Initial License

For future reference, I thought I would take this opportunity to document this phase in the process.  I submitted my application for initial license on May 3 via USPS.  On May 28, I logged into the Department of State's website to check and see if I had be listed as registered yet, as I had done every day since May 3.  I was delighted to see that on May 28 my license was issued and the information was updated on the DOS website.  At present, May 30, I have not received the hardcopy in the mail yet.  If they sent it out on May 28, it is conceivable that I will receive it tomorrow.

As a side note, in PA, licenses expire at the end of June every 2 years.  I was curious how it would work for me with my initial license being issued so close to this renewal deadline.  As it turns out, they basically gave me the rest of 2013 so my license was issued May 28, 2013 and doesn't expire until June  30, 2015.  Now, as to whether or not there is some sort of additional pro-rated fee, I am yet to be made aware of it.

Additionally, on May 20 I submitted for AIA National's Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship.  The eligibility requirements are that you are either an NCARB record holder in good standing, or an Associate AIA member in good standing.  Since, once again, the timing is close, I'm not sure if I am any longer one of those things, or if it matters since that is what I was when I submitted the paperwork. Anyway, what I wanted to share was that my NCARB record was set to expire tomorrow, May 31, 2013.  I was reluctant to renew it, because I don't NEED the NCARB record any more, now that I have my license and it is a $75 fee.  However, once I entered in my new license number, it waived the renewal fee and offered me congrats on becoming an RA.  Now they are going to send me information to get the NCARB certificate, which I am still on the fence about.  That fee is significantly more per year than $75.  I think it is in excess of $200.

Anyway, I just wanted to share some fun facts before they fade into "I don't remember...."

Initial Licensure

I am pleased to officially report that I have submitted my application for initial licensure to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  The process is pretty simple... complete your NCARB record, pass all the exams, fill out the application, write a check for the $40 fee and mail it in with the application.  I sent in the application last Friday (8 days ago), we'll see how long it takes for the state to send the license.  I believe all architect licenses in Pennsylvania are renewed in the month of June, so depending upon when they get around to actually issuing the license, I may have to renew like immediately.

I am not certain how the AIA upgrade works.  I have heard rumors that they let you ride out the rest of the year on your Associate dues, but bumped up to AIA member status.  I am also not certain if I need to complete CEU's for the first partial year.  If I do, it shouldn't be a problem because I have been completing CEU's since I learned what they were, in an effort to score more IDP credit as well as just because I am going to have to anyway, might as well get in the habit of updating my AIA transcript!