Applicants must meet the following requirements:
AND
OR
Architects registered to practice in another state may apply for registration by reciprocity and are not required to pass the Residential Design Exam. Applicants need not be NCARB certified.
IMPORTANT: Completion of the reciprocity process, and issuance of a license, is mandatory before any activities constituting the practice of residential design may begin for projects located in Nevada. Failure to comply with this state law is a misdemeanor and may result in the denial of your registration.
NRS 623.180: No person may practice architecture or use the title of architect; or practice residential design or use the title residential designer; or practice as a registered interior designer or use the title of registered interior designer in this state without having a certificate issued to him or her under the provisions of this chapter.
Applicants must have a combination of five years of education and experience as outlined in the Table of Equivalents (NAC 623.505)
The Residential Design Exam is a four-part examination, consisting of three written divisions and one graphic division. Candidates wishing to register for an upcoming exam administration should contact Jessica Hernandez-Ramos.
The written portion of the examination consists of three divisions which are Structural Technology, Materials and Methods of Construction, and Building Systems and Life Safety. The divisions may all be taken in one day or spread out over time. Test takers are allowed three hours for each written division. They may use the 2018 International Residential Code, 2018 International Building Code, and the Architectural Graphic Standards as reference tools during the written portions of the examination.
Upcoming Written Divisions
Locations: Las Vegas and Reno
Dates/Times: August 9, 2024
Cost: $75 per division
Test takers are allowed twelve hours for this division. The four sections of the graphic division are floor plan, site plan, elevation, and cross sections. The 2018 International Residential Code may be used as a reference tool during the graphic portion of the examination.
The graphic exam is offered in AutoCAD and Revit. Complimentary packages (AEC, Softdesk, etc.) are not attached. Any symbols that exist within the program may be used. Additional symbols are not provided by the NSBAIDRD and may not be used by the test taker.
Test takers may use the line types and colors provided by the testing facility's computer, or change the characteristics to more closely match what they use daily. Shaded lines are not provided but are not prohibited. The graphic division does not test on Revit or CAD drafting capabilities, but it does test on the proper use of thick and thin lines that assist in conveying the tester's knowledge to the graders.
Upcoming Graphic Division
Locations: Las Vegas and Reno
Date: August 8, 2024
Time: 8 AM - 8 PM
Cost: $150
The Dewey Jones Residential Design Exam Scholarship was established to reimburse the $300 cost of the Residential Design Exam to every candidate who passes all four parts of the exam on the first attempt. The scholarship is fully funded by Nevada Residential Designers. Click here for more information on the Dewey Jones Residential Design Exam Scholarship.
| Application Forms (if sent from the board office) | $ 25 |
| Examination for Registration as a Residential Designer (if the entire, four-part exam is taken at the same time) | $300 |
| Examination for Registration as a Residential Designer - Graphic portion only | $150 |
| Examination for Registration as a Residential Designer - Each written portion taken independently | $ 75 |
| Application Processing (reciprocal registration only) | $300 |
| Certificate (one time fee, upon initial registration) | $125 |
| Annual Registration | $180 |
| Annual Registration (prorated for initial registration in November or December) | $ 90 |
| Stamp (registration by examination only) | $ 25 |
| Late renewal of an expired certificate within 1 year after expiration (in addition to annual registration fee) | $220 |
| Late renewal of a certificate which has been expired for more than 1 year, but not more than 3 years (in addition to annual registration fee) | $300 |
| Restoration of a revoked certificate | $300 |
| Replacement of a certificate | $ 30 |
