Assisted living facilities, group homes, social rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, foster care facilities, detoxification facilities, psychiatric hospitals, detention centers, jails, adult day care centers, child day care centers
Architect Requirements for Building Types
Per 59 OS 46.21b, the following building types require an Architect or are exempt from needing an Architect to design and seal all architectural plans, based upon the building's Code Use Group. (All codes used in Oklahoma are adopted from the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission. For a complete list of codes, please visit their website.)
Does my building require an Architect?
For the following code use groups: An Architect is required to design the buildings and seal the architectural plans, per 59 O.S., Section 46.21b.
| Code Use Group | Building Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| I | Institutional | |
| R-2 | Residential/dormitories, fraternities, sororities, convents | |
| A-1 | Assembly and theaters | |
| A-4 | Assembly, arenas and courts | |
| A-5 | Assembly, bleachers and grandstands | |
| Does the building change from one Use Group to another Use Group? |
For the following categories: A basement is not to be counted as a story for the purpose of counting stories of a building.
If you answer “yes” to any of the following criteria questions, then your building requires an Architect’s seal. If you answered “No” to all of the criteria for your building’s Code Use Group, your building most likely won’t require an Architect. However, the local or state authorities having jurisdiction may require an Architect where the State Architectural and Registered Commercial Interior Designers Act does not.
| Code Use Group | Building Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| A-2 & A-3 | Assembly, food and drink consumption, worship | Is the code-defined building occupancy more than 50 OR is the building over 2 stories in height? |
| E | Educational | |
| B | Business | Is the building more than 100,000 sq. ft. OR over 2 stories? |
| M | Mercantile | Is the building more than 200,000 sq. ft. OR over 2 stories? |
| R-1 | Residential, including hotels & motels | Is the building more than 64 units OR over 2 stories? |
| Federal, state, municipal, county, or public-trust or agency-owned building | Is the building cost over $158,000 OR over 2 stories in height? | |
| U | Utility | Is the building over 2 stories in height? |
| F | Factory & Industrial | |
| H | High Hazard | |
| S | Storage | |
| R-3 | Residential | |
| R-4 | Residential | |
| All uninhabitable, privately-owned agricultural buildings |
Examples of Common Buildings for Each Code Use Group
If you have any questions about which types of buildings require an Architect that are not answered by the 59 Oklahoma State Architectural and Registered Commercial Interior Designers Act Section 46.21b, please call the OBA office at (405) 949-2383 or email lauren.vaughan@boardofarch.ok.gov.
Last Modified on
Sep 07, 2023
