ARB Register: how to check a registered architect

The ARB Register is the official list of registered architects in Hong Kong. Use it when you want to know whether a person may call themselves an architect. The Register on the Architects Registration Board website is free to search by surname, first name or registration number. It lists individual architects, not practices, and an entry only stays in force while the architect keeps renewing it.

What the ARB Register is

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is a statutory body formed under the Architects Registration Ordinance (Cap. 408). The Ordinance gives it the power to register architects and to exercise disciplinary control over their professional activities. ARB describes the Register as a record of all registered architects in Hong Kong who are involved in the design, construction or fitting out of buildings. Members of the public can inspect it free of charge.

Two points shape how you use it:

• It lists people. You will not find a company or practice name on it. To check a firm against the Hong Kong Institute of Architects’ list, use our guide to HKIA registered practices.
• It answers one question. It tells you whether someone is a registered architect. It does not tell you whether they hold a Buildings Department role such as Authorized Person or Registered Inspector.

How to search the Register

1. Open the ARB Register.
2. Enter the architect’s surname, first name or registration number. You can also browse the Register alphabetically by surname.
3. Compare the result with what you were told. Entries give the English name with the surname first, together with the Chinese name, so check both if you have them.
4. Ask for the registration number if you do not have it. ARB issues each registered architect a Certificate of Registration showing their name, registration number and date of registration, so a registered architect can give you the number easily.
5. Write down the date you checked and the registration number you matched. If you are about to sign an appointment, check again close to the signing date.

If a search returns nothing, try the first name on its own, another romanisation of the surname, or the registration number. A common surname can return many entries, so the registration number is the most reliable match.

Why a name can drop off the Register

Registration is not permanent. Under ARB’s renewal rules, an entry in the Register remains in force for 12 months from the date of registration. Architects apply to renew not earlier than 3 months and not later than 28 days before the current registration expires. A successful renewal brings a Certificate of Renewal of Registration, valid for another 12 months.

If an architect does not pay the renewal fee by the due date, ARB removes their name from the Register. ARB runs a separate re-application process for people who want to come back. So a certificate you saw last year is not proof of registration today. The live Register is.

What the Register does not tell you

The Buildings Department registers are separate statutory lists under the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123). Our guide to ARB, HKIA and the Buildings Department sets the three side by side.

Who can get onto the Register

ARB’s page on becoming a registered architect sets out the requirements. In summary, an applicant must:

• be a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects or another architectural body the Board accepts, or have passed the required examinations with training and experience that meet the Board’s standards;
• have had 1 year’s relevant professional experience in Hong Kong before applying;
• be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong;
• not be the subject of any disciplinary proceedings;
• declare in writing that they are competent to practise as an architect; and
• be a fit and proper person to be registered.

One route in is the HKIA/ARB Professional Assessment, which HKIA and ARB organise jointly. To sit it, a candidate needs the required educational qualifications and at least two years of professional practical experience.

If something does not match

If a person calls themselves an architect but you cannot find them, ask for their registration number and search again. A person whose name does not appear on the Register is not entitled to describe themselves as an architect or registered architect, or to use the initials R.A. Our guide on who may use the title architect explains the rule and the offence.

If you believe a registered architect has committed a disciplinary offence under Cap. 408, you can complain to ARB on its complaint form, with as much supporting information and evidence as you can give. ARB says it treats the information in strict confidence.

Our architecture directory lists practices from each firm’s own website. A listing there is not ARB registration, so check named architects on the Register yourself. ranked.hk is not ARB, and this guide is not legal advice.