Architects Registration Board

What Architects Registration Board does

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is the sole statutory regulator of the architects' profession in the United Kingdom, established by Parliament in 1997 under the Architects Act 1997. ARB maintains the public Register of Architects, enforces legal title protection for the word "architect," investigates complaints, and disciplines practitioners through its Professional Conduct Committee (PCC), which has the power to reprimand, fine, suspend, or erase architects from the Register. It also sets standards for architectural education by accrediting UK schools of architecture and publishes the Architects Code: Standards of Conduct and Practice, with an updated version published in 2025.

ARB's core technology infrastructure consists of the MyARB online portal — a self-service platform where registered architects manage their registration, pay annual retention fees, and record Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities — and the publicly accessible Architects Register at architects-register.org.uk, which allows consumers and employers to verify an architect's registration status. Additional offerings include the Prescribed Examinations for overseas-qualified candidates, the UK Adaptation Assessment (UKAA) for international architects, a CPD scheme, Title Protection Toolkit resources, and learning modules covering fire and life safety design and sustainability competence. Route P, a new registration route designed to replace the Prescribed Examination, is scheduled to launch in spring 2027.

ARB operates as a non-departmental public body accountable to Parliament rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue is generated through annual retention fees from registered architects, initial registration fees, examination fees for candidates with non-recognised qualifications, and accreditation fees from schools of architecture. The organization maintains mutual recognition agreements with international architectural bodies including AACA (Australia), NZRAB (New Zealand), NCARB (USA), ROAC, and HKIA, and recognition arrangements for EEA, EFTA, and Swiss qualifications. Its 2026–2030 Corporate Strategy focuses on strengthening safety, competence, and culture across the regulated profession.

Name

Architects Registration Board

Legal name

Architects Registration Board

Website

https://arb.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Architects Registration Board is the UK statutory regulator of architects, established by Parliament in 1997 under the Architects Act. It maintains the public Register of Architects, enforces title protection, accredits schools, and disciplines practitioners through its Professional Conduct Committee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Regulation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Public Administration (92)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Appeals, Arbitration & Compliance Oversight Bodies (EDADACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

National/State Examination Boards & Testing Agencies (EDADAFAA), Assessment & Examination Integrity Audits (EDADAGAE), Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Professional regulation
• Architect registration
• Statutory body
• Professional standards
• Registration board

Headquarters

HQ city

London, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Registration and Retention Fees: Architects pay fees for initial registration and annual retention to maintain their place on the Register. Fee information is published on the ARB website.
2. Accreditation Fees: Schools of architecture pay fees for accreditation of their qualifications programs
3. Examination Fees: Candidates pursuing the Prescribed Examination (for those with overseas or non-recognised UK qualifications) pay examination fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ARB is the UK statutory regulator of the architecture profession. It maintains the public Register of Architects, processes initial registration and annual retention, runs the CPD competence scheme, sets professional standards via the Architects Code, accredits UK schools of architecture, conducts Prescribed Examinations and the UK Adaptation Assessment for overseas-qualified candidates, and disciplines architects through the Professional Conduct Committee. It also investigates complaints and prosecutes misuse of the title "architect."

Product overview

Architects Registration Board operates as a statutory regulatory body established by Parliament in 1997. The organization maintains a unified platform consisting of the MyARB portal for registration management, the Architects Register (public database of qualified architects), the CPD Scheme for continuing professional development, and Route P (new registration route from spring 2027). Additional offerings include Prescribed Examinations for overseas-qualified architects, the UK Adaptation Assessment for international qualification recognition, the Title Protection Toolkit, and Learning Resources covering fire safety and sustainability competence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MyARB Portal
• Architects Register
• CPD Scheme
• Prescribed Examinations
• Route P
• UK Adaptation Assessment (UKAA)
• Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) Disciplinary Tribunal
• Schools of Architecture Accreditation

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AACA (Architects Accreditation Council of Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement enabling architects registered in Australia to seek registration in the UK through a streamlined pathway.
• NZRAB (New Zealand Registered Architects Board)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement facilitating cross-border registration for architects between New Zealand and the UK.
• NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement enabling US-registered architects to obtain UK registration through recognised credentials.
• ROAC (Reconciliation Architect Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement between ARB and ROAC for architectural registration pathways.
• HKIA (Hong Kong Institute of Architects)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of Understanding establishing cooperation framework for architectural registration and professional standards.
• EEA, EFTA and Swiss qualification authoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognition arrangements for architects with EEA, EFTA, and Swiss qualifications to register in the UK under specified routes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB): US-based umbrella council for architectural licensing boards, with which ARB holds a Mutual Recognition Agreement. Directly comparable mission: sets standards, administers examinations (ARE), and supports cross-jurisdictional licensure.
• Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA): Statutory accreditation body for Australian architects with whom ARB holds a Mutual Recognition Agreement. Directly comparable in function: accredits architecture schools, assesses overseas qualifications, and maintains the national register.
• Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA): Statutory professional body for architects in Hong Kong with which ARB has a Memorandum of Understanding. Comparable scope: maintains the register, sets professional standards, and adjudicates disciplinary matters.
• New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB): New Zealand's statutory registration board for architects and ARB's Mutual Recognition Agreement partner. Operates an essentially identical regulatory model: registration, competence standards, complaints, and disciplinary powers.

Broad incumbents

• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): UK statutory regulator for nurses and midwives. Closely analogous regulatory model to ARB: maintains the register, sets standards of proficiency, runs examinations for international applicants, and operates a fitness-to-practise tribunal.
• Engineering Council (UK): UK regulatory body for the engineering profession. Comparable in scope to ARB: registers Chartered Engineers, accredits degree programmes, and sets professional standards, though engineering registration is not statutorily title-protected in the same way as architecture.
• General Medical Council (GMC): UK statutory regulator for doctors. Comparable to ARB in regulatory architecture: maintains a public register, sets educational standards, runs assessments (PLAB), and operates a fitness-to-practise tribunal with statutory powers.
• Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA): UK statutory regulator of solicitors and law firms. Closely comparable regulatory model to ARB: maintains the roll, sets standards of conduct, operates a disciplinary tribunal, and is accountable to Parliament through a legislative framework.

Emerging players

• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA): UK chartered membership body for architects. Operates alongside ARB in the UK architecture ecosystem with overlapping influence on education validation and professional development, but RIBA is a membership organisation rather than the statutory regulator.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): UK-headquartered global professional body for surveyors and real estate professionals. Operates in the same construction and property ecosystem as ARB with overlapping membership and disciplinary functions, though RICS is a chartered body rather than a statutory regulator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/archreguk.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@archreguk
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArchRegUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/architects-registration-board
• Instagraminstagram.com/archreguk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Architects Registration Board