Oklahoma Administrative Code Title 55 - The Board of Governors of the Licensed Architects, Landscape Architects and Registered Commercial Interior Designers of Oklahoma
What is Title 55, Chapter 10 – OAC 55:10 (“Licensure and Practice of Architects, Landscape Architects and Registration (now Licensure) of Commercial / Interior Designers”)
This set of administrative regulations governs the licensing, registration, professional conduct, examination, organizational practice, continuing education, use of seals, violations, etc., for architects, landscape architects, and (commercial / licensed) interior designers in Oklahoma. It implements the statutory authority given by the Oklahoma State Architectural and Licensed Interior Designers Act (in Title 59, OK Statutes) and related licensing/licensure laws. regulations.justia.com+2architects.uslegal.com+2
Key parts include:
Definitions – who is a “Licensee,” what is “Architect,” “Landscape Architect,” what is “Interior Designer / Registered Commercial Interior Designer,” what is “seal,” etc. Casetext+1
Application, Eligibility, and Equivalent Standards – how to qualify for licensure, including education (degrees), examination, training / experience, equivalency for foreign education or non‑standard paths. Sections such as 55:10‑5‑7.1 (for architects) and 55:10‑5‑8.1 (for landscape architects) are important. regulations.justia.com+1
Rules of Professional Conduct – what licensees must adhere to in their professional behavior: competence, conflict of interest, use of seal, how documents are prepared, etc. regulations.justia.com+3regulations.justia.com+3Legal Information Institute+3
Seals and Authorship – requirements for seals, signature, dates, what constitutes responsible control over technical submissions, retention of documents, prohibition on sealing documents not under responsible control, etc. regulations.justia.com+2regulations.justia.com+2
Organizational practice – how firms / entities must be set up, how names may be used, what certificate of authority is required, who must be in responsible control, etc. regulations.justia.com+1
Violations / Enforcement – what happens for unlicensed practice, misuse of seal, false claims, failing continuing education, etc., including disciplinary actions. regulations.justia.com+1
What Some Specific Rules Say
Here are a few notable examples of particular rules, with explanation:
Competence (OAC § 55:10‑11‑3):
Licensees must act with care and competence, applying the technical/tactical knowledge ordinarily applied by others of good standing. Legal Information Institute
Must not make misleading or false statements about qualifications.
In designing, must follow all applicable building laws, codes. If two codes conflict, use the more restrictive one.
Services must be performed only when the licensee (and any consultants) are qualified. Must define in agreement what will be done and what compensation.
Also, if professional competence is substantially impaired (e.g. mental disability), the Board can disallow practice following a hearing. Legal Information Institute
Seal Requirement and Use (OAC § 55:10‑11‑8):
Every licensed architect or landscape architect must have a seal, used on “technical submissions, addenda, field orders, and other documents of service.” Both physical stamps (rubber) and electronic images are permitted. regulations.justia.com
The seal must include name, license number, and the phrase “Licensed Architect, State of Oklahoma” (or “Landscape Architect, State of Oklahoma”). regulations.justia.com
Seal, signature, and date must appear on originals, including cover sheets, specification‑identifying pages, addenda, etc. If drawings are incomplete and not for construction, that must be clearly stated. regulations.justia.com
Use by others: a licensee may adapt or review others’ work under certain conditions (responsible control, liability, identifying modifications). But a licensee may not seal documents prepared by unlicensed persons unless they are employees or consultants and certain conditions met. regulations.justia.com
Must retain copies of technical submissions for at least ten years. regulations.justia.com
Equivalent Standards for Licensure (Architects / Landscape Architects):
For architects (§ 55:10‑5‑7.1), there are rules for how much education / training credits count, how experience is credited, what exam(s) required, etc. regulations.justia.com+1
For landscape architects similarly in § 55:10‑5‑8.1. Casetext
Firm Names (OAC § 55:10‑13‑16):
Firms may use names of deceased or retired licensees.
