Florida Architect CE Requirements (2026): 24 Hours Every 2 Years
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Requirements Overview
The Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design requires every registered architect to earn 24 continuing education hours (CEHs) before each biennial license renewal. The hours are fixed by category: 22 must be health, safety and welfare (HSW) and 2 must be in the Advanced Florida Building Code category. That building-code block is what most distinguishes Florida from states that simply require generic HSW hours.
Renewals fall on a two-year cycle due February 28 of odd-numbered years, and the hours must be earned during the reporting cycle just ending — Florida does not allow excess hours to carry into the next cycle. Architects initially licensed less than 24 months before a cycle ends do not need CE for that first renewal.
Do not confuse the architect rule with the interior-designer rule (20 hours = 14 HSW + 2 Advanced Building Code); the two credentials have different totals.
Mandatory Topics
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) | 22 | Every renewal | 22 of the 24 required CE hours must be in the health, safety and welfare (HSW) category. |
| Advanced Florida Building Code | 2 | Every renewal | 2 of the 24 hours must be completed in the Florida Building Code advanced category. This is a distinct architect requirement (interior designers also require 2 such hours within a smaller total). |
Exemptions
- First Renewal (Newly Licensed) — A person initially licensed for less than 24 months prior to the end of a renewal cycle need not complete any continuing education as a condition of the first renewal.
How You Can Complete Your CE
Florida CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to Florida that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- The 24-hour requirement breaks down as 22 hours health, safety & welfare (HSW) plus 2 hours in the Advanced Florida Building Code category.
- Licenses renew biennially, due February 28 of odd-numbered years; CE must be earned in the two-year reporting cycle ending at renewal.
- There is no separate mandatory accessibility or laws-and-rules block for architects (unlike some states). AIA CES and NCARB-registered courses are accepted.
- Interior designers have a different requirement (20 hours = 14 HSW + 2 Advanced Building Code); do not conflate the two.
Tips for Florida Architects
- Reserve 2 of your 24 hours specifically for an Advanced Florida Building Code course — generic HSW credit will not satisfy this separate category.
- The other 22 hours all count as HSW, so choose courses that carry an HSW designation from AIA CES or an NCARB-registered provider.
- Renew by February 28 of the odd year; earn everything within the two-year reporting cycle because Florida allows no carryover of extra hours.
- If you were first licensed less than 24 months before the cycle ends, you owe no CE at your first renewal — but confirm your exact license date before skipping it.
- Keep your completion certificates; Florida self-certifies at renewal but audits, and you must produce proof for both the HSW and Advanced Building Code hours.
Sources
- Cross-checked against the official published rules of the Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design
- Each stated figure recorded with its exact source excerpt
- 1 source cited — 1 primary (official board)
Architect Requirements in Nearby States
Other Professions in Florida
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