Texas Architect License Lookup: How to Verify Registration

Open the official Texas lookup

Start at the TBAE Find a Design Pro page. It links to two live databases maintained by the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners:

Search an individual architect

1. Ask for the responsible person’s full professional name. Do not search only the founder, salesperson or principal shown on the website if another architect will be responsible for the work.
2. Open the individual search. Enter the last name first. Add the first name only when the result set is broad or the surname is common.
3. Select the correct profession. TBAE regulates architects, landscape architects and registered interior designers. A similarly named record in another profession is not the same credential.
4. Use the registration number when available. A number is more reliable than spelling alone. Compare every digit with the proposal, signature block, professional seal or written confirmation.
5. Open the matching result and record what the registry displays. Save the name, profession, registration number, status and date checked. If the name differs, ask the professional to explain before proceeding.

Not every field is required. TBAE states that each populated field narrows the individual search. If a full name returns nothing, remove the first name, check hyphens or alternate surnames and search by registration number. Do not conclude that a person is unregistered from one unsuccessful spelling.

Names may change and common names may produce more than one result. Treat city or other contextual details as matching aids, not substitutes for the profession and registration number. If two records remain plausible, request the number directly or contact TBAE.

Search a firm or registered business

Now verify the entity offering or providing the architectural service. Open the TBAE business search and begin with the distinctive portion of the firm name. The form accepts a registration number shown with the prefix BR-, firm name, city, state, ZIP and profession. As with the individual search, not all fields are required and adding fields narrows the result.

1. Copy the business name from the proposal or draft agreement—not only from the website masthead.
2. Search the firm name without punctuation or entity suffixes if the exact version returns no match.
3. Set the profession to architecture when the business offers architectural services.
4. Compare the result with the proposal’s address and BR-number where shown.
5. Record the business status, registration number and checked date separately from the individual result.

A marketing brand may differ from the registered entity. That difference is not automatically a problem, but the contracting party, registered business and responsible architect should form an understandable chain. Ask for written clarification when the proposal uses a parent company, assumed name, joint venture, out-of-state entity or an office name that does not clearly match the registry.

Read the status and registration number

The registration number identifies a particular record; it does not replace the status. Read both. Status language can have technical meaning, so avoid turning a database label into an allegation.

TBAE’s individual search specifically cautions that “Revoked” does not necessarily mean discipline and that “Delinquent” means the registration has not been renewed. Because circumstances and records can change, this page does not reproduce a universal list of every possible status. Use the live result and Board guidance on the day of your decision.

Individual registration vs. business registration

The two records answer different questions. The individual record helps establish whether a named person is registered in the stated profession. The business record helps establish whether the firm or business is registered with TBAE. Neither should be treated as a substitute for the other.

• Individual registrant: the person whose name, profession, number and status you verify.
• Registered business: the firm or entity whose BR-number, name and status you verify.
• Proposal signer: the person authorized to make the offer; this may not itself identify the responsible architect.
• Project architect: a project role stated by the firm; confirm the named person and responsibilities rather than inferring registration from the title alone.
• Architect of record: a project-specific responsibility that must be confirmed in the team, agreement and documents; it is not established merely because a firm appears in a directory.

For multi-office firms, ask which office will perform the work and which registered person will be responsible. For collaborations, ask how design authorship, local responsibility, consultant contracts and document sealing are divided. These are firm or project claims until supported by the agreement and official records.

What registration confirms

A matching current TBAE record is primary evidence that the named person or business is registered with the Board on the date checked. TBAE states that registered architects and other regulated design professionals must follow standards established in law, including annual continuing professional education. The Board also states that it is unlawful for an unregistered individual to claim to be an architect.

That is meaningful consumer information, but it is a threshold check. Registration answers a regulatory identity and status question. It does not measure how closely a firm’s work fits your brief or how its team performed on previous projects.

What the lookup cannot prove

• Design quality or style: TBAE explicitly says it does not endorse any particular registrant or firm.
• Relevant experience: registration does not prove experience with your building type, site, budget, delivery method or authority.
• Portfolio authorship: a project shown by a firm may involve collaborators or a prior employer. Verify the firm’s and proposed team’s roles.
• Insurance: the public registration search is not proof of current professional liability or other project-required coverage.
• Contract scope: it does not show whether permitting, consultant coordination, bidding or construction administration is included.
• Disciplinary history: a current status is not a complete narrative. Review TBAE’s official disciplinary information or request public information when warranted.
• Whether an architect is required: that can depend on the project, use, jurisdiction and applicable law. Confirm with the relevant authority and professional.

Red flags that require clarification

• The person calls themselves an architect but will not provide a full name or registration number.
• The number belongs to another person, profession or business.
• The proposal names one entity while the business search returns an unexplained different entity.
• The individual record is delinquent, revoked or surrendered and the firm treats the status as irrelevant.
• The firm points only to a principal’s registration but will not identify who is responsible for your project.
• A screenshot or PDF is offered instead of a result you can reproduce in the live TBAE search.
• The firm describes TBAE registration as an endorsement, ranking or guarantee of project outcome.
• Names, profession, registration number, proposal, seal or agreement do not align.

A mismatch is a reason to stop and ask, not proof of misconduct. Names, entity structures and status can change. Preserve the evidence, request a written explanation and use the Board’s contact information when the answer remains unclear.

Next steps after the lookup

1. Save the individual and business results with the date and live URL.
2. Confirm the responsible architect and contracting business in the proposal or agreement.
3. Check relevant completed projects, the proposed team’s actual roles and recent references.
4. Verify project jurisdiction, required approvals and consultant responsibilities.
5. Review scope, fees, insurance information and construction-phase services before signing.

Once registration is confirmed, continue with our Texas architect selection guide, then browse the regional architect directory or architecture specialties. A directory or ranking can help build a shortlist; it never replaces the official lookup.

Frequently asked questions

Is the TBAE lookup the official Texas architect license search?

Yes. TBAE is the Texas state agency that provides the public searches for individual design professionals and registered firms or businesses. Use the live Board links rather than a third-party directory.

Should I search the architect or the firm?

Search both. The individual record and registered business record answer different questions. Match the responsible person and the entity offering or contracting for architectural services.

What if the architect does not appear?

Check spelling, search by last name only, confirm the profession and request the registration number. If the record still cannot be found, pause and contact TBAE before relying on the credential.

Does “Revoked” mean the architect was disciplined?

Not necessarily. TBAE says most revoked registrations result from nonpayment of the annual registration fee. Because the person’s current ability to practice still requires clarification, contact TBAE rather than guessing at the cause or effect.

Does current registration mean the architect is right for my project?

No. It verifies regulatory status on the checked date. Evaluate relevant projects, the actual team, references, scope, fees, insurance and jurisdiction separately.

Official sources and limits

• Texas Board of Architectural Examiners: Find a Design Pro — official gateway to the individual and registered business searches; states that lists are updated daily and that TBAE does not endorse a registrant or firm.
• TBAE: Verify an Individual Registration — official search fields and status notes for individual design professionals.
• TBAE: Business Search — official lookup for registered firms and businesses.
• TBAE: Disciplinary Actions — official information about published enforcement material and public information requests.
• TBAE: Complaints — official consumer route for concerns involving regulated design professionals.

Sources, terminology and live links were checked August 6, 2026. Registry records can change after that date; verify again immediately before appointment or signature. BestTexasArchitects.com does not determine registration status, interpret every legal consequence of a status or allege misconduct from a mismatch. Contact TBAE at 512-305-9000 or customerservice@tbae.texas.gov for an authoritative explanation of a record.