Use of multiple surnames is allowed, so long as one surname is of a licensed Architect, Landscape Architect, or Registered Commercial Interior Designer. Other surnames may be related licensed professions. regulations.justia.com
Interior Designer Licensure Changes (HB 1793, etc.):
The title “Registered Commercial Interior Designer” is now “Licensed Interior Designer.” aem-stage.oklahoma.gov+1
The scope of what licensed interior designers may do has expanded: design of interior spaces to enhance/protect health, safety, welfare; specification of finishes, fixtures, furnishings; analysis of building codes / accessibility; non‑structural changes / partition layout etc. aem-stage.oklahoma.gov
But limitations remain: cannot practice architecture or engineering; cannot work on structural or primary building / building core / shell systems; not permitted to be the coordinating professional in multi‑licensed projects. aem-stage.oklahoma.gov
How These Rules Operate in Practice / Enforcement
The Board issues disciplinary actions when violations occur. Examples include unlicensed practice, misuse of seal, submitting false documents, failing to comply with continuing education, etc. Welcome to Oklahoma's Official Web Site
The Board’s rules also empower it to impose fines, revoke or suspend licenses, require remedial education, etc. regulations.justia.com+1
Case Law / Judicial Decisions
Finding Oklahoma court decisions that directly interpret many of the specific administrative regulations under Title 55 is somewhat limited. However, there are a few key cases that address related legal obligations of architects, which illustrate how Oklahoma law treats professional responsibility and standard of care. These help to illuminate how the administrative rules might be applied or enforced in a legal context.
Smith v. Goff, 1958 OK 100, 325 P.2d 1061
Facts / Holding: In that case, the court considered the liability of an architect who agreed to prepare plans and specifications and supervise construction. The court held that an architect is required to exercise ordinary professional skill and diligence and conform to accepted architectural standards. But the architect is not guaranteeing perfect results. Liability arises only when there is a failure to exercise reasonable care and professional skill. Justia
Relevance to Administrative Rules: This aligns with the administrative rule on competence (OAC § 55:10‑11‑3), which mandates licensees must act with care, competence, meet accepted professional standards, etc. The case confirms that courts will consider what is “ordinary professional skill and diligence” as a standard, which administrative rules try to codify or support.
Other Examples / Disciplinary Precedents
Though not always full judicial opinions, there are many Board disciplinary actions (public enforcement) reported. For instance, the Board has fined people for unlicensed practice, affixing a seal when not authorized, failure to fulfill continuing education, etc. These are not always court opinions but are administrative actions which can sometimes be challenged in court. Welcome to Oklahoma's Official Web Site
For example: in case number 2024‑693, one Richard Benjamin Paszkiet was fined $34,000 for: unlawfully providing architectural services without a license, affixing an Oklahoma architectural stamp without a license, submitting false or forged documents for permitting, and attempting to present another’s license as his own. Welcome to Oklahoma's Official Web Site
Statutory Law Interpreting Some Rules
The statute (Oklahoma statute, in Title 59) provides the legal basis for certain rules (e.g. the requirement for seal, what is “practice of architecture,” what buildings require an architect, etc.). Some Oklahoma Supreme Court cases have interpreted parts of the State Architecture Act (though I did not locate recently a case that directly construes, for example, the interior designer licensing provisions or every detail of Title 55:10).
How Courts Might Treat Disputes about the Rules
Given the administrative rules and existing case law, courts (or in some cases administrative hearings) are likely to treat claims involving:
Whether a licensed person satisfied their duty of care, competence, standard of practice in preparing plans, overseeing construction, etc. (as in Smith v. Goff)
Whether a licensee improperly used a seal (i.e. sealed work not under responsible control), which could violate specific OAC rules and the statute.
Whether someone practiced without a required license, or used a protected title when not authorized—it is unlawful under the statute.
Whether rules about equivalency, exams, experience were properly applied (for an applicant) or whether board’s decision was within its discretion under the rules.
In disputes, evidence would include:
Expert testimony as to standard of care / professional norms.
Documentation of responsible control over documents, supervision, who prepared what.
Whether proper seals, dates, signatures were affixed.
Whether continuing education was satisfied, etc.
Some Open / Less‑Settled Areas
Because interior design licensure is relatively newer (recent changes via HB 1793), there may be less court precedent interpreting the finer points of what licensed interior designers may or may not do under the rules.
The boundary between what interior designers may design vs what constitutes “architecture” or “engineering,” especially concerning non‑structural vs structural systems, may lead to disputes.
RELATED Blog
0 comments