Education Department.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

If you require reasonable testing accommodations, please see CLARB's website at www.clarb.org/Candidates/Pages/Register.aspx for additional information.

If you are applying for licensure based upon licensure in another jurisdiction, see the Education and Experience Requirements section for the amount of experience to be documented, based upon the education received.

You must submit full documentation of compliance with all New York State licensure requirements, including professional education and satisfactory professional experience, among other requirements, as part of your application for licensure.

A limited permit may be issued to an individual who seeks to practice in New York State who is licensed as a landscape architect in another jurisdiction. The limited permit allows you to work on a specific project within New York State and is valid for the duration of the project, however, if this exceeds three years you will be required to re-register and pay the registration fee.

To obtain a limited permit, you must submit or have submitted on your behalf, the following:

• Form 5 Application for Limited Permit for Non-Resident Landscape Architect with a limited permit and three-year registration fee of $249;
  • Letters of reference from three licensed landscape architects substantiating your lawful practice of landscape architecture as the responsible person in charge of projects;
  • A specific description of the project you will be working on in New York State that includes:
    1. scope of the project;
    2. approximate size;
    3. location-including address (street and number, lot number or other definite location information); and
    4. name and address of client.
• Form 3 - Verification of Other Licensure/Certification completed by the jurisdiction(s) in which you were licensed as a landscape architect that shows the date you were licensed, basis for licensure, license number and the current status of your license.

Candidates for licensure who have ten years of lawful practice as a landscape architect, principal and shareholder of their own firm, and as the responsible person in charge of projects, including the stamping and signing of contract documents, who have not taken the CLARB examination, may be eligible for licensure based upon their lawful practice and successful completion of the practical examination.

To apply for licensure based upon ten years of lawful practice, you must submit or have submitted on your behalf, the following:

• Form 1 - Application for Licensure and the $399 licensure and first registration fee;
• Verification of Other Licensure/Certification (Form 3) completed by the jurisdiction(s) in which you were licensed as a landscape architect that shows the date you were licensed, basis for licensure, license number and the current status of your license; and
• letters of reference from three licensed and registered landscape architects substantiating your 10 years of lawful practice of landscape architecture as the responsible person in charge of projects.

Once these materials are reviewed and the Board approves you as eligible, you must pass a practical examination to demonstrate competence by presenting and discussing with the Board three of your projects executed during the required 10 years of lawful practice.