Kentucky Architect CE Requirements (2026): 12 Hours Every Year
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Requirements Overview
The Kentucky Board of Architects requires 12 continuing education hours (CEHs) per year under 201 KAR 19:087, and all 12 must be health, safety, and welfare (HSW) hours — Kentucky has no general or elective CE allowance for architects.
The hours must be earned during the calendar year (January 1–December 31) that precedes renewal, and any course you count must devote at least 75% of its content and instructional time to HSW subjects. Both live and distance-learning formats qualify, and AIA-approved HSW courses are generally recognized. Excess hours do not carry over to the next year.
Licenses renew annually, with renewal due by July 1. Architects newly registered by examination or reciprocity are exempt for their first registration, and everyone must keep CE records for five years after reporting them to the board.
Mandatory Topics
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) | 12 | Every renewal | All 12 CEHs must consist of structured educational activities in health, safety, and welfare (HSW) subjects. There is no non-HSW allowance — the HSW requirement equals the full annual total. Any qualifying course must devote at least 75% of its content and instructional time to HSW topics. |
Exemptions
- First-Time Registrant — An architect first registered in Kentucky by examination or by reciprocity is exempt from the continuing education requirement for that initial registration.
How You Can Complete Your CE
Kentucky CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to Kentucky that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- Annual minimum — at least 12 hours must be completed each year of the cycle, not just by the renewal deadline.
- Kentucky requires 12 continuing education hours (CEHs) each year, and all 12 must be in health, safety, and welfare (HSW) subjects — there is no general (non-HSW) allowance.
- Hours are earned January 1–December 31 of the calendar year preceding renewal. The license renews annually, with renewal due by July 1 (201 KAR 19:255); the license year runs July 1–June 30.
- Any qualifying course must devote at least 75% of its content and instructional time to HSW topics. Both live and distance-learning formats are accepted, and AIA-approved HSW courses are generally recognized.
- Hours do not carry over — unused or excess CEHs cannot be applied to the next reporting period.
- Architects must retain continuing-education records for five years from the date the annual report is submitted to the board.
Tips for Kentucky Architects
- Treat every hour as an HSW hour — Kentucky gives no credit for non-HSW continuing education, so verify each course carries an HSW designation before you enroll.
- Check the 75% rule: a course only counts if at least three-quarters of its content and time address HSW topics, so read the course description, not just the title.
- Earn your 12 CEHs within the calendar year before renewal — hours completed in the wrong year, or beyond the 12, cannot be carried forward.
- If you were just licensed by exam or reciprocity, confirm your first-registration exemption with the board before assuming you owe zero hours.
- Keep certificates and your CE report for five years; the board can request documentation to verify the hours you claimed.
Sources
- Cross-checked against the official published rules of the Kentucky Board of Architects
- Each stated figure recorded with its exact source excerpt
- 1 source cited — 1 primary (official board)
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