Alabama § 34-17-4 - Practice Deemed Personal Right; Final Drawings, Etc., to Bear Signature and Seal; Formation of Corporation, Limited Liability Company, or Partnership as Vehicle for Practice; Use of Title.

§ 34-17-4. Practice Deemed Personal Right; Final Drawings, Etc., to Bear Signature and Seal; Formation of Corporation, Limited Liability Company, or Partnership as Vehicle for Practice; Use of Title.

(a) The right to engage in the practice of landscape architecture is a personal right, based upon the qualifications of the individual evidenced by his or her license and is not transferable. All final drawings, specifications, plans, reports, or other papers or documents involving the practice of landscape architecture, as defined in Section 34-17-1, when issued or filed for public record, shall be dated and bear the signature and seal of the landscape architect or landscape architects who prepared or approved them.

(b) A corporation, limited liability company, or partnership may be formed as a vehicle for the practice of landscape architecture, and may use any form of the title “landscape architect” in connection with the name of the business entity if both of the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) One or more of the corporate officers in the case of a corporation, one or more of the managers or members in the case of a limited liability company, or one or more of the partners in the case of a partnership, is designated as being responsible for the professional services described in Section 34-17-1 of the business entity and is a landscape architect under this chapter.

(2) All personnel of the business entity, who act in its behalf as landscape architects, are licensed under this chapter.

(c) An individual desiring to use any form of the title “landscape architect” in connection with the name of a business entity shall file with the board, as part of his or her application for licensure or any subsequent renewal, a listing of relevant information, including the names and addresses of all officers and members of the corporation, managers and members of the limited liability company, or officers and partners of the partnership, and shall indicate those individuals duly licensed to practice landscape architecture in this state who shall be in responsible charge of the practice of landscape architecture in this state through the business entity, and any other information required by the board. A form, giving the same information, shall accompany the annual renewal fee to be determined by the board. In the event there is a change in any of these individuals during the year, the change shall be designated on the same form and filed with the board within 30 days after the effective date of the change. If all of the requirements of this section are satisfied, the business entity may contract for and collect fees for landscape architectural services.

(d) No business entity shall be relieved of responsibility for conduct or acts of its agents, employees, or officers by reason of its compliance with this section, nor shall any individual practicing landscape architecture as defined in Section 34-17-1 be relieved of responsibility for landscape architectural services performed by reason of his or her employment or relationship with the business entity.

(e) This chapter shall not be interpreted to prevent a business entity and its employees from performing landscape architectural services for the business entity, subsidiary, or affiliated business entities